Bird Mite Control: How To Get Rid of Bird Mites

This page is a general Bird Mites control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will get control of Bird Mites. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Bird Mites.

There are a variety of different tiny bugs that like to bite us. While the usual suspects are ants, fleas, or bed bugs, another one is the Bird Mite.

Bird Mites are a very tiny insect that you can hardly see them with the naked eye. These pests focus most of their attention on birds, which is how they earned their name. Bird mites only start biting humans when birds are unavailable.

Bird mites are a type of mite parasite which gets its main source of food by feeding on the blood of birds and poultry. These include birds like pigeons, sparrows and other wild birds. They are also known as chicken mites when they are hanging around farms and feeding on chickens and hens.

Bird mites usually find their way inside a home when a human has a pet bird of some type that they have been using as a host. If left untreated, these mites can bite relentlessly, leading to severe itching and irritation.

If you are suffering from an infestation of bird mites, there is a way to deal with them. Our DIY Bird Mite treatment guide below presents vital information about the pest and how to eliminate them using our expert advice and professional-grade products.

Identification

For bird mites, identification can be tough because they are so small—no bigger than the tip of a pen. Bird mites are basically impossible to see with the naked eye without the aid of a magnifying glass. As a result, you will most likely be bitten a few times before you even realize that they are present in your home. Some additional identifying traits are shared below:

• The color of a bird mite is a transparent looking white. After they consume blood, much like a bed bug they turn a reddish burgundy or brown.
• Mite eggs are white in color and oval in shape, but they cannot be seen without the aid of a magnifying glass or microscope. The same applies to larvae and nymphs.

What you can do to make it easier to identify bird mites is to try to lay out some clear packing tape, sticky side up, near areas where you encountered activity. On table surfaces using a soft paintbrush, you could sweep the insects onto the tape.

In cases where you are getting itchy bird mite bites on your skin, something you can do is gently lay the tape down on the itchy area and lift. You may be able to capture some mites this way and be able to identify them as bird mites.

Inspection

Once you have correctly identified the bird mites, you can proceed to the next phase of the control program. It’s important to conduct a thorough inspection of your home to locate the source of the infestation.

Where To Inspect

Indoors look in cracks and crevices near basements, attics, windows, doors, and small openings that lead outside the structure. Outside you’re looking in chimneys, window ledges, rain gutters, patios, decks, porches, eaves, and soffits.

What To Look For

You should look for bird activity or bird nests around your property. Nests can be found in wall cavities, roof spaces, porches, the basement or foundation or window ledges. There may also be a dead bird somewhere on the property perhaps in the chimney, attic, or a/c unit which may be the source of the bird mite infestation. Search inside and outside your property for bird nests and carcasses. If you have located any, remove them immediately. 

Treatment

Once you have confirmed Bird Mite activity it is time to begin treatment to get rid of bird mites. Remember to first read all product labels and follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment.

Our recommendations to treat Bird Mite infestations is to start with preliminary sanitation of your home to vacuum and wash live Bird mites from infested areas and on items. Once that is done you can then apply control products, starting with Sterifab applications indoors and a barrier treatment of Supreme IT Insecticide outdoors.

Step 1 - Preliminary Cleanup

Vacuum your carpets, rugs, curtains, and furniture thoroughly and then take the vacuum bag or canister and either dump out the bag immediately or wash the plastic canister with hot water and soap to ensure the bird mites caught inside are killed.

An alternative is placing the canister in the freezer and letting them mites freeze to death before washing, cleaning and replacing. You should also wash clothing, bedsheets and any item in your home that you suspect may have Bird Mites on them. Wash and dry the items on a high heat setting. After a detailed cleanup, you can then move on to chemical bird mite control.

Step 2 - Apply Sterifab

Sterifab is both an insecticide and a disinfectant that is EPA approved to be used indoors on upholstered furniture and carpeting. Sterifab can be purchased in a ready-to-use 16 oz sprayer or a gallon where it will need to be poured into a sprayer without dilution. Apply an even coating to any suspected areas indoors to kill lingering bird mites.   

Sterifab comes in a ready to use spray container. Read the label for application instructions on carpets, furniture, and mattresses. Apply Sterifab on couches, chairs, and upholstered furniture where you spend time lounging. 

Step 3 - Outdoor Treatment with Supreme IT

Outdoors you should treat the perimeter of your home and yard with Supreme IT Insecticide. Supreme IT is a great product that will be used to create an insecticidal barrier around the foundation of your structure. This product will work to kill, repel, and prevent Bird Mites from coming inside your structure. It will also keep working for up to 90 days.

Mix 1 ounce of Supreme IT with a gallon of water inside a pump sprayer. This application rate will treat 1,000 square feet. You will do a perimeter treatment around your structure. To do this, you will need to spray 3 feet up and 3 feet out from the foundation of your structure. Spray in this manner all around your property. Also spray window frames, door frames, eaves, soffits, rain gutters, cracks and crevices, electrical/plumbing penetrations and especially where you found bird nests.

Do not let people or pets enter areas sprayed until 2 to 4 hours have passed.

Prevention

After you have eliminated Bird Mites you will need to implement some preventative measures so you shouldn't hang your hat after successfully controlling them. Make sure to prevent birds from establishing themselves in or around your house by possibly laying out bird repellent such as 4 The Birds Repellent Gel and blocking off areas where birds often perch themselves onto.

Finally, you can reapply Supreme IT every 3 months around the outside of your home to prevent Bird Mites from coming inside.

Key Takeaways

What Are Bird Mites?

• Bird Mites are a tiny parasitic insect known for feeding on birds but will also bite humans if they happen to infest indoors. 
• Bird mites usually infest households that have bird nests outside their windows and somewhere around their home. You might also have them if you bought used furniture that was already infested and if you raise chickens.
• Bird mites usually infest a household when their food supply finishes and they are hunting for something new. They can be quite aggressive and their bite takes longer to heal as compared to bed bugs.

How To Get Rid of Bird Mites In Your Home

• Start your bird mite control approach by locating any birds nests that may be set up in or around your home. Once you have found it, you should destroy and dispose of it immediately.
• Our top recommendations for Bird Mite control is an application of Sterifab indoors and Supreme IT outdoors. Vacuuming and sanitizing your home is also essential for complete control.

Preventing Bird Mite Reinfestation

• Prevent future infestations of Bird Mites by keeping birds away from your property and making preventative treatment applications of Supreme IT every three months.
• You could also optionally use 4 The Birds Repellent to indirectly deal with Bird Mite re-invasions by deterring Birds from roosting or nesting on your property.