Helpful Hint

[Guest guest]

Hello Folks,

Recently I have been going through a moderate flare that has impacted

many of my joints with my wrists and right thumb being hit the worst.

I have found it very soothing to wrap a hot rice sock around my

wrists. To make a rice sock, simply half-fill a large cotton sock

with dry (uncooked) rice and tie a knot at the end. Heat the sock in

a microwave for about 2 minutes. The rice will retain the heat for

quite awhile and provide much comfort. I hope that this simple

treatment helps someone ease their pain.

Joe Godfrey

[Guest guest]

Here is some info I have been ask to forward...........Rita

Hello.Could you please forward this useful info to the group. My posts are not going through.Thanks W

Many scientists make use of what is called a corrugated cardboard trap to catch mites Nordenfors and Höglund (2000), Chirico (2002), Chirico (1999) etc.Measurements include (1000 mm x 40 mm x 3 mm; 160 mm x 140 mm x 3 mm and 100 mm x 70 mm x 3 mm)but 140 by 100mm was determined optimal by Chirico (2002).and they are made of regular cardboard from what I can find.From my understanding, the mites burrow into the cardbaord as they would try to do in dirt, but are trapped either in the surface while entering, or in the crevices after entering.Either way, stick the trap in your FREEZER immeadiately after removal, the colder the better, -20 degrees is the best. This will kill them but not destroy their visible characteristics.Let the trap stay on the floor for a day or 2, maybe you could leave, maybe you could sleep near it. Maybe you could burn menthol in other rooms to get them moving. I would be on the safe side and ensure the sides are completely sealed, perhaps with sturdy duct tape.If you have hardwood floors, you will want to attach this trap to the floor with double sided tape to ensure that mites cannot burrow underneath the trap.If you have carpeted floors, I am not sure how to go about avoiding this problem. Perhaps a more engineering oriented person could tackle this, or perhaps you could place it on your matress or remove a section of carpet. You will want to place them in high traffic areas and you may be able to double sided tape the contraption and push if firmly against the carpet.Mites are attracted to and find you through a number of chemical senses. If this were a strictly mamallian mite, I would recommend adding some sweat to the cardboard to make it attractive. I notice a substantial increase in mite activity after working out, but these being assumed to be bird mites, I do not know if birds sweat.The second method is through CO2 expired through your skin. Again, I am not sure how to employ this fact. Using CO2 bottles may be too much and cause them to die, which would not be a bad thing unless it drives the mites away, which it could. Perhaps this is why mites could be attracted to tea candles, they give off the right amount of CO2 via burning.However, the mites that feast on chickens in commerical chicken farms were caught without any extra baiting. Which brings me to the origin of SUPERMITES resistant to pesticides. Other insects such as mosquitoes, bed bugs, agricultural pests, and others develop pesticide resistance based on relatively mild 'pressure' to develop resistant genes.Think of an apartment complex that may get sprayed once or twice a year, or a home which is treated 4 times in a month for bed bugs. Now imagine a commercial chicken operation that is completely infested with mites. Chickens are obviously less important than human lives, so some farmers relentlessly attack the mites with every variety of pesticide known to man at high frequencies for decades. Then one day, a wild bird comes into contact with some of these mites and spreads them to other birds, one of which eventually nests under your window seal. VOILA, SUPERmites are not genetically engineered conspiracies, they are a natural byproduct of overzealous commercial chicken farmers!!I have had SUBSTANTIAL SUCCESS by diluting a 70% solution of neem oil by 10 -20. For example I will put three ounces in a 32 ounce spray bottle and spray the heck out of everything. The solution I get at Home Depot or Lowes is scented with something that makes the smell barely noticeable.I've also had success hitting them with metrifoanate, 7 dust, and other chemicals. This is a war, I have no children or pets, and these powerful chems are a good option.7 dust can be obtained at Lowe's or Home depot.I will continue to post some of my research in further emails.JW

From: buggeredbymites <no_reply >Subject: Bait to capture for Entomologist exam?bird mites Date: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 1:36 AM

From a scientist's standpoint, if anyone knows ( W.?) how would one go about getting a sample to send on to a lab for identification? Is there a tasty trap they would lay out in an infested habitat such as my home, ground zero? Obviously this trap would need to be viewable under a microscope and not result in mangled specimens... Any thoughts out there? I've got the number of a Entomologist at a nearby university and I'll contact him with the same question and post his answer but I thought I'd post the quarry here as well. Wish the CDC would get aboard...

This is an excerpt from a "helpful hint" someone sent me:"I was reading about bird mites, and one of the products suggested was Arbonne's Foaming Body Wash. I remembered that I had a sample somewhere in my bathroom, so I tried the wash and literally saw bugs jumping off of me. The bugs included adult springtail."Worth a try...Bessie