Acetone to kill mites and Neem Oil for my Cat

[lynneh]

I recently discovered that I have bird mite infestation in our townhouse. I suspect I transferred the mites on my right shoe following removal of a filthy bluebird box down at our country house in the mountains. Bluebirds are neat and clean and I never had any problems cleaning them previously but I believe the box was inhabited by field mice after all the nesting was over (usually 3 nests per season). Also, our neighbors there have free ranging chickens which roam the neighborhood. Dust and dirt was expelled in a cloud and fell on my shoe. I hadn’t worn those shoes again until we walked about 8 to 10 weeks later. A couple hours later I had intense itching in my right foot. I treated my foot and hoped that was the end but no such luck.

For this event and a previous one (probably due to purchase of cheap imported pillows), the only thing I have found that will kill these critters is ACETONE 100%. You can buy acetone in large bottles at Walmart or Walgreens. This time – which is much worse than before because the mites are distributed over my body as opposed to localized on my scalp – I have taken to wiping down before showering (twice a day) with a microfiber cloth wetted with acetone. You have to keep putting acetone on the cloth because it dries quickly. I am using a magnifying glass to locate embedded mites for direct application. I also rub any itches with a round cotton swab with acetone (throughout the day).

My poor cat is in distress. We are in the Christmas holiday season and my vet is on vacation. I doubt I will get a chance to talk to her before 10 days. In the meantime, I decided to try using a metal back scratcher dipped in neem oil and get it into my cat’s fur. Surprisingly, she is letting me do this – which indicates to me that she is extremely irritated. I think the best way to address her infestation is by trying to break the reproduction cycle with neem. Cats cannot metabolize various organic compounds and many essential oils are harmful to cats. I hope the neem will not make her sick.

This forum is fantastic. I am reading and trying many of the things I find that other people have used successfully. I describe this endeavor as “guerilla warfare with an invisible opponent”. On my list of things to get are a new vacuum cleaner with two HEPA filters and an autoclave unit. Surprisingly, I cannot locate a service (doctor/vet/exterminator) to identify mites. I am hoping to find an academic institution that will do this for me.

[lynneh]

ACETONE is nail polish remover! I have not purchased anything other than the nail polish remover in the personal care section.

[Author]

Posts