SCP-165

Intro Item #: SCP-165 Object Class: Keter Special Containment Procedures: Housed in a facility at Armed Bio-Containment Area-14, SCP-165 is to be treated as a contagious, pathological organism. The highest sterilization and quarantine procedures are to be followed. Microwave field generators around SCP-165's area are in place to restrict movement of its dune within its containment area. Once every nine (9) days, SCP-165 is fed live cattle weighing at least seven hundred fifty (750) kilograms. Description: The organic component of SCP-165 resembles that of typical parasitic mites, seven hundred fifty (750) micrometers in length, with eight (8) legs and a genetic structure similar to the house dust mite. The main difference is the hermit-crab-like behavior of attaching grains of sand to its back. It is unknown what purpose the sand serves, but the massive colony of SCP-165 numbers in the hundreds of billions to possibly trillions, creating a rather large dune. [DATA EXPUNGED] and SCP-165 are only superficial. [DATA EXPUNGED]'s colony is protozoan in nature and apparently shows a collective intelligence and awareness that is not understood. SCP-165's colony is made up of individual Acari who don't show cooperation but rather competition in the hunt for food. Like mosquitoes, they rely on chemical detection of carbon dioxide and sugars in the air to detect prey. The Acari mites roll and bound over one another toward prey, only using their legs to climb over one another. When in contact with the flesh of animals, they release a numbing chemical toxin in their bite, similar in make-up to that of mosquito and flea bite toxins. Subjects are typically unaware that millions of mites are 'taking turns' at grabbing mouthfuls of its flesh as they swarm around their victim. A typical swarm resembles a swirling vortex around a victim or victim's appendage.