Mites - An Itch That Can't Be Scratched...

July 1, 2009 12:11 PM

Mites - is moving only option? Will we take them with us?

Neighbor cut down HUGE tree. Part of it falls on our window before being hauled off. We start noticing more bird poop on our window.

A week later, we start itching and noticing little grains of pepper bopping around in our apartment, crowding up on our plates and cups and computer screens. And a few white flying things, one that chose my glasses as a landing spot. And I'm sure there are tons of microscopic mites that we can't see now. Now our bodies are covered in welts. We do not see when they bite us. And we are freaking out.

Googling shows we either have bird mites or black pepper mites or at any rate, mites. We live in a 1 bedroom apartment and are not afraid to completely move if that's the option that makes the most sense, but it will take us until at least August 1 to make this happen and we need to know what to do about this NOW.

We do not want to spend more than $100 of our own money. Some places say Windex works, others say nothing works, other say really expensive stuff works....

We DO want to make sure that we don't take them with us. Are they REALLY like embedded in our skin and hair? How do we get them out permanently?

Will drycleaning and hot washing all of our clothes work? We have very expensive clothes and not too many spares to wrap up for a month in garbage bags.

We're going to throw away all of our furniture and bed and start fresh. It's the only way, right? Thank goodness we only have cheap furniture!

This is freaking us out. HELP!

posted by curiositykilledthelemur to home & garden (5 comments total)

You should get your landlord to pay for an exterminator to come and get rid of the pigeons that are probably nesting in your roof or possibly above or under air-conditioning vents. Cover yourself in bug-repellant lotion in the meantime, yes do as thorough a cleaning as if you have bed bugs. Keep your windows thoroughly sealed.

I think if you are planning to throw out all your bedding and upholstery you are going to be spending a lot more than 100 dollars to replace them. I think before you decide to move you should get your landlord to pay for as much of the exterminating as possible. Is yours the only apartment affected? I would say talk to your neighbors and get them to complain to your landlord as well, so he feels forced to address the problem. Good luck-- I've never had mites but I thought I did at one point so I did a fair amount of research.
posted by egeanin at 12:51 PM on July 1

For chicken/bird mites, I think they generally can't live long without a host (and if you're the host, you'll know it -- they're incredibly itchy at the moment they bite you). So what you need to do is treat this generation, then treat again when its eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks. I used Sevin Dust to treat chicken mites in the coop and it worked really well.

If I were you, I'd wash all bedding, and then apply Sevin Dust around all entrances where they might be getting in. Application tip: Put the dust in an old sock and tie it shut. Apply by dabbing the sock to the desired area. You'll get a much finer application that way. Let it sit overnight, then vacuum up.

It's toxic stuff, so don't do this if you have pets.
posted by mudpuppie at 1:02 PM on July 1

You most likely have Dermanyssus gallinae. They need an avian host to reproduce, so they will die out without one. Vacuum everything thoroughly. Throw the bag out in the dumpster. You don't need to throw out your furniture. They tend to bite at night, so use repellent if it makes you feel better. Wash your sheets. The vacuuming should take care of it. Google may be your enemy at this point, as there are a lot of people on the freak-out who make web pages about mite infestations. I would check to make sure that you don't have grain/cheese mites. They infest grain that is not stored properly.

You need to keep your cool. I had a woman referred to me by a veterinary dermatologist, and she had a dog that had grain mites living in its food (storage issue). The problem for her evolved into full-blown delusory parasitosis. Good luck, and send me a message if you have questions.
posted by bolognius maximus at 1:04 PM on July 1 [1 favorite has favorites]

I moved out of my apartment two months ago, I saw the first first roach stow-away last night.
I did not want this in my new house.

*Sigh*
posted by Napierzaza at 3:40 PM on July 1

I recommend using a baby wipe on your skin the minute you feel them crawling to preempt the bite. I use window cleaner on my desk before I sit at flat surfaces, and spray the window sills.

My older unit has bird mites, and sealing the windows has helped some but not completely eradicated them. Seconding others who have said that they die out after a week or two if you can stand it. My reward, I suppose, is that I get to see baby hummingbirds and yellow warblers try their first flight.

The baby wipe is good for trapping the creature, and kills it right away. Washing your bite with soap and cool water will help relieve the itching.
posted by effluvia at 4:53 PM on July 1 [1 favorite has favorites]