Thank Goodness for this forum

[Louiezmum]

Hi. I can identify wholeheartedly with those on the forum who have posted their stories. Just recently, I have discovered that I also, have a bird mite infestation. After scratching my arms a few months ago and seeing nothing, I assumed it was a possible allergy to my meds. Then I would get bites on the top of my right arm, left shoulder and other areas mostly on the torso. It was around this time, that I was scratching my head and thinking, omg, I’ve got lice but couldn’t see anything. It was only at night when I was reading and with a torch found little eggs on my hands. They were round and sometimes iridescent when the light shone over them. I also found little black things on my linen and my skin would crawl. During the day, it was OK but at night, that was when the fun would begin. I dreaded bed and even dreaded sitting in my lounge chair when I could feel something crawling over my body and even got sharp bites. The itching was intense. I also have a pet rosella and noticed she was scratching too. Out came the ivomec for her and I sent samples of feathers to the vets. Well, they lost those feather samples would you believe, so after they hadn’t got back to me, I rang them back and dropped off samples of what was biting me. The vet said later he couldn’t find anything! I found it hard to believe. I ended up going to the doctor, twice. First one said oh it wasn’t scabies but didn’t hardly look at my bites, and just gave me some cream for the itching. After awhile, I got fed up so went back. More money and the doctor looked at my samples, had a look at my skin and gave me some Lyderm cream for the whole body.She advised putting all things that couldn’t be washed sealed in big bin bags for a week, we wrapped my chair in plastic (that the new mattress came in) for a week too. My partner has had no issues with bites and wouldn’t even know if we had bird mites or not. Anyway, at the doctors the second one, I also had antihistamine and sleeping tabs as I spend most of the night dealing with the little critters. I also thought we had bed bugs but that was discounted. After a few days of major spring cleaning (I had already done that in the summer) once again getting worn out, they were still there. We decided to set off flea canisters (I thought what would kill fleas would surely kill little mites) and once again, the big clean. I was getting distressed by this time and yes the house was super clean but still got bugs biting me. My bird had another 2 week dose of ivomec for birds and she was no longer itching and looked fine. I even scrubbed out her aviary and she gets a regular shower and cage clean. She must be the cleanest bird around I reckon. I have emailed a pest control company and haven’t yet heard back. I am disappointed that I live in New Zealand and there’s nothing advertised to pinpoint the actual species (such as a bug service) or even what to use for miticides here in this country. I see stuff advertised overseas and apart from getting Lyderm cream for scabie mites (which I don’t have by the way) I have had no joy. You can get ivomec for birds, stuff for cats and stuff for dogs and cattle but nothing for humans here. In the end, yesterday, I found a recipe for homemade limonene spray which I added a little bit of isopropyl hand gel and sprayed my chair, my bed, sofas, around the bird cage (sits on a stand on lino), otherwise shes outside and even on me after my shower. I think I would rather have fleas in the house than these little horrible mites. I have had cats, dogs and my rosella(15years) and never had anything like this. New house, new furniture. The homemade limonene is just a reprieve until I can work out the next step. I am so glad to have found this forum and can’t wait to get my house free from mites.

[Louiezmum]

Just an addition to my story. My first step after thorough cleaning the whole house was to spray ripcord plus all over the furniture and carpet. Didn’t work. Tried flea bombing the house with more than recommended cans and set off. Six hours later came in and removed cans and waited for the next week. Thought, well if it kills fleas will kill mites. Wrong! Nada!
I have tried limonene and tried oil of lavender spray on my skin. No they still bite me and now during the day. Today I sprayed myself with ripcord and upped the ante. No, they still bite like mad. Today, I contacted a Pest Control Operator (who had good writeups) and the earliest he will come out early next week sometime. I have rung different sellers of bugspray and it comes down to this: get in pest control. I have vacummed and washed and its getting worse. By the way I have also sprayed my furniture with Expra Stop Spiders (stinks for awhile) No joy there and sprayed myself with Off! Tropical strength and they still bite. I am at my wits end. Also, they are now in my car and my husband’s van (as I discovered yesterday). Roll on the exterminator I say. Can’t wait! PS: I have also been treating my bird with ivomectin every week too from instructions by vet, and scrubbed her cage and aviary with bleach and rinsed well and dried before putting her in. I would say there’s not a whole lot more I can do.

[susan326]

Hope you find the cure! I’ve had the exterminator here 3 times. No luck yet.

[Louiezmum]

Hi Susan
Thank you for replying to me.
Finally, yes, we did get the pest control guy in. Very helpful and did the whole house. No more bites. Definitely worked! The rosella gets the ivomec treatment a bit more often as needed too. Will pay particular attention in summer. We have sparrows around the house which I suspect visit the neighbours’ chooks up the road. There are 2 lots of chook places just up the road. I think that is how Rosie got the mites as it never happened before. I have no definite way or proving this of course. Even though he couldn’t find definite proof of the little mites, not using a microscope, he still did the job. And didn’t cost the earth either. He used extra high strength insecticide which the public can’t get through places like Mitre 10Mega or Bunnings outlets. Don’t waste your money on self-help when it comes to fleas, bird mites, in particular and the like.

[susan326]

I don’t care if they nuke my house I’m just looking for whatever the best product is for pest control. Please anyone who knows advise. I’m over this mess!

[Louiezmum]

Susan, I tried all sorts of remedies – homemade, store bought, nothing worked so I ended up calling in the specialists. Did not cost me the earth and the job got done. The little b’s are horrendous, never seen anything like it. I found the pest controller by looking at reviews. So glad I did. Even the doctors hadn’t come across this scenario before.

