they are not harmless. they create a waste that is poisonous. not all to bad for normal people.
but can cause younger kids to get asthma and other such breathing issues.
they are the very reason there are those tacky mattress tags on your mattress. threatening you not to tear the tag off. saying how the mattress shouldn't be sold or given away.
its a federal warning for health issues.
in 15 years a mattress can gain 50% of its weight in dead skin and mites alone. its actually dangerous