I am a chronic Lyme sufferer (since 2001) and used to be on this forum a lot- years ago. I did antibiotics for 6 years, which was too long in my opinion, then decided to deal with whatever was left over in terms of symptoms. I barely think about Lyme despite health problems.
However, I am having a nightmare experience this past month and a half that brings some of it back.
Has anyone here suffered a bird mite infestation?
I had an infested starlings' nest two feet above my kitchen window. When all 4 babies were killed by mites, and the parents left, the mites invaded my apartment- and me. The crawling sensations, and biting are unbearable.
I was very proactive and left the apartment permanently, threw out all my possessions, rented a car (my car was infested), and have been staying in a different motel every few days. I am made homeless by this: my doctor even tells me not to rent.
I sleep on plastic with mayo in my hair and saran wrap, with petroleum jelly all over. I also shower twice daily with peppermint, cedar, tea tree, sulfur or coal tar. I wash clothes in Borax, iron them and keep them in containers.
I have taken Ivermectin but have pleaded with the doctor to consider the 30 day life cycle versus scabies, for which it is more often used.
One expert also raised the possibility of springtails or Morgellons.
I would appreciate any sharing of similar experiences. I am 65 and had cancer last year during a daughter's recovery from a serious brain injury. (She is well recovered now.) And an autoimmune reaction to cancer that is rare. Prior to that I had strong autoimmune labs with, of course, diagnoses of lupus or MS.
I would have a hundred mastectomies rather than suffer this infestation. It is horrible. And I am tired from moving around. I had a house and a real life before this.
Oddly one of my best friends and two building mates are having a similar nightmare, and one of my mother's elderly friends. Exterminators tell me they are getting increased calls for this, perhaps due to dry and warmer weather.
As with Lyme early on, all the experts deny this is possible.
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
So sorry to hear about your situation. I can't tell by the info shared if the mites are still active, or do you think they've been killed by now?
If you think they are still alive, have you tried treating with some medications for lice, instead of just using the mayo in your hair, petroleum jelly, etc.?
Have you brought in professionals to try to get rid of them in your home?
Please let us know what you think you need and what would be most helpful.
Posted by gz (Member # 43818) on :
Isn't lice is now being treated with an ivermectin shampoo? Perhaps a topical prep could be more effective if mites are active in the skin? I hope you are able to get resolve and relief from this soon!
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
windingshores- I am SO sorry to hear what you are going through!
I think I got mites once pulling weeds in the yard a few years ago and it was the weirdest/most horrible thing. I could see them in the weeds but didn't think anything of it.
What killed those #$#%#$ was a Borax solution. I put borax in hot water and stirred it (1 cup to a qrt water)then let it settle. I poured some of that clear borax water in a spray bottle and sprayed it on my skin and let it air dry. That did the trick. Any kind of fat on the skin made it worse. Nothing else worked and I tried everything!
Good luck!
Posted by windingshores (Member # 48600) on :
Thanks all. Permethrin cream (used for lice) does not work. I have taken intense doses of Ivermectin but suspect the timing is off for the subsequent doses since the protocol is for scabies (30 day life cycle) not bird mites (7 day cycle). I have urged my doctor to come up with an appropriate protocol.
I use borax on clothes, haven't used it on my skin. I have used just about everything else on my skin!! and hair!! and clothes!! and car!! Including Kleen Green and Cedarcide.
Lookup, I'll try the Borax solution on my skin, thanks.
I also have topical Ivermectin cream but no one knows how to use it for this, so I don't cover too much of an area with it.
Sulfur and Epsom salts are also effective for a time.
Hoping to hear positive stories!!!!
ps people with Lyme ate vulnerable to these..only 1 in 40 people may suffer this even if exposed; also the mites carry Lyme and other organisms according to some. Watch out for birds' nests next spring!!
Posted by gz (Member # 43818) on :
I've read accounts of people using borax in the bathwater too, maybe double punch with the Epsom salts.
