Re: Mysterious biting mite: Please use this thread to share solutions

Posted by cynthia on December 19, 2005 at 02:59:03:

In Reply to: Mysterious biting mite: Please use this thread to share solutions posted by BT on October 29, 2005 at 14:08:47:

My husband and I and our two cats have been bitten. Couldn't get anyone to fumigate. Live in a townhouse and walls are connected. Finally bombed twice. Contacted UC Davis and sent samples of fur, taped skin from cat and husband and me to parisitology. So far they can't identify anything. I found a microsopic bug that was black and two segments & long legs. It was on my shoulder biting me when I taped it. Entomologist and parisitologist say it is not a mite and they don't know what it is and are ruling it out. Not visible to human eye. Needed a microscope. Moved out 3 months ago thinking it was mites and they would die. Haven't died. 99%alcohol seems to help on skin and rid on carpet. A friend told me amonia helped with morgellons. She sprayed walls and floors daily, removed the black things and the fibers from her bumps and put amonia on it, and is taking herbs. Says it is 95%gone. Keep sending samples to UC Davis parisitology. Perhaps if more of us do that, we''lll get some help. They don't charge.

Cynthia

: Hi everyone,

: After reading this forum, I've noticed that many different threads deal with the same thing -- a mysterious, invisible mite that goes after people in bed at night. Because the advice on dealing with them seems scattered, I'm hoping you'll all share your best information here.

: Here's my story: I began experiencing the problem about a year ago when I started finding debris (black specks, tiny white round things and crunchy white flakes) in my bed. Then I was woken up at night by a mysterious itching, and started seeing tiny (and sometimes largeer) red bumps on my skin.

: I had termites in the ceiling so I asked my landlord to deal with them; they inserted insecticide gel and sealed up the cracks (that's the most they would do), but the problem remained. I also had a rep from a pest-control company come by -- he found a bug that he said was a carpet beetle, didn't find any bedbugs, and basically said he couldn't help me. He took samples of the debris so their "expert" could test it, but then said it "wasn't anything." I saw my doctor, and he just told me to take an antihistamine.

: I'm pretty healthy and have a strong immune system, and this hasn't bothered me beyond the itching (and the thought of how gross this is), but it really affects my sleep. I've sprayed one of those enzyme solutions on my bed and the surrounding area, and that helps a little, but not much. I wash my bedding every couple of days, which has gotten very expensive, and run a lint roller over the sheets in between. And I'm still itching and finding debris in my bed.

: Since many of you are having similar experiences, I'd like everyone who's had some success in fighting off these mites to share their information and experience here. These are some of the things I think we all want to know:

: 1. I've read different things about what these mites are. Here's what I don't get: If the debris is large enough for me to see and feel, why can't I see the mites themselves?

: 2. Has anyone actually rid their houses, or at least their bedrooms, of these things entirely? What did you do?

: 3. Has anyone tried tenting and fumigating the entire house? (Of course, this is only possible for homeowners.) Did it work?

: 4. Has anyone successfully moved without taking the mites with them? What did you have to do?

: 5. Does it help to empty your bedroom of virtually everything but the bed, or is this useless?

: 6. Is it possible to completely rid your bed of these things and then prevent more from getting on, so at least you can get a good night's sleep?

: 7. Some people have recommended putting Vaseline on the bed's legs to keep the mites from crawling up... does this help even if you already have some in the bed? Do these mites only crawl, or can they jump like fleas?

: 8. Have you had any success with insecticides, including permethrin, neem, Raid, etc.? And how have you protected yourself from any toxicity in these products?

: 9. Have you had any success sprinkling the carpet with diatomaceous earth, which is supposed to break up tiny bugs?

: 10. How much have enzyme cleaners helped, and how have you used them for greatest effectiveness? Can you just spray your bedding, or do you need to soak the entire room?

: I've seen three websites that sell enzyme products: Naturalginesis.com; Safesolutionsinc.com; and Heartlandnatural.com (which is the least expensive). Are they all basically the same, or in your experience do some work better than others?

: 11. If you live in an apartment building and have the mites, do your neighbors have them too?

: 12. If you were able to get rid of the mites in your home, would their effects leave your body completely? Conversely, does it help to use products on your skin if you know you're only going to get bitten again?

: 13. Someone suggested surrounding a heating pad and some worn clothes with sticky bug-catcher paper to draw the mites to what they think is you and trap them. Has this worked for anyone?

: 14. Has anyone gotten rid of the mites using extreme temperatures (for instance, letting home warm up in summertime or freeze in winter)? This isn't possible where I live in California, but maybe it will for those of you in more extreme climates.

: 15. Has anyone ever found a pest-control company that understands these mites and is willing to work toward getting rid of them?

: 16. Similarly, has anyone ever found a cleaning service that understands these mites and will clean in a way that could keep them under control?

: I'm sure many of you have more questions. But if you have answers to any of these, even possible ones, please share! Thanks......

Follow Ups:

• Wrong diagnosis, in China, this has a name- CLM, so get real Pugsley The Great 11:26:41 12/29/2005 (0)