Can bird mites affect people? Are they harmful? What you can do.

bird-mites

During the late spring and early summer, your home could end up attracting bird mites. As young birds are able to fly on their own, the family will leave the nest and leave behind bird mites as well.

These are small parasites that will feed on multiple items in your home including you when there is nothing else to eat. If you have trees nearby the home or birdhouses, chances are you will attract bird mites and your home can become infested once the birds leave their nests.

Any bird nests nearby your home can attract bird mites near or into your home, particularly if nests are found in cracks of siding, under windows, or other areas in close proximity to your house. Bird houses and bird nests that are a good distance away do not typically attract bird mites into your home.

Just make sure your trees are trimmed to keep any possible mites from being able to crawl into your window or attic. You can also remove vacated nests to avoid the mites from entering as well. Make sure to wear protective gloves and goggles along with a long sleeve shirt that you wash immediately after.

There are other ways you can obtain bird mites outside of bird nests and birdhouses. If you purchase second-hand clothing, furniture, or a mattress that was infested with bird mites can possibly still have them and you will need to go through the proper steps to get rid of them upon finding out you have them in your home.

They will most often infest your bedrooms and bathrooms first before the rest of your home. Carpets are the ideal spot for them to nestle in. Upholstered furniture can get infested as it can stay underneath the furniture, in baseboards, and in cracks and crevices of a room that is not disturbed when they are not in action. They can also infest clothing in closets and then become very irritating to your skin.

I got an urgent bird mites problem to solve!

Some signs that you have bird mites include crawling sensations anywhere on your body with increased activity in the evenings, itching, small red bumps, small bite marks, and irritation on your skin. The irritation is caused by the saliva of the bird mite. They can really make you itch and irritate the skin to such a point that it will look like a rash and even scabies.​

Bird mites are so small & difficult to detect, they can spark paranoia in some people.

These parasites feed on various living organisms and need heat, moisture, and CO2 to survive. They only bite humans when their regular food source is gone and the female mites may need some blood to reproduce.

Upon finding out you have an infestation of bird mites you will need to call a professional that has experience in getting rid of the parasites such as a bird mite specialist, otherwise, the chemicals used may not kill off all of the mites and they will become immune to the treatment used.

If this occurs then they will be even more difficult to get rid of. Make sure to call upon an expert that has plenty of experience removing these parasites to avoid future problems.

After the first treatment is delivered, follow-up treatment will be needed about 10 days later to reassure all of the unhatched eggs are completely gone as they hatch. The process may include tenting and fumigation.

If you’re in a home this is more possible, but it could cost as much as $3,000 since the job is detailed and intense. All areas of the home will be treated from the attic to the basement. Every crevice from the baseboards to closets to vents will be treated to ensure that the bird mites are all dead.

You may want to consider placing your box spring and mattress in a vinyl protector so that you can wipe it down regularly with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water combined with rubbing alcohol. This will remove any parasites that are living within your mattress or trying to climb up on it while you sleep at night.

Use metal bed frames instead of wood as it will be easier to clean down and prevent the mites from coming up on the bed. If you suspect you have bird mites then clean your bedding daily in hot water. This can be exhausting and time-consuming but it is needed to help keep the mites from getting into your bed.

Stop having bird mites problem once and for all!

If you have carpets in rooms then vacuum them at least once a day to help get rid of the mites that are living in the carpet fibers. You can completely get rid of the carpets and replace them with hard flooring or tiles to help make it easier to prevent parasites from nesting in your home in the future.

This will also help reduce the number of bird mites you have in your home. Clean baseboards, walls, and ceiling with a bug spray and steam mop. As you do regular cleaning this will help reduce the number of bird mites that survive until the professional treatment provider comes to your home.​

Further Reading for Mites:

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Categorized as Mites

By David Jackson

I enjoy learning about new pest control strategies and sharing what I learn at NeverPest.com. I aim to create a reliable resource for people dealing with all sorts of pest issues.

1 comment

  1. my home is infested with a tiny mite that looks like a grain of black pepper. They don’t seem to bite but crawl especially on my neck and hair. I have had every pest control available check it out and they do not know what they are. I have submitted samples to my extension office and still the entomologist is not sure what they are. My beds, pillows, box springs are all covered with plastic covers. I have put away all decorative pillows and accessories in plastic bags and containers. I have had to toss a couch and chair because they were so badly infested. How do I contact a professional who deals in these type of things.

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