Mites

The word Mite can instill fear in just about anyone who fears the itchy buggers. Mites are truly scary because they are unseen. Many times mites are not even a pest control issue, but a medical issue, when dealing with scabies for instance. Other household mites include bird mites, dust mites, rodent mites, straw mites. The great thing is that all of these mites have a treatment. The best way to get rid of a mite problem is to find and eliminate the source and treat at the source. Then take care of the residual mite problem or the secondary infestation as needed.

Bird Mite Panic

Bird mites become a nightmare when home owners find a bird nest in a vent or under an air conditioner and they remove it, only to find these tiny bird mites all over that suddenly start biting anything in their path. In a previous post of mine entitled, what else, Bird Mites, there is a link at the end of the post that gives a level headed insight into the bird mite and shows us that although pesky, can be controlled without bombing your house with fumigants. Some have asked about products that can be bought to help in the crusade in getting rid of them. Sterifab would be a good product that you can find at an online pest control products store and a professional product that is sold is Talstar that is a miticide on the label. If you think you need to spray I would recommend calling a professional. Mixing and using professional chemicals can be dangerous and caution always must be used. Having said all this, you can rest assured, bird mites can be controlled and eliminated by using your head and not your heart.

Phantom Itching and bumps. Bird Mites

Bumps and itching on the skin can be caused by a host of different reasons. Dry skin irritation, fleas, mosquitoes, bed bugs, chiggers, mites. Much to choose from as you can see. How does one determine what is causing the itching and bumps? Process of elimination can help. Ask yourself questions like do you have animals or does your friends have dogs or cats? (Fleas) Have you been camping or hunting lately? (Chiggers) Have you been travelling lately or bought any used furniture or bedding? (Bed Bugs) Do you have a bird nest near the home? (Bird Mites) Think through some reasons why the above bugs would be in your home. Can you physically see any of these pests? Are there blood stains or bugs on your bed or sheets? This is clearly a sign of bed bugs. Can you see fleas hopping? Again, the obvious. If you are getting bitten without seeing the pest then it could be a possibility be that the problem is coming from birds who are giving you the problem of bird mites. If this is the case don't panic. In a previous post of mine entitled, Bird Mites, I offer some good advice and some calming thoughts. Remember, any pest can be treated and the trick is to be calm and collective and do what you have to for peace of mind.

Bird Mites

The panic that can ensue from a suspected bird mite infestation can be overwhelming and intense. I found this to be true when a site that I take care of called me for a bird problem they were having in the ceiling. It was reported that the room the birds were found in had people reporting getting bitten and itching. When my pest control person went in there and took down the drop ceiling tile there was a giant nest and he pulled 4 birds out of there. The nest fell in and the room was full of bird mites. They were able to be seen best on the black phone as they scurried. The room and nest was treated with Talstar, a miticide, and sterifab, and the room shut down for a few days. A few days later the housekeeper went in and threw away the nesting, bleached the entire room, and all was fine.
I decided to investigate bird mites further on the Internet that night and found a site that gives some alarmist information and frankly the info was not true. My fear was these mites could infest peoples homes and, like fleas, take a blood meal from their human hosts, reproducing and becoming a major problem. The website I found that is in question would have folks fumigate their homes and go through crazy measures to get rid of a problem that is not a human problem but bird problem. The facts are as follow:
Bird mites need a bird blood meal to reproduce, not a human blood meal.
Bird mites can bite and be a problem for people, but if you find the bird nest they are coming from, get rid of it, and treat your home as normal, you can get rid of them. They will not multiply into million of mites taking over your entire home.
The fact of the matter is there is no need to panic. Identify the problem and treat. Simple.
For more info that is factual look at this site from Penn State.
http://www.ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/birdmites.htm

Little orange bugs, the clover mites.

When I was little my friend and I used to sit on the steps and crush the little orange bugs that used to crawl around. They would leave little orange streaks and we called them brick bugs. When I grew up and entered the pest control industry I would tackle these clover mites on a wider range. They can over run an area, entering buildings and homes and becoming real pests. Professionals would recommend what they call a power spray. If you want to get tricky, you can leave a 2 foot bare track around your home, or you could simply go to your local hardware store, buy a good outdoor spray, and put a good perimeter barrier around your home. Good luck.