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Hello everyone.
I sure wish I wasn’t here commenting. But here I am again.
I first experienced bird mites in Summer of 2014.
There was not a lot of helpful/safe info available six years ago. After Winter of 2015, the mites got better. I threw out everything…including furniture and area rugs. That likely helped, in addition to removing carpet.I am just now trying the dehumidifier. I do not recall that being a helpful option, back in 2014. I bought a Idylis 70-Pint 3-Speed Dehumidifier back around that time, but I don’t recall specifically the reason why.
I can’t wait to see if the mites are reduced by it. Terrible time to be using a dehumidifier…which pumps out hot air, while the central AC is plugging away at 90+ degrees outside temps. I will start first in my office with the door closed.
This time around, I have a better chance of controlling them. Maybe. In 2014, they were so bad, that I was at wits end. I removed all the carpet in the house and replaced it with laminate flooring. I left all rooms with vinyl flooring, since they were mostly water areas (laundry room, kitchen, bathrooms). That really helped. Plus sealing cracks in the concrete slab, while it was without flooring. I also cleaned the concrete and painted some rooms, to reduce mites.
But that sure came at a price! I spent around $7000 on flooring, labor and installation.
I now have a new HVAC system which regulates humidity. $12000. OUCH. But it is efficient and does keep the house humidity down to 44-47% during the cooling months. In 2014, my decrepit HVAC likely contributed to the mite infestation. It was always warm and humid in the house.
I will report my dehumidifier results, once it has run for a couple of days. It is currently 3:30am with it running and my gauges read 82° / 21% humidity, in my closed office. Mites are still biting and lighting against my skin.
The birdmites.org site is really helpful.
I just purchased the Premo-Guard & Clean-Free. So much work to do. And I am completely out of energy, due to compromised immune system. So this will be a challenge to perform some of the suggestions. Especially daily vacuuming, cleaning and spraying Premo-Guard around everywhere. These mites are now in every room of the house and it has been about a month or less since it started.
Heck of a time to be in a covid shutdown –with mites!!
I am hoping covid won’t worsen this Fall. At least in the Winter heating months, my house humidity will average 25%-35%… and the mites will decrease.Hang in there!
