Bird mites? What could these be? - Ask Extension
A couple of weeks ago I noticed I had three big bites in a line on my stomach--big, red, raised bumps. I didn't think much of it until I started getti...
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Bird mites? What could these be? #368611
Asked October 08, 2016, 3:40 AM EDT
A couple of weeks ago I noticed I had three big bites in a line on my stomach--big, red, raised bumps. I didn't think much of it until I started getting the bites on my legs and feet as well. I thought they were bed bugs at first, but had two exterminators out to look and they could find no evidence of them. I did see a small white mite of some kind in my bed frame when I took my bed apart but I lost it before I could trap it. I just read about bird mites online and I do have two or three sparrows that tend to sleep on the ledge on my apartment balcony, and my cat goes out there sometimes so he could have brought some in. I'm going kind of crazy now--have a ton of bites, feeling itchy like something is crawling all over me but can't find bugs anywhere. Do you think this could be mites?? Any help is greatly appreciated
Grayson County Texas
Expert Response
I really can't tell you what the marks could be from. You may want to go to a physician about them as they are equipped to diagnose things on your person.
As for the possible mites, I would recommend that you put out glue boards in areas of activity & also so they are inaccessible to your cat. Leave the glue boards in place for at least a week and then take them to your local extension office for identification. To transport the glue boards, you can cover the sticky part with a clear plastic wrap.
You can also mail the glue board samples either to me (1600-B Smith Road, Austin, TX 78721) or to the closest entomologist near you.
https://dallas.tamu.edu/faculty-and-staff/
You may also want to read the following:
http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3009/
http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3006-2/
As for the possible mites, I would recommend that you put out glue boards in areas of activity & also so they are inaccessible to your cat. Leave the glue boards in place for at least a week and then take them to your local extension office for identification. To transport the glue boards, you can cover the sticky part with a clear plastic wrap.
You can also mail the glue board samples either to me (1600-B Smith Road, Austin, TX 78721) or to the closest entomologist near you.
https://dallas.tamu.edu/faculty-and-staff/
You may also want to read the following:
http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3009/
http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/biting-stinging/others/ent-3006-2/
Thank you. I have a few questions: I have had glue traps out for a week or so and have not picked up much. Is there anything else I can do? I have been putting them out with active CO2 and heat releasers the last couple of days, but that hasn't seemed to help. As for mites, I keep reading that they are very small, but can you still see them? I have tried using a lint roller on my skin and have seen a few tiny black dots now and then but they are so tiny that it's hard to tell if its dirt or dust or a mite. I have an exterminator that is supposed to come out tomorrow, but I don't know if they will be able to identify anything that small without more evidence. Do you know whether a standard exterminator would be able to identify something small like a mite? Or would I need to send it to an entomologist? Thank you for your help!
Many of the smaller things may be difficult to see without a hand lens or microscope (but that also depends upon the animal as well as your eyesight).
Are you putting out the glue boards for only certain periods of time during the day or have you put them out and left them in place for a week? You need to leave them out all day, every day for a week.
Mites should be visible to the naked eye, but again, it depends upon your eyesight.
An pest control professional should be able to tell you if it is a mite or not (depending upon if they can see it, have a hand lens, etc.). You can certainly have them look at the samples when they come out and then mail them to an entomologist as a back up.
Are you putting out the glue boards for only certain periods of time during the day or have you put them out and left them in place for a week? You need to leave them out all day, every day for a week.
Mites should be visible to the naked eye, but again, it depends upon your eyesight.
An pest control professional should be able to tell you if it is a mite or not (depending upon if they can see it, have a hand lens, etc.). You can certainly have them look at the samples when they come out and then mail them to an entomologist as a back up.
Thanks for the advice. If it's alright with you, I will go ahead and send you a sample. I haven't been able to collect anything with the glue traps yet, but I have collected one larger bug from my wall, and a bunch of black dots from my bed using a lint roller (I'm not sure if the dots are mites or just lint or dust, but they looked more like mites with my magnifying glass). I can mail those two to you at the address you listed today. Thanks again
