I first ran into wood mites about eight years ago when I bought a batch of rough-sawn maple from a guy on Craigslist. Stacked it in my shop, and a few weeks later I noticed tiny white specks crawling across the surface. Freaked me out a bit, honestly. Turns out they were wood mites, and once I understood what they were (and weren’t), I calmed down considerably.
Wood mites are one of those shop problems that’s easy to deal with once you know what you’re looking at, but easy to panic about if you don’t. Let me walk you through the whole thing.
What Are Wood Mites, Exactly?
Wood mites are tiny arachnids — related to spiders and ticks, not insects. They belong to the Acaridae family, and they’re absolutely microscopic. We’re talking less than 1mm in most cases. They don’t eat wood. That’s the big thing to understand right away. They eat the fungi and mold that grows ON wood, especially damp or decaying wood.
Their life cycle goes: egg, larva, nymph, adult. The warmer and wetter the environment, the faster they reproduce. A damp basement full of stored lumber is basically a five-star resort for these guys.
So here’s the upside: wood mites are actually eating things you don’t want on your wood. Fungi, mold, decaying organic matter. They’re nature’s cleanup crew. The downside is that their presence means you’ve got a moisture problem, and THAT can be a real issue.
How to Spot Them
Good luck seeing them with the naked eye. They look like tiny white or grayish dots, barely visible unless you’re looking closely or there are a lot of them. I keep a cheap magnifying loupe in my shop for exactly this kind of thing.
Signs to watch for:
- Fine dust that looks like powdered sugar on wood surfaces
- Tiny holes or tracks on the wood (these can also indicate other pests, so don’t assume)
- Wood that looks discolored or feels softer than it should
- Any area where moisture has been sitting
I’ve found that the mites themselves are less of a concern than what they’re telling you. If you’ve got wood mites, you’ve got moisture. Fix the moisture and the mites go away.
Are They Actually Harmful?
To wood? Not directly. They eat the mold on wood, not the wood itself. But the underlying moisture that attracts them CAN weaken wood over time. If you’re seeing mites on your lumber stack or furniture, the real enemy is dampness.
To people? They don’t bite, but they can trigger allergies. If you’re sensitive to dust mites (and a lot of people are), wood mites can cause similar reactions — sneezing, itchy eyes, respiratory irritation. They also encourage mold growth, which brings its own set of health concerns.
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. A lot of woodworkers see “mites” and assume the worst. These aren’t termites. They’re not eating your furniture. But they are a warning sign you shouldn’t ignore.
Getting Rid of Them
Step one: fix the moisture. Get a dehumidifier running in your shop or storage area and keep humidity below 50%. That alone will solve most infestations because you’re removing what the mites need to survive.
Step two: if lumber is heavily infested, pull it out and let it dry in the sun for a day or two. UV light and dry heat are natural mite killers. Toss anything that’s genuinely rotting — it’s not worth saving.
Step three: vacuum the area thoroughly with a HEPA-filter vacuum. This picks up mites, eggs, and their debris.
For stubborn cases, there are miticide sprays designed for indoor use. Follow the label directions carefully and make sure what you’re using is safe for your space. In my experience, though, fixing the humidity usually handles it without chemicals.
Wood Mites vs. The Stuff That’s Actually Scary
Here’s where it pays to know what you’re dealing with. Wood mites, termites, and wood-boring beetles are completely different problems with completely different solutions.
Termites eat cellulose — the actual wood fibers. They leave mud tubes on surfaces and hollow out wood from the inside. If you tap a piece of wood and it sounds hollow, that’s a termite red flag. This is call-a-professional territory.
Wood-boring beetles (like powder post beetles) leave round exit holes and little piles of fine sawdust-like frass. Their larvae tunnel through the wood, causing structural damage. Also a job for a professional.
Wood mites leave fine dust on the surface and are visible as tiny moving specks. They don’t tunnel, don’t consume wood, and go away when you control moisture. Much less scary, much easier to fix.
Preventing Future Problems
Keep your shop dry. That’s really the core of it. Run a dehumidifier. Make sure your lumber is stored off the ground on stickers with good air circulation. Dry your lumber properly before stacking it in a closed space.
If you’re storing firewood, keep it away from your shop and your house. Firewood is a mite expressway. I keep mine on a rack at the far end of my yard, as far from the shop as possible.
Inspect new wood before you bring it inside, especially if you’re buying from private sellers or picking up free lumber. A quick look with a magnifier takes thirty seconds and can save you a headache later.
Some Things You Might Not Know
- Wood mites are found on every continent and in pretty much every climate. They’re everywhere.
- They actually play a useful role in forests by helping break down dead organic material and cycling nutrients back into the soil.
- Some species have been studied in labs for their unusual genetics and mating behaviors.
- They can survive surprisingly extreme conditions, which is why they’re hard to eradicate without addressing the root cause.
The Bigger Picture
In forests, wood mites are part of the natural decomposition process. They help break down fallen trees and return nutrients to the soil. They’re doing their job out there. The problem only starts when they’re doing their job in YOUR shop.
In farming and agriculture, they can be both helpful (breaking down compost) and problematic (infesting stored grain or hay). Context matters.
What the Research Says
Scientists have been studying mite biology more closely in recent years, looking at everything from their genetics to their potential role in controlling fungal growth in agriculture. It’s niche stuff, but it underscores the fact that these little creatures are more complex than they first appear.
For us woodworkers, the practical takeaway is simple: keep your wood dry, keep your shop ventilated, and don’t panic if you spot a few mites. That’s what makes dealing with wood mites endearing to us shop veterans — it’s a solvable problem with a straightforward fix. Control the moisture and you control the mites.
