Some that may not be as well known are found in rather unusual environments. There are mites that infest ham, cheese, flour, stored grain and other food products. Some mites that live in mushroom houses actually consume the mushrooms or spores. In large quantities, they form a powdery-looking mass on the food they are eating. Last month, one of our clients brought in some specimens from a damp area under her sink.
Some mites live on or in insects.
The Orchard Mason Bee is attacked by a species of mite that feeds on the eggs and pollen that the bee has stored in the larval chamber. Those bees that survive the attack are literally covered with mites when they emerge from the chamber in March. I observed one bee that was so covered with mites that it could not fly. Those that can fly, reinfest new chambers with mites as they are preparing them for the next generation. Mites also can be parasitic on warm-blooded animals, including humans.