[Anx]

I called in the pest control operator 3 times already and we still have itches and occasional bites.

[Louiezmum]

Update to the bird mite invasion saga. It sure is one. Thanks to all those who have replied to me. Just to say we went away on holiday for 13 days. In that time, the bites stopped within 2 days (I carried a few with me on my clothes, obviously) and the rash – bites healed up. On return, within 2 days, they were back on me, worse than before. Tomorrow, the pest control guy is coming to do the house again. This time with a fogger. I have vaccumed every day and its becoming a chore with the extra washing etc. I am getting so tired. The dermatologist agreed it was likely to be birdmite causing the issue. Her solution – prescribed me hydrocortisone with menthol. However, it doesn’t stop the little shits from attacking me at will! Starts off in the late afternoon and I have to take and antihistamine and a sleeping tab to stave off the depression that is looming. The Docs wouldn’t even give me ivomec due to its toxicity. On Friday, I had a big meltdown due to it was getting to me. I just didn’t want to be at home here. Its been over 8 months since they started insidiously. My husband has finally been getting the crawly sensation and the pricks that come with it all. Finally, he can now understand what it has been like for me. My back is covered with bites. Not a normal rash. It is worse than it was before. I reckon they are living in the carpet and my new lounge suite of a year ago. I sat in the plastic chairs to watch TV in the lounge, but no, they were still there!! I am off to vaccum again. I will let you know how I am getting on after the next couple of days. Commiserations with all those who have had bird hell like me.

[Val]

How is your battle? I had this problem last year…and it’s recently come back. I confirmed bird mites when I used nit comb to comb my hair over white bathroom sink. That’s when I first identified them. We had free range chooks and when they go clucky is when they get infested. I used ripcord for animals, double strength and used it on my lawns, house, furniture etc. I used animal ripcord not ripcord plus on myself in the end. Yesterday I used dog flea wash on my self. I’m going to bomb the house again with ripcord again. The ripcord plus doesn’t work.

[Louiezmum]

Update as at March 2022. Yes, I still have the bird mite infestation despite doing everything possible to get rid of it, apart from burning the house down!!
At the moment it is the hottest and most humid summer we have had and the mites love to come out and play. Its a never ending battle. I was sick of getting pest control who took my money and it did nothing in the end. I would love to purchase some decent acaricide/miticide but cannot get it in my country. I resorted to taking ivermectin and making some ivermectin lotion which has helped but not got rid. They are reproducing faster than I can kill them. I did fumigate recently but I wanted to double the dose and my partner said to follow the instructions. This time, I will do it my way. The product did help but I am going to double dose and see what happens. This is becoming a long term, very expensive exercise in bug control. Nothing has seemed to work.

[milly]

March 2022 – still battling with this problem after almost 4 years. It’s horrendous and I sympathise with all those who encounter what sounds like the exact same thing. August 2018: I woke up one morning, after restless sleep covered head to foot in a rash. Off to derrmatologist who treated me with steroids. He didn’t think it was insect related, he didn’t know what it was, but the steroids were a cure-all for any immflamation in the body. Five days into this treatment, the rash started to subside, but I ended up back in hospital on a drip to neutralise the steroids which had played havoc with a suspected stomach ulcer. I was told not to take any more, given some medication to calm the digestive system, and most of the rash disappeared. NOT the end of story, I still had the bites, made more obvious when the main rash disappeared, and I was still getting bitten – my back was the worst, but I itched all over. I refused to believe that these things actually invaded your body internally, I thought it was an external problem – if only I could find out where they were coming from. With renewed determination, I took the house by storm in a war against them.
Inch by inch, from celing to floor, I inspected, cleaned and filled every crack, nook and cranny. It didn’t help! I was up most nights with a magnifying glass and a small microscope. I found loads of evidence of tiny things I had never seen before, but nothing appeared to be alive! (My husband, who has not been affected by any of this, did not and still does not believe there is anything at all. I’ve given up trying to show him things I find, he thinks it’s all in my imagination!) I had three rugs in my bedroom which I steam cleaned, beat and disenfected with both alcohol sprays and insecticidals. A year ago I threw them out, so bare floors, which I wash and polish with an orange scented product from local supermarket. Every day I launder bed linen and towels and the pj’s I sleep in. I am exhausted from cleaning, re-painting walls and ceilings, and generally making sure there is not a speck of dust anywhere! Right now, the skin irritation is marginally better. I manage to get some sleep at night by taking an antihistamine and using neat *tree tea oil on the first sign of irritaion on my body. (Also found that neem oil put through my hair before I go to bed seems to help stop the itch and the fall-out of hair. The whole dreadful business has taken over my life. Not what i wanted during my retirement years, but it’s hard to concentrate on anything else. My thoughts and prayers are for all those who are suffering in the same way. I don’t yet have an answer, except to keep up the cleaning and diligence in the hope that one day someone will have THE answer. I am still in amazement that nobody I’ve read about has actually come up with something infallible. I am not resigned to ‘living with it’ I’m still looking for answers.
*nb: Tea tree oil. I recently read that it’s toxic. Desperation often makes desperate decisions, in my mind it can’t be any more toxic than these little critters from hell, nor can it be more toxic than the bleach, the peroxide and the alcohol that I’ve used on my skin to try to help solve the issue. I don’t recommend any of this, ultimately, it doesn’t help.

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