It’s when they head indoors—in large numbers—that it’s a little more upsetting. “Clover mites are an occasional invader into our homes,” says Eric Benson, PhD, professor emeritus and ...

Dust mites are spindly insects that feed off some of the 500 million tiny flakes of dead skin people shed daily. They have a small head, eight spider-like legs and a fat body — but no ...

This story appears in the February 2015 issue of National Geographic magazine. Currently two species of face mites are known; at least one of them appear to be present on all adult humans.