About 2 weeks ago, I moved a bird feeder from my patio area due to the dropped seeds sprouting in my mulched areas. I did some pulling of the sprouted vegetation with no noticeable problems. But later, I pulled back the mulch and attacked the area more thoroughly, digging up the sprouting seeds and placing the material in containers.

Last week, I developed bites on my right arm which were like chigger bites in intensity of the itch, and I still have those bites – they’re raised, extremely itchy, and become less itchy for a time, only to flare up, redden, swell, and drive me crazy!

Since then I’ve been bitten under my arms, my groin, my waist and torso, my neck, chin and face, and behind my knees. I’m so miserable I can’t function. After thinking about how it happened, I thought it might be bird mites, so looked it up on the web. It’s been discouraging to realize how difficult it is to treat them, and I have 2 dogs, one 4 months old who needs to be taken out frequently, and 3 house cats. No one else (family visitors) has been bitten. But I have MS and several other autoimmune diseases making me an attractive meal apparently.

I contacted a pest control company today and described my situation. They think it’s bird mites and are going to treat tomorrow. It’s money I don’t have, but they give a year warranty, so I decided to go for it.

The surprising aspect is the depression, irritability and misery from this! My eyes and nose are itching, sleep, which is always bad due to my many diseases, is impossible, and my future seems hopeless! I don’t have the energy or strength to battle this.

The other amazing thing is I’ve fed birds and had nests near my home for decades. Although all bugs like me more than most people, I’ve had scabies, and other rarer problems in the past, but never bird mites. I wonder if my declining immune system is to blame – or that PLUS having moved the bird feeder and then digging in the dirt and mulch after the birds no longer visited that location, is what did it. I react so violently to the bites, I look like I have measles! The itching is beyond intolerable.

I’m curious by some posts which say some people aren’t bothered much by the bites and some don’t see redness or evidence of the bites, but feel crawling. I wondered about straw itch mites, but further research and history convinced me it’s bird mites. If it were July, I’d have thought it was chiggers.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in tears and certainly understand how awful this is! Why it’s so seldom thought about or so seldom appears to happen amazes me. Blessings to all fellow sufferers. I hope things look brighter soon because I won’t be able to tolerate this for long! Worried about my precious pets too!

J.