Re: Re:gone...here's my story

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Thank you so much for posting your story... it lets the rest of us still infected with this, have some ray of hope !! GOD BLESS and good luck !!!! ANN

From: Rita and Mike Carlson <m.r.carlson@...>Subject: Re: Re: I think they are finally gone...here's my storybird mites Date: Sunday, October 26, 2008, 6:34 PM

Thank you......... .ever detailed technique is deeply appreciated by the ones left living with this nightmare. I'm sure your post will help and aid many.......thank you so much. Rita

I think they are finally gone...here' s my story> > > Hello All:> > First I want to say thank goodness for this site. It really helped me get through my ordeal.> > I originally posted the following note on June 15, 2008 on this message board in reply to > an other message. I am putting it here so you know how my bird mite infestation started > and I will tell you where I am at now at the bottom of this post...> > June 15, 2008> I have been dealing with a bird mite infestation in my > apartment for 3 1/2

weeks now. I am giving it another three weeks and > if it's not eradicated, I am throwing everything out and starting > over. My health and sanity are worth it.> > 3 1/2 weeks ago I noticed birds flying outside around the attic (I'm > the top apartment in a two story building)... took a walk around the > building and noticed a small hole around the A/C tubing coming out of > the attic. I called the complex and they came right away to fix the > hole. Then I started to notice the bugs...crawling and biting, etc. I > immediately started to research "mites that bite" (I knew they were > mites because I couldn't see them...just feel them). I came across > this web site (thank goodness) and a few others and I knew the birds > must have gained access to the attic before the hole was sealed. A > couple days later I asked the apt complex to look in the attic. They >

discovered an empty nest and a (newly) dead bird a few feet away. > They removed both the bird and nest and had an exterminator out that > day to spray. He didn't address the attic though...which was a > mistake. The mites died down a bit for about two weeks and then came > back with a vengeance. A few days later I got hold of the owner of > the extermination company and he had experience with bird mites > before. They came out and sprayed everything. All the rooms (even > though the mites are mainly in one room), the furniture, walls, etc. > and they put two Perma Dust foggers in the attic. They are coming > next week (seven days later) to repeat the process again. He said > this should solve the issue. > > The PCO used a permethrin spray with IGR. They also used Bedlam > around the baseboards. Now this web site says that Pyrethrin and > Permethrin does

not work. The PCO said he had success with this > insecticide in the past with other bird mite infestations. > > The only thing I will suggest to the PCO next week is to spray the > ceiling of the really infested room. The other rooms have vaulted > ceilings and it would be a real trick to spray.> > Hopefully another go 'round with the spray and foggers in the attic > will solve the issue. I will keep you all posted as to the results.> > As of now, I hate my apartment... it used to be my sanctuary, but it > has turned into the house of horrors.> > October 25, 2008> Picking up were that post ended...I got the apartment fogged and sprayed several more > times. Nothing worked. My lease was up at the end of July so I decided to move. I didn't > want to bring the mites with me so I threw out as much as I could...all living room and >

office furniture, books, etc. I probably threw out over $5,000 worth of belongings. I > washed everything I kept several times and what couldn't be washed I brought to the dry > cleaners. I did keep my bed and put protective coverings on the mattress (that zip up).> > I moved into my new apt August 1st and after a week I realized that the mites were still > with me. I could feel them crawling on me and I kept getting bit. Thank goodness for my > mother and sister...I was able to cry and scream to them and they were troopers with > listening to me. I tried everything.. .Windex, fogging the apt, etc. I even tried putting Sulfur > 8 all over me, except my hair/scalp. I did that three nights in a row and that is all I could > take. I think it helped a little bit...but I don't think it was worth the torture. I took MSM > supplements. I went to my ob/gyn and she actually

felt for me and gave me a prescription > for Ivermectin even though she didn't know if it would work or not to kill the mites that > were physically on me.> > I did not take the ivermectin (it was being saved to use as a last resort). I decided to try > what the farmers use to get rid of bird mites: Diatomaceous Earth. I read that some people > had success with it on this web site and other that did not. Well, I am here to tell you that > it worked for me. I bought Mother Earth D from DoMyOwnPestControl. com and I bought a > dusting can along with it.> > I will tell you it makes a mess, but since I didn't have much left it was easy to "puff" > around. I dusted the whole apartment. If you use it, you MUST wear a really good > facemask and eye protector. You need to leave your home and give the dust several hours > to settle. You should not

breath this stuff in. I also puffed the power inside the plastic bed > covering and rezipped it back up. I puffed my wall hangings (mites could live it the > frames). I left the power down for a week and vacuumed it up and put another dusting > down. I repeated the dusting and vacuuming again for a total of three treatments. The > bird mite issue improved dramatically. ..but there was still some around...so I got rid of my > bed (I had an air mattress I could use). I did another DE treatment and I haven't had any > issues since. So a total of four treatments over a period of four weeks and the issue > seemed to be resolved. > > While I was going through this I did carry a spray bottle around at home with > alcohol/witch Hazel/tea tree oil. That concoction relieved the crawling sensation and > reduced the biting. > > At work I sprayed my cube and chair down

with Windex that seemed to work (and it wasn't > unusual to have Windex at work). I used the alcohol/witch hazel/tea tree oil spray in my > car.> > I washed my clothes and bedding everyday with detergent, Borax, and ammonia (I am back > to doing wash once or twice a week now...and my bedding can be done once a week!!!!)> > I would not swear that all the mites are gone. I am so paranoid of them coming back but > since I put down the DE, I would say that the situation has dramatically improved. I even > bought a new bed (and put new plastic zip-up coverings on the mattress and box springs > immediately) .> > I really feel sorry for those of you that have children and/or don't have the money to throw > your furniture out and start over. Right now I have no living room furniture. I sit on a lawn > chair. Maybe in a month or

so I might buy a chair or sofa.> > I know this is a very long post but maybe it might help a few of you. I can tell you that this > experience has forever changed me. I will never have a crawling or itchy sensation or bite > and not wonder if it was from a bird mite.> > For those that may think that the bird mites went away because it is fall now...I just want > to let you know I live in southeast Florida...where it is still very hot and humid. Perhaps > the mites just died off...but before I started the DE treatments, the mites were alive > crawling and biting!!!> > If you have pets and want to try DE, get the food grade kind (which > DoYourOwnPestContro l.com does NOT have). DE is also good for fleas..just put a little > around your dogs/cats bedding. Pool Grade DE will not work.> > Good luck to all of you. If my situation changes, I

will update you. Hopefully you will never > hear any bird mite stories from me again!!!>