Are Mites Having Sex on Your Face? | National Geographic

in general on our skin we have thousands

in general on our skin we have thousands of species and so we’ve studied a lot

of species and so we’ve studied a lot

of species and so we’ve studied a lot about the bacteria living our skin Bunji

about the bacteria living our skin Bunji

about the bacteria living our skin Bunji living our skin worms live on your skin

living our skin worms live on your skin

living our skin worms live on your skin we all have those things mites are going

we all have those things mites are going

we all have those things mites are going into hair follicles and into the pores

into hair follicles and into the pores

into hair follicles and into the pores there could be hundreds of thousands or

there could be hundreds of thousands or

there could be hundreds of thousands or even millions in the individual person

even millions in the individual person

even millions in the individual person we don’t really know we know that

we don’t really know we know that

we don’t really know we know that sometimes they appear to come out and

sometimes they appear to come out and

sometimes they appear to come out and mate on your skin the mites have sex in

mate on your skin the mites have sex in

mate on your skin the mites have sex in your head right mate so that’s happening

your head right mate so that’s happening

your head right mate so that’s happening it’s probably happening right now you

it’s probably happening right now you

it’s probably happening right now you know with with you with everybody who’s

know with with you with everybody who’s

know with with you with everybody who’s watching and so they do have this funny

watching and so they do have this funny

watching and so they do have this funny way of living on you that I think we

way of living on you that I think we

way of living on you that I think we find totally gross if we talk about it

find totally gross if we talk about it

find totally gross if we talk about it you know and yet independent of our

you know and yet independent of our

you know and yet independent of our comfort with these realities these mites

comfort with these realities these mites

comfort with these realities these mites do tons of different things and so

do tons of different things and so

do tons of different things and so figuring that story out I think will

figuring that story out I think will

figuring that story out I think will show us a ton not just about them but

show us a ton not just about them but

show us a ton not just about them but about mammals and it’s just wide open

about mammals and it’s just wide open

about mammals and it’s just wide open and insert for the most part for now we

and insert for the most part for now we

and insert for the most part for now we can just go sample people and figure out

can just go sample people and figure out

can just go sample people and figure out what they have your wildlife is a

what they have your wildlife is a

what they have your wildlife is a citizen science outreach initiative and

citizen science outreach initiative and

citizen science outreach initiative and so the me or mites project is an

so the me or mites project is an

so the me or mites project is an extension of your wildlife this project

extension of your wildlife this project

extension of your wildlife this project is really unique in the fact that we get

is really unique in the fact that we get

is really unique in the fact that we get to engage the participants personally so

to engage the participants personally so

to engage the participants personally so they get to learn about their mites

they get to learn about their mites

they get to learn about their mites what’s living directly on them at the

what’s living directly on them at the

what’s living directly on them at the time of the sampling and then we get to

time of the sampling and then we get to

time of the sampling and then we get to learn about the things that are so

learn about the things that are so

learn about the things that are so closely tied to our bodies that we know

closely tied to our bodies that we know

closely tied to our bodies that we know very little about face mites are these

very little about face mites are these

very little about face mites are these tiny arthropods they’re microscopic and

tiny arthropods they’re microscopic and

tiny arthropods they’re microscopic and they actually live all around your body

they actually live all around your body

they actually live all around your body they seem to be really concentrated on

they seem to be really concentrated on

they seem to be really concentrated on your face and they were originally

your face and they were originally

your face and they were originally collected from foreheads so they got

collected from foreheads so they got

collected from foreheads so they got coined that even though they could live

coined that even though they could live

coined that even though they could live in a lot of other areas the lifecycle of

in a lot of other areas the lifecycle of

in a lot of other areas the lifecycle of the mites is about 14 days and it’s

the mites is about 14 days and it’s

the mites is about 14 days and it’s thought that the females once they

thought that the females once they

thought that the females once they choose a poor more or less stay in that

choose a poor more or less stay in that

choose a poor more or less stay in that poor and the male’s realm around a

poor and the male’s realm around a

poor and the male’s realm around a little

little

little so they live about five days as adults

so they live about five days as adults

so they live about five days as adults going around mating on your face at

going around mating on your face at

going around mating on your face at night the idea is the female comes to

night the idea is the female comes to

night the idea is the female comes to the surface of the poor a male is

the surface of the poor a male is

the surface of the poor a male is searching around for a mate finds her

searching around for a mate finds her

searching around for a mate finds her they made it the opening of the poor the

they made it the opening of the poor the

they made it the opening of the poor the female goes back down in and will live

female goes back down in and will live

female goes back down in and will live the rest of her life down there laying

the rest of her life down there laying

the rest of her life down there laying eggs and eating your sebum and the male

eggs and eating your sebum and the male

eggs and eating your sebum and the male will go off and find another poor maybe

will go off and find another poor maybe

will go off and find another poor maybe another mate or another place to just

another mate or another place to just

another mate or another place to just hang out

hang out

hang out they don’t have an anus so they’re not

they don’t have an anus so they’re not

they don’t have an anus so they’re not really pooping the idea has been put out

really pooping the idea has been put out

really pooping the idea has been put out there that they may explode we’ve looked

there that they may explode we’ve looked

there that they may explode we’ve looked at a lot of mites and we’ve never seen

at a lot of mites and we’ve never seen

at a lot of mites and we’ve never seen an engorged mite about to explode it’s a

an engorged mite about to explode it’s a

an engorged mite about to explode it’s a bad way to go but you got to go some way

bad way to go but you got to go some way

bad way to go but you got to go some way by looking at those mites we can figure

by looking at those mites we can figure

by looking at those mites we can figure out stories about ourselves and that

out stories about ourselves and that

out stories about ourselves and that would be the really neat thing because

would be the really neat thing because

would be the really neat thing because they evolved super rapidly so one of the

they evolved super rapidly so one of the

they evolved super rapidly so one of the main goals of this study is that we are

main goals of this study is that we are

main goals of this study is that we are trying to get a lot of mites from

trying to get a lot of mites from

trying to get a lot of mites from different populations of people around

different populations of people around

different populations of people around the world because we’re really

the world because we’re really

the world because we’re really interested in mapping the genetic

interested in mapping the genetic

interested in mapping the genetic history of these mite so we can use the

history of these mite so we can use the

history of these mite so we can use the relationships that we find in these mite

relationships that we find in these mite

relationships that we find in these mite populations to determine not only how

populations to determine not only how

populations to determine not only how they’re related to each other but we can

they’re related to each other but we can

they’re related to each other but we can use that to determine how we’re related

use that to determine how we’re related

use that to determine how we’re related to each other and how we spread around

to each other and how we spread around

to each other and how we spread around the world and how humans moved through

the world and how humans moved through

the world and how humans moved through time it’s very exciting to know that

time it’s very exciting to know that

time it’s very exciting to know that there’s a tiny arthropod that that’s

there’s a tiny arthropod that that’s

there’s a tiny arthropod that that’s associated with every person on the

associated with every person on the

associated with every person on the planet