Utilizing this food, up to 300 eggs in the female's abdomen develop. Males, who are parasitic to the female, breed with newly emerged females. The newly born and bred female gives birth to her own young within 6 to 7 days. One to several hundred bites can occur on a person or animal. The bite is not felt and can take from 2 to 24 hours for resulting welts to appear.
Severe cases can cause infection, fever, vomiting, and joint pain.
Many people believe the mites infest their beds or homes, but this is not true. Severe itching and possible infection can occur if bites are scratched open. Itching may last up to a week or more. Welts will disappear normally within a few weeks. Treatment is not recommended for most situations unless mites are infesting stored grains or hay barns.