Itching but No Bed Bugs? Check for Bird Mites.
Mysterious bites but no bed bugs? If you have birds near your window, it's likely Bird Mites. Learn how to spot them and stop the invasion.
Here is a scenario I see constantly: A family has itchy, red bites. They tear the bedroom apart looking for bed bugs. They find nothing. They call me, thinking they are crazy.
I ask one question: "Did you recently remove a bird nest from your porch or AC unit?"
The answer is usually yes.
The Migration
Bird mites live on pigeons, sparrows, and starlings. They suck bird blood. But when the baby birds leave the nest (or you knock the nest down), the mites have no food source.
They panic. They crawl by the thousands through the window or AC vent looking for a new host. That host is you.
Identification
They are tiny—smaller than a period at the end of this sentence. You might see them as moving pepper flakes on your laptop screen or windowsill. Unlike bed bugs, they are active during the day.
The Good News
Bird mites cannot reproduce on human blood. We aren't the right host. They will bite you, make you itch like crazy, but they will eventually die off on their own in a few weeks.
The Fix
Don't bomb the room. 1. Remove the source: You must find and remove the old nest (wear gloves and a mask!). 2. Seal the entry: Caulk the window or vent where they came in. 3. Vacuum: Suck them up daily to reduce the biting until they die out.