The larvae, which hatch in three to 10 days, move about on the skin, moult into a nymphal stage, and then mature into adult mites.

A delayed Type IV hypersensitivity reaction to the mites, their eggs, or scybala (packets of feces) occurs approximately 30 days after infestation.

The adult female mite, having been fertilized, burrows into the skin (usually at the hands or wrists, but other parts of the body may also be affected), and lays its eggs.

Eggs are laid in small numbers as the mite burrows, and, as these hatch, six-legged larvae climb out on to the skin and search for hair follicles, where they feed and moult (discard old cuticles to grow).

Even so, this number can cause agonising itching, especially at night, and severe damage to the skin often comes as a result of scratching, in particular by the introduction of infective bacteria, which may lead to impetigo or eczema.

About 2% of the British population is thought to be infested with these mites, which take about 25 minutes to an hour to burrow into the skin.

[5] They are recognizable by their oval, ventrally flattened and dorsally convex tortoise-like bodies and multiple cuticular spines.

[6] No demarcation into cephalothorax or abdomen occurs, and the mite's surface has folds covered with short bristles.

Upon infesting a human host, the adult female burrows into the stratum corneum (outermost layer of skin), where she deposits two or three eggs per day.

The impregnated female then leaves the molting pouch in search of a suitable location for a permanent burrow.