Bird Mite Infestation Forums Questions House Infestation with Bird Mites

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    • #1383
      NoJoyHere
      Participant

      My best friend who I was going to visit in Florida next week just told me I cannot stay with her as she has been battling a bird mite infestation since May. She is the most cheerful person I know but at the moment is almost suicidal. In May her son brought what she thought was bedbugs to her house in his suitcase. She got the landlord to tent her house but she was getting itchier even though she couldn’t see anything. She got the pest control company back 3 times till they finally said it was bird mites. Since then she has thrown out her bedding and sofas – had numerous chemicals applied but the infestation has got worse. The landlord will not tent again and told her to go away for a month. She did this in July throwing away all the clothes, shoes and purse she went with and getting totally new clothes before going to her friends. For a month she was fine and went back home hoping the mites would have not have survived as that was what she was told. On the 2nd day back the nightmare began again. Her fingernails have little black marks on them, she sent photos but don’t know how to attach them. She saw doctors who thought she had a fungus, another who thought she was crazy.

      She is going to move but is petrified; even if she throws everything away they will come with her? She thinks they are in her hair. Can they live on her? Should she shave her head? She is afraid to visit anyone and won’t let anyone near her house and this is a very sociable woman with close friends and family. Any advice would be very welcome. I am in UK but flying to Florida this weekend.

      Thanks, Natasha

      • This topic was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by NoJoyHere.
    • #1388
      CNDNGirl
      Participant

      I am so sorry to hear about what your friend is going through. It is absolute HELL on earth these bird mites.

      I have done lots of research on these things, both those websites such as these and through academically-published scientific articles, and based on that I can say that BMs have been known to live up to 9 months without a blood feed, so her going away for 1 month wouldn’t have done much. Also, they can be so small as to live in someone’s pore and although they don’t typically LIVE on the host throughout the day (preferring to go off and hide during the daytime and crawl back on at night), they can and have bene known to in some cases. They do also like long hair (I, personally, am getting bitten mostly around my neck and scalp) so cutting/shaving her hair is always an option, albeit a pretty drastic one for most.

      I wonder what her daily bathing/cleaning routines are? As well as any supplements she has taken? Some people have looked to change their internal body make-up (nothing drastic – garlic pills and immune boosters and salt tabs for some) to try and make their blood less appealing.

      I’m so sorry for your friend, but there is hope. Definitely look through this website and on others for more guidance.

    • #3750
      Takwakin
      Participant

      First, almost my entire family had it: 4 sisters, 2 grown nieces, my ex and me. We all beat them – so it is possible. Everyone but me kept working during the ordeal so it is do able.

      I’m going to just give you things we did that worked. You can read my story if you want, if you want more details.

      If she is moving just to get rid of the mites, she may as well stay put and fight them there. They will come with her. Yes, they are on her and she will take them with her.

      Tell her to buy a dehumidifier, two if she has a big house. She also needs to buy a bed bug proof zippered mattress cover. She needs to vacuum her bed daily and spray it with alcohol. She can wash her pillow daily or get a zippered pillow cover as well and treat it like the bed.

      She can get rid of unnecessary books and paperwork, cause they love paper! If she has important paperwork tell her to put it in the freezer section of her fridge. Mites are killed by the cold. She could take them to storage and hope for the best, but they could last a long time on them. She might need to leave them for a year or more.

      Some people don’t keep cotton clothes cause they think the mites live and breed in them, but that’s debatable. I opted for synthetic clothes and that seemed to help, didn’t hurt anyway. I invested in shoes that could go in the wash. I washed clothes in the hottest water with a cup of Borax and ammonia in every load. I used 2 bounce sheets in the dryer. If she is going to keep her cotton things, tell her to soak them in water with ammonia and borax for at least an hour before washing them. She needs to switch to non-cotton bedding and wash them first thing in the morning along with her night clothes. Tell her to keep her clothes in plastic bags that are always tied.

      When she showers tell her to use Dawn dish liquid or Sunlight. Don’t bother with tea tree oil shampoo, etc. it doesn’t help anyway. Essential oils does nothing.

      She needs to wash her walls, floors and possibly her ceiling if she’s been infested for awhile. She needs to get a microfiber mop and then use ammonia and water. That’s it. Nothing fancy. She needs to wash her walls and floors daily until she gets a handle on it.

      If she had carpet she needs to vacuum like crazy and make sure the dehumidifier is nearby. Vacuum twice daily and, if it has a bag, tape up the bag, put it in a garbage bag, tie it and throw it away. If it is a canister, she needs to rinse it with ammonia water after vacuuming. If she has a vehicle they are probably in there too. She needs to spray it and wipe it down with alcohol and then vacuum it. She could also use a steam cleaner the first few times. Vacuuming and consistent cleaning is the key.

      She needs to wash her bathroom down from top to bottom daily. Wipe her shower/bath, toilet, sink down with 75% proof alcohol and wipe off with paper towel. Wash her bathroom floors with the ammonia & water.

      They are probably in her hair, on her skin and under her nails. She needs to get undiluted Neem oil. She can slather her entire body and her hair with it at night and sleep that way. She can wash it off in the morning with Dawn. If possible tell her to buy Nu Stock. It is for pets and she will need to cut it with Aveeno or some other lotion. It’s 70% Nu stock and 30% lotion. She can go stronger if her skin can handle it. Nu stock works! She uses it like Neem. Not sure if she needs to work, but if she does she can leave the Nu Stock on her feet during the day.

      The mites that bit her may have had bacteria, if that’s the case she needs to use colloidal silver or better yet, structured silver. It works to kill the bacteria from the inside. There is a method they use with colloidal silver to treat Lime disease. For bad cases they drink about 8 oz. right off the bat and then 4 tablespoons twice daily for 3 months. Then she can move to 2 tablespoons twice daily for maintenance.

      Tell her good luck! I believe in her. Tell her it is POSSIBLE. We all beat these things and she can too! One day at a time and be consistent. I don’t know if she can message me on this site, but if she can tell her I’m open to speaking with her. There is HOPE.

      • This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by Takwakin.
      • This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by Takwakin.
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