Effects of Wet Cleaning with Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate on Dust Mites (Acari: Pyroglyphidae) in Carpet

In a controlled laboratory study, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) applied to carpets with a carpet-cleaning machine at a rate of 509 ml DOT/8.15 liter H<inf>2</inf>O/100 m2 (two cups DOT/2 gal H<inf>2</inf>O/100 feet2) reduced survival and population growth of live Dermatophagoides farinae</it> and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus</it> by =98% compared with water-cleaned and uncleaned carpets at 8 wk postcleaning. Cleaning with DOT was more effective against D. pteronyssinus</it> than D. farinae</it>.