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
These mites are a whole different cat. The borax drying on the skin splits them open and they die. Now mind you I could never see them. But that is the mechanism which kills them according to what I read.
Your skin will get dry but you can't put any fat/oil on the skin as they love that.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
Yuk. So do you think mites are still on you and on your possessions? Have you seen, or felt, active ones since you left your apt?
It's possible that spraying with Orange Guard, an essential oil from oranges, would kill the bugs on your possessions, as long as you're not allergic to oranges. I use the spray to deter bugs and it usually deters or kills them.
For clothing, it would mean spraying and then soaking the clothing to get the spray out.
Health food stores and hardware stores carry Orange Guard. Put a little in a spray bottle, fill with water and spray on clothing and gear, but not on skin. I also use it as my tick repellent.
Posted by windingshores (Member # 48600) on :
I have NOW orange oil diluted in a spray bottle. I cannot eat oranges but the spray does not bother me. I also have a variety of little spray bottle hand sanitizers with thyme, orange and lemon. Also peppermint, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, Listerine and 99% alcohol etc. etc.
Diatomaceous earth also breakd them open.
For two months I have been doing everything you can think of, rotating them so the mites don't get immune.
I AM making progress. I especially would like to hear success stories and thanks for the one above.
A friend of mine has this too and is NOT getting better, but worse. It would seem she might also have Morgellons because black specks are coming out of her. So this is partly for her too- would like to give her encouragement.
Since I am moving around I don't have to fog my house the way she does. I do fog my car. This is a full time job.
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
I know the GB-4000 Rife is a couple thousand but it could be worth it. I cannot tell you for sure that that it is effective (why wouldn't it be?), but I do see there are frequencies for Morgellons. I would think about running frequencies for fungus and parasites too.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- An EMEM-5 rife machine is around $500. Same frequencies on all rife machines. The functions are just what vary as for fixed frequency / dial on EMEM-5 or a "sweep" ability on more expensive ones.
I do not see "mites" listed here (yet since they are not a infection / microbe that comes as no surprise), though you might ask at the discussion thread in the link above regarding any infections they might transmit.
The Consolidated Annotated Frequency List (CAFL)-- From The Electroherbalism Frequency Lists, Third Edition, www.electroherbalism.com -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Orange and other citrus oils seem a good move for surfaces.
You might see if a NEEM Plant could grown nearby and also consider NEEM OIL - but if you take internally or even put on your skin, there are considerations with concentration / dose. It can be very harsh regarding people and wildlife if too strong.
Presence of a neem plant near a door is said to help repel certain insects.
[It took me so many tries to get insect spelled correctly. Thank goodness I learned Phonics, that was the key - finally - to "sound it out"! Just a plug for those who teach children such fundamental skills. This has come in so valuable with lyme brain issues. ]
You might also call the office of this book's author:
Though not at all about lyme, this is one of the best reference resources on my bookshelf that has wonderful chapters, many graciously available through their website.
NEEM has a chapter here, just plug into their search bar:
The ONE EARTH HERBAL SOURCEBOOK (Tillotson, et al)
He is a doctor of Ayurvedic Medicine; She a doctor of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncturist. The third co-author is a doctor of optometry. -
Posted by ukcarry (Member # 18147) on :
How many Ivermectin doses did your doctor give you, Windingshores? Were they correct for your body weight? I am not advocating this, but some people do use the equine paste version....in fact there are threads here that mention this, as some people have used Iver daily for short periods as prescribed by some LLMDs as part of either a general parasite treatment or to target Lyme itself.
You may find Kleen Green enzyme concentrate good for diluting and spraying on itchy parts or lesions and after a shower. It is also useful for spraying where you sit etc and as a cleaning product that also kills bugs. It is soothing to irritated skin. Take care to avoid getting it in your eyes or breathing it in a lot, even though in itself it is non-toxic.
Your friend with the black specks may find it useful to get a digital microscope so that the specks can be seen more closely and photographed.
Good luck to you and your friend and, even though you do need to research online etc, try to limit the amount of time you spend on it in order to try not to get too depressed. I know that is easier said than done!
