Have you ever heard of bird mites? They are common in the spring and summer, as you see more and more birds ascending on our island for their summer holidays. Bird mites are parasites that live on the skin of domestic fowl, like chicken, and wild birds. Why should you care? Well, if these teeny tiny little bugs find their way into your home, they can cause trouble for your house and also for your health! So, read on to learn more about these bird mites, and if you sense you are either noticing them, or have seen a few too many birds nesting around your property, call Sentry Pest Control for an inspection and pest management.
When and Where to Watch Out for Mites
Bird mites prefer warm and humid living conditions and are most active during the spring and early summer in North America when birds migrate to us and the weather conditions are right.
Wild birds nest on houses, schools, factories, and other buildings. When you have an influx of these birds, mites can be more present. Want to learn more about identifying whether you have a bird control problem? Read this blog post all about birds in the spring!
Then, when young birds die or leave the nest, mites look for a different host around these buildings. They have time to find you: the average adult bird mite can live up to three weeks without food (bird blood) And, since bird mites will do what they can to survive, they will try to find a human host like you or your family, or even other hosts like your pets. However, they can’t survive on human blood – just bird blood.
In general, people who are at high risk of bird-mite infestations include poultry farmers, people living in close proximity to bird nests (especially prevalent in the spring and summer around North America), people who rear birds as a hobby (like, pigeon racers, breeders, pet keepers, etc.); vets, and zoo workers. Exposure to bird mites can also occur when using second-hand furniture, or when working or living in buildings that have been infested by bird mites previously.
These parasites are not a significant threat to your health, but their bites are annoying – and something you can avoid. One great thing is that bird mites don’t like the dry environment of the average air-conditioned buildings, so they may go away in a few weeks even if you have AC.
How to Identify Bird Mites
So, all this talk of bird mites – what do they even look like? How can you identify them? Bird mites are so tiny they might be hard to spot at first glance. A mature mite is very small (less than a millimeter long), but still visible to the naked eye. They are sometimes described as walking pepper flakes. A young mite has only six legs. Adult mites have eight. They can vary in color, but most of them are brown or gray. On thing that helps you see them is that they are almost always moving!
Signs Bird Mites May Be Around
The first sign of a bird mite infestation is actually what they will do to you and your family. They will leave small bites all over your body. Bird mites are most active during the night and early morning, so it's normal to wake up to a few more bites each day.
During the daytime, the itchiness is usually manageable, but tickling may increase as you're trying to sleep which is very inconvenient. This response happens after a mite injects its saliva into the host's body while feeding. Another common symptom is the presence of red bumps where the mite bit you.
Here is a list of typical symptoms:
Feeling a slight prick when a bite occurs
Itching
Small bumps on the skin
Rash
Some people may not react at all to bird mite bites, and others may have a harsher reaction. Unfortunately, not much distinguishes these bites from other insect bites or skin rashes. The only sure way to know if it was a bird mite that bit you is to correctly identify the mite. Pest management services such as Sentry Pest Control can help find and identify the mites.
If you do find you or your family have had bird mite bites, here are some ways to treat them:
Use a loofah and lotion to scrub your skin in the shower
Use a coal tar shampoo and body wash once or twice a day
Add a few drops of bleach to your bathwater
Apply a topical steroid prescription to reduce inflammation
Take oral antihistamines to decrease the itch
For more information on how to treat bird mite bites, check out these tips, and contact your physician.
Getting Rid of Bird Mites
Physical removal is best when trying to rid your home of mites. You can try vacuuming them or wiping them up with a wet cloth. It is important that you to throw the vacuum cleaner bag and any cloths away immediately in order to keep mites out of your house for good. To prevent an infestation altogether, pest management services recommend hiring a professional service, like Sentry Pest Control, as they will be able to safely and effectively remove empty nests and dead birds from your property, spray your home with the correct insecticides, provide ongoing management services, and recommend ways for you to best prevent the issue in the future.
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