Birds carry mites can be a human health threat

There are a number of species of mites that fall under the general name “bird mite.”

Those mites are parasites of birds and are usually found on the birds or in their nests. Under normal conditions, bird mites go unnoticed by us.

However, there are occasions when mites are forced away from their preferred hosts and wander into our homes as accidental invaders.

Bird mites can bite humans but don’t pose a health threat. They don’t transmit any human diseases and are, for the most part, merely an annoyance. However, a few years ago in Fayetteville, N.C., Boise Idaho and in Levittown New York, bird mites made the news by forcing people from their homes.

In the case of the lady in New York, she was removed from her home in a HazMat suit and taken to a local hospital where she spent two days undergoing treatment for the bites.

Other than a rash, the woman suffered little in the way of physical impairment. However, the psychological trauma was enough for her to file a lawsuit against her landlord (she won).

The most common of the bird mites, the northern fowl mite, infests domestic fowl, house sparrows, pigeons, starlings and other wild birds commonly associated with people.

Populations of this mite can build up very quickly with a single generation completed in just five days. By the time young birds leave the nest, they can be infested by thousands of mites.

One of the major reasons you see birds doing “dust baths” is their attempt to rid themselves of at least some of the mites. The northern fowl mite spends virtually its entire life on its bird host.

Mites that fall off their host can survive only for about a week to 10 days. It’s at that point, when the birds leave the nest, that large numbers of mites can invade buildings looking for another host.

Finding and eliminating bird roosts and nests is the first step in controlling bird mites. When removing nests, make certain that you wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt.

Place the nest detritus in a plastic garbage bag and dispose of it carefully. There is a caveat regarding the removal of nests. Whereas pigeons, sparrows and starlings nests can be readily removed and destroyed, other bird’s nests, like those belonging to chimney swifts, are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918.

The best approach in this situation is to install a screened cap to your chimney in the fall of the year when they aren’t nesting.

Once you’ve removed the nest, the area around the nesting site should be treated with an insecticide (I know. Mites aren’t insects. But, it still works) containing one of the synthetic pyrethroids such as bifinthrin, cyfluthrin or lamda cyhalothrin. After this is done, you need to try and make the nesting site as unattractive to future avian tenants as possible. Fix or block openings in the eaves of your house, in wall cavities and around roof spaces. Don’t forget to take a look at your window ledges and around window air conditioners as well.

If you suspect your house has already been invaded by those creatures, using a “bug bomb” will probably do the trick. It wouldn’t hurt to do a little vacuuming as well.

Of course, you can just wait them out. The mites won’t survive over a week once their bird meal is gone. Just apply a coating of a repellant containing DEET or picariden so you won’t be as appetizing.

However, if you have a continuous population of nesting/roosting birds, like pigeons for instance, the problem can become more than a nuisance. At that point, you need to contact a professional pest management specialist.

This story was originally published July 15, 2016 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Birds carry mites can be a human health threat."