[ 08-22-2016, 08:10 AM: Message edited by: ukcarry ]
Posted by tulips (Member # 44773) on :
Sometimes I get Chiggers from blackberry bushes which are mites from Hell that like to burrow beneath your skin. They are hard to eradicate. I think that the diamatomaceous earth should really help you. Treatment for chiggers should help you too. There are many chigger products on Amazon.
Posted by windingshores (Member # 48600) on :
There is a great site for bird mites: birdmites.org, with lots of suggestions. Megan Wells gas a site for springtails. Richard Kuhns has an e-book and will give more suggestions, including diet.
NEEM is on these sites but I haven't tried it. I have a lot of sensitivities to things so am going slowly through the list, and will add the ideas you all have given here.
I have been using Kleen Green on my car. I cannot tolerate it on my skin.
I think Ivermecting dosing is key. I read somewhere that some people take it daily, but do they take a full dose daily? My full dose is 3 tablets (3mg each) by weight. Taking a full dose daily would be toxic since the half life is 20 hours. I have read about 3 days out of 7, and every other day. I need a more aggressive treatment.
Petroleum jelly (Aquaphor) has physically smothered and trapped them for 8 weeks and I am now easing up on that and doing targeted areas. I still feel them on my face, crawling, probably because they are drawn to the CO2 coming from mouth and nose.
Thanks for the Rife idea and info. That is an interesting one and I am going to look into it and also tell my friend.
Since I am moving around, and all my stuff is in containers and constantly cleaned, I am not dealing with any critters from outside of me, only the ones on me.
My friend is in an infested environment.
I am fortunate in some ways that I can move around, get rid of my stuff, and don't have to worry about family members. I am divorced and my kids are on their own (I stay in a motel near them if I see them, not in their apartments.) It is very isolating: no one wants me to stay with them and honestly no one wants to be near me much. But I have the luxury of leaving (because I was renting), moving around, and taking care of this proactively without worrying about impact on anyone else.
Now if I can just find a place to live that is small with bare wood or linoleum floors I think I am ready to settle down and disinfect where I am. In the Northeast, rentals are few and far between right now!
Again, anyone with Lyme should make sure there are no birds' nests near your home next spring. Thanks for all the support and ideas.
Along with Lyme and lupus I also had breast cancer last year and am on a med that stops adrenal production of estrogen (ovarian production stopped a long time ago). This thins my skin so that very minor trauma (carrying trash bag out) causes little areas of bleeding on top of the skin. Purple spots. So I might be an attractive victim!
Thank you again!
Posted by windingshores (Member # 48600) on :
ps If anyone is in the Northeast and knows of an MD who could advise me on a good Ivermectin schedule, please let me know via private message if you can!
Posted by whew (Member # 50599) on :
Hi! Just asking around how people got rid of mites in the house. I can't see what's biting me at all, just tiny, flat, red dots (bites) near where I felt a bite or more. Is that from mites? If so, what treatment(s) were the most helpful, even since your last post here? Many thanks and well wishes to you!
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Sounds like chiggers??
Posted by whew (Member # 50599) on :
Thanks 'too! IDK, I believe chiggers are visible tiny red bugs, usually outside, right? Or do you mean their microscopic babies?
I'm using clear packing tape pressed on ticklish spots to try to pull up a bug to identify=nothing but 'lookup's borax residue, and a dirt dot or 2 (w/ no legs).
If chiggers, anyone know what works for sure? As always, thanks!! Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
I never knew what those little bright red "dots" crawling around were!
I have a pet parakeet... That's terrible about bird mites. Who knew?
Posted by whew (Member # 50599) on :
IDK what's up here but I searched the internet a lot. Wikipedia said chiggers are 1/60"--microscopic. (?!) But if a bite shows up, it's a welt, not a flat red dot.
Not talkin' about cherry angiomas.
Yeah--bird mites, etc.--who knew (crazy huh). I thought this ticklish feeling the first night near the sofa was baby ticks (like when I first got Lyme, c. 1997, small rashes then on my thighs).
