You are not going to believe what the university lab just sent to me...

[Guest guest]

So after iding my bug a major University in our state was going to send us an

offical summary of treatment methods and basic recommendations related to our

bird mite infestation. Not that I expected much but this really takes the cake.

After 15 weeks of battling this my daughter knows more about mites than the

supposed expert who put this together.

So,here it is - consider this your good laugh for the day (or good cry) check

out the ending which really kills me (well if they saw the bites on all of us as

well as the chunks of hair that are falling out of my scalp perhaps they'd

reconsider that we have general skin irritations):

One northern fowl mite was found. Northern fowl mites tend to be reddish in

color and can

be seen with the naked eye. They are most commonly ectoparasites of chickens but

they

can also infest wild birds and other animals. The mites tend to stay on birds

and in their

nests, but they may move if the birds leave or die. Bird nests in attics,

gutters or on the

sides of structures is often the source of the mites. In some rare cases, these

mites will

bite people and can cause itching and skin irritation.

This sample indicates that there may be an infestation of birds in or near the

house. The

best control is not to spray for mites, but rather remove the source of the

problem. A pest

control professional should be contacted to inspect the entire home for nesting

birds and

signs of other animal living above or under the home (if there is a crawl

space), including

rodents and other wild animals. Once animals and their nests are found, they

should be

removed from the structure. The areas where nests are found should be cleaned

(vacuumed) as well as possible. After the animals are removed, spot treatments

with

residual insecticide sprays or dusts can be used in crack and crevice areas.

Large scale

spraying does not need to be done. Mites can even be vacuumed for a non-chemical

control

option.

Before a lot of spraying is done, it is important not to confuse each speck or

itch someone

may feel with the actual mites. Remember only one mite was found. Also,

excessive use of

insecticides in the home or treatments on the skin can lead to skin irritation..

A medical

doctor should be consulted concerning skin irritations and skin treatment and a

veterinarian

should be consulted for treatments to pets if these mites persist.

Thank God for this group! You all are the experts....these guys just claim to

be.