Hidden horrors: Extreme close-ups of the creepy crawlies that infest our homes



They look like aliens from some futuristic Hollywood blockbuster.



But these ugly bugs have already invaded your home.



Magnified over a million times, these are the true faces of the mites, flies and fleas that lurk in our carpets, sofas and kitchen cupboards.



They include the flour mite - a revolting bug that infests packets of pasta, flour and bread bins - and the dust mite which thrives in furniture, curtains and carpets.

Itchy feeling: This image taken through a Scanning Electron Micrograph shows a house dust mite, which lives on shed skin cells

Other hidden horrors are the silverfish, a fast moving bug that loves the cupboard under the sink and the red flour beetle - a pest that arrives in your home in bags of flour.



The images were captured by award winning science photographer Steve Gschmeissner, 61, who uses ultra-powerful scanning electron microscopes to shed light on the microscopic world.



One incredible image shows a maggot with tiny teeth-like fangs extending from its mouth.



Feline friend: This image shows a cat flea in its favourite habitat and is magnified more than 100 times

Making a buzz: A super close-up of a common housefly reveals the tiny hairs across its entire body

The larva of a bluebottle fly, it might be found around the kitchen near food or in a wheelie bin left for too long in the sunshine.

HIDDEN HOUSE HORRORS HOUSE DUST MITE

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus



Feeding on human skin and crumbs of food, dust mites live in mattresses, carpets, furniture and bedding. Up to 10 million can live in one mattress. The bugs are 0.4 mm long - making them just visible with the human eye. A single female lives up to 70 days and lays up to 100 eggs. A single mite produces around 2,000 droppings. They are usually harmless, but can trigger allergic reactions.



SILVERFISH

Lepisma saccharina

The primitive silverfish has remained unchanged for millions of years making it a 'living fossil'. Around half an inch long, they are often spotted in sinks or bathroom cupboards. They eat book glue, paper, photos, sugar, coffee, hair, carpets and dandruff. and can live one year between meals.



FLOUR MITE Acarus siro

Mainly a pest in flour mills and grain stores, they sometimes find their way into homes where they live in flour, grains or cheese and need humid conditions to survive. A single female lays 500 eggs or more - sometimes as many as 25 a day. Infected food has to be destroyed and dry food close by destroyed.



COMMON HOUSEFLY

Musca domestica

The most common of all flies have one pair of wings and eyes composed of 4,000 image forming facets. A female lays 500 white eggs which hatch into maggots within one day. They can feed only on liquids and spit out saliva on solid foods to predigest it before sucking it back in. They also vomit up partially predigested food and eat it again. Flies pass on diseases by landing on animal waste, picking up bacteria and then landing on food.



BLUEBOTTLE MAGGOT

Protophormia terraenovae

The larvae of bluebottles hatch from eggs laid on dead animals and humans - and the stage of their development can help police identify when someone died. They are used in medicine to clean wounds . Once place in a wound, the maggots feed on dead tissue and leave healthy tissue untouched. Their saliva contains anti-bacterial chemicals which keep wounds sterile. The maggots have 12 segments and grow up to 1cm long.



DADDY LONG LEGS SPIDER

Pholcus phalangioides

Not to be confused with crane flies, or daddy long legs, the spider preys on other spiders, injecting them with venom from its fangs. Native to the tropics, it has spread around the world and now lives in the UK. Its legs are up to 5cm long - five to six times longer than its body. Some species have eight eyes, others have six. They weave webs in dark and damp crevices.



Another shows a house dust mite - a bug that is normally harmless but which can trigger allergic reactions in people suffering from asthma.

Even your breakfast is not safe from the microscopic pests under your nose.



The minuscule flour mite - with its long hairs and large, powerful front legs - contaminates cereals and grains, particularly if cupboards are not aired properly.

Once the mite has infested a kitchen, the only solution is to chuck out all the potential sources of food, and then put replacements in sealed containers.



Also a fan of your Cornflakes is the red flour beetle, who enjoys cereals, biscuits and even pasta.

And pet lovers have an added army of miniature foes to battle against. The cat flea - seen here in its favourite furry environment - makes a pet's life a misery.



The line up also includes the daddy-longlegs spider. Not to be confused with the crane, this spider can be found on ceilings, in garages or in cellars in several countries around the world including Britain.



Insect expert Iain Turner, an Entomologist and director of the UK’s National Pest Technicians Association, said: 'The industry probably responds to the cat flea more than any other from these insects.

'Whether you have a cat or a dog you are very susceptible to having these in your home and you know they are there because you get bitten, whereas the dust mite can remain largely undetected.

'But the biggest concern in the industry at the moment is the bed bug.



'We seemed to be getting control of this pest during the 80s and 90s but it has been making a big comeback.

'One theory suggests that it’s down to people travelling more.



'As the world becomes more mobile and travellers check in to hotels, hostels and the homes of relatives the bugs are travelling with them.



'The bed bug doesn’t have wings so it can only hitch-hike.



'It’s getting around in people’s luggage and bedding that they take with them. Even the top hotels and the cleanest houses have these in them.'



In two years time, Britain could see a real invasion.



'We are very concerned about what is going to happen when the world comes to London for the Olympics in 2012,' added Mr Turner.

'Pest controllers are working with people in the hospitality industry but we really need people to start taking this seriously and looking at what they can do to avoid infestation.'



Hideous: A close-up of the head of a bluebottle fly larva, with its mouth on the right