This bug and bite identification is nuts. One site said it's mold spores and some replies agreed, but ones asking if red dots are a sign were unanswered while some posts were deleted by author (she was reading the replies).
Hope your parakeet is doing fine.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Chiggers are small, yes. And yes, you would usually have a raised area and it would itch badly.
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
whew- yes, the budgie is fine! Thanks for asking. She laid 2 eggs about a month ago. I couldn't believe it.
I never had a parakeet lay an egg. There's no male bird so it's infertile.
Are your sure it's something biting you and not some kind of rash or allergy...?
Posted by whew (Member # 50599) on :
Lay eggs--wow!
Yeah, 'too, these red dots aren't many and scattered over the body (no clusters, rash, or lines), and they don't itch.
The invisible things on me can itch--or bite, then I see a new tiny flat red dot there which doesn't itch.
Strange NEW Lyme symptoms are ENOUGH already huh?!
An insurance phone nurse says it's not bites since they don't itch, but I FEEL bitten prior to the dots. A web site says itchy=mites. Another says you won't feel a bird mite bite but your reaction to it makes it appear and itch. One said it's mold spores, but no mention of dots.
An exterminator will come tomorrow. Said different bodies react different.
It seems better than it was... Thanks and well wishes to you all!
Posted by sparkle7 (Member # 10397) on :
Identify the welt. A no-see-um bite initially appears as a small red dot. This dot can expand into a welt that is 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) in diameter.[2]
When the bug bites, it injects saliva into the skin. This saliva is what causes the welt and the allergic reaction.
Welts usually last for two weeks, give or take a few days. No-see-um bites are usually very itchy and can become mildly painful.
Posted by whew (Member # 50599) on :
You found it too--I did read that particular link. No welts yet though. The itchy part is like there's a ticklish hair or bug on me. Sometimes I feel a bite and there's a tiny flat red dot that won't itch.
Saw a Dermatologist today. Biopsied 2 red dots. Said dots can be angiomas or flea bites or Rx reaction (IDK about those, personally); my angiomas, flea bites (only 3 lately) look different. Got Ivermectin one 9mg dose (take tomorrow) for killing like parasites on skin...? Some LLMD's give it. I have this Rx but don't have a dx...
Will know more in 2 weeks when I get biopsy result and sutures out. And ask more questions (like Columbo, there's always "Uh, just one more thing...")
Well wishes everyone!!
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
Look into MMS or CDS and DMSO.
Posted by whew (Member # 50599) on :
MMS looks like a mineral supplement. CDS is a gene. DMSO cream is for pain (topical). Thanks google--I'd better try a search on this forum. Well wishes!
Posted by windingshores (Member # 48600) on :
I haven't looked at this in a year. Ironically my daughter had an invasion of bird mites last month, but they it her and then moved on.
I did have mites in my pores for awhile. I could see them. Petroleum jelly overnight brought them out. Ivermectin helped, moving around helped, and just plain persistence helped.
By mid fall I changed my perspective to interpret the awful crawling and biting sensations differently, as NOT being from anything actually living on or in me. I dropped my protocols and tried to live normally. I still have sensations a few days a month but am generally doing much better.
My friend, who had the same problem, has been diagnosed with Morgellons and Lyme and is on antibiotics, antiparasitics and other meds. I don't have the money and I have already done 6 years of Lyme treatment and don't want to go back to that. So I am just moving on as best I can.
For anyone suffering from this, at some point the mites do die or leave, and the sensations that remain are neurological and/or brain/based.
I had paresthesias from Lyme since 2001 and this is now just another kind of paresthesia, or hyperthesia I suppose. Triggers include static electricity, loud noise vibrations, down in clothing, and sun.
Posted by lookup (Member # 44574) on :
I was talking to a person who got some kind of parasite in his skin and he said the best thing was Scabies-Killer because it has enzymes and essential oils in it.
Plus, he says there is a laundry treatment which is a lot easier on the clothes than borax.
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