Cheese mites are microorganisms that exist everywhere, but they especially love the damp, cool atmosphere found in cheese maturing facilities. Cheese mites are so tiny that the naked eye can’t usually spot them. Their presence is detected by very fine brownish dust on the surface of a wheel of cheese, and are harmless. Mites are present in all different types of dry goods, like grains and flours, without causing direct harm to humans. Cheese mites tend to be noticeably present on the outside of hard, long maturing cheeses, such as Cheddar. Part of our job as cheese maturers is to identify when cheese mites are present in excessive quantities and brush them off. This can be done without affecting the flavour of the cheese inside.