Rat Mite Control: How to Get Rid of Rat Mites

This page is an expert guide on getting rid of rat mites in your home using the products and methods our experienced pest control specialists suggested. Follow this guide and use the recommended products. We guarantee you will successfully eliminate rat mites from your home.

Rat mites are tiny parasitic mites that like to live on rats and feast on their blood. They go where rats go, they breed where rats breed, and they may happen to trespass upon your home or place of business. So basically, you would be dealing with two pests at a time.

Rat mites (or rodent mites) are scientifically named Ornithonyssus bacon and are one of the most common house-invading species. Rat mites are small arachnids, and you will likely not realize there is an infestation until you have been bitten. The most common rat mite is the tropical rat mite. These pests become a problem after a rat is controlled via trap or poison. Once their host is dead, rat mites look for a new host, and often, if they are inside a human dwelling, they will make a host out of us with their itchy bites.

Rat mites can survive long periods without a host and travel several hundred feet searching for a new host. If you suffer from itchy bites from rat mites, you likely have a rat problem and will have to deal with both for relief. Follow the expert advice and recommendations below to learn how to control a rat mite infestation.

Identification

Before you can proceed with a treatment approach, you must be sure that the pest you are dealing with is a rat mite and not some other insect. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong treatment methods and products, which can end up being a waste of time and money. Here are some identifying characteristics of rat mites:

• Rat mites are normally about 1/25 of an inch in length and hard to see with the naked eye, but they become more visible after they are fed. They are typically grayish-white in color and reddish after feeding.
• Much like other arachnids, they have 8 legs and a pierce-sucking mouthpart.
• Their bites are pretty irritating and comparable to bed bug bites. They bite at one area several times, so the entire body part will be covered with small red lesions by the time they are done. Their bite itches for up to six days, and the bite-size is so large that it becomes visible. It can take up to three weeks for bites to heal.

Use the description and image above to help you properly identify the rat mites on your property. If you are unsure, contact us, and we will try to assist you in identifying your pest problem correctly.

Inspection

Once you have confirmed that you are dealing with rat mites, you can move on to inspection. During this phase, you will need to find out where the rat mites are located and the places they are infesting. This will help you in determining where to focus your treatment application.

Where To Look

If you have rat mites, you either brought in a new pet that may have been infested (maybe a hamster or another similar animal), or you have a rodent infestation. Look in and around your house for signs of rat or mouse activity. Check outdoors around your home’s perimeter, in garden beds, or indoors, like the kitchen, pantry, attic, basement, or garage.

What To Look For

Look for rat mites themselves or, in some cases, rats because these two pests almost come hand in hand. If you have rats, you can safely assume rat mites will be present and vice versa. Look around for grease marks along walls, fur, rodent droppings, gnaw marks, and rodent burrows.

Treatment

If you have a rat mite infestation, you must first address rodent infestations on your property. Before starting treatment, wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE). We recommend you wear gloves to keep your human scent off any products.

Step 1: Place Snap Traps

Start control by setting up snap traps. We recommend you use Easy Set Rat Traps. Which are durable and reusable traps designed to be safe and eliminate rats quickly.

Bait these traps with high-protein bait like peanut butter, then arm and set traps against walls or fence lines close to where activity’s been seen. The trap should be perpendicular, facing towards the wall.

Step 2: Set Up Rodent Glue Traps

Next, set up glue traps. We recommend you use our pro glue boards, which are perfect for rats and other crawling pests. These traps come pre-baited with a peanut-butter adhesive, and are easy to set up.

To prepare the glue boards, grip the corner of the board itself and the paper seal, then swiftly pull them apart. These traps lengthwise against walls or fence lines close to where you’ve seen rodent activity.

For the best coverage, use plenty of traps and place snap and glue traps 2 to 3 feet apart throughout your treatment area.

Step 3: Apply Eratication Rodenticide Bait

In addition to traps, you will want to use rodenticide bait like Eratication Rodent Bait. Eratication Rodent Bait is a slow-killing rodenticide that prevents a rodent population from developing bait shyness.

To prevent children, pets, and non-target animals from accessing the bait, set up Eratication Rodent Bait in a tamper-proof bait station like the Solutions Rat and Mouse Bait Station.

Load the station with up to 4 Eratication Rodent Bait blocks and set it flush against the exterior of your home’s structure. We recommend setting up multiple stations 20 to 40 feet apart. Check the stations daily to replenish any bait until rodent activity ceases.

Step 4: Apply Flex 10-10

Finally, to eliminate any lingering rat mites that may persist after rodents have been controlled, we recommend treating them in and around your home with an insecticide like Flex 10-10. Flex 10-10 is a permethrin and piperonyl butoxide-based concentrate labeled to kill rat mites in and around your home. This product must be mixed with water before application.

Determine how much product to use by measuring the square footage of the treatment area. To do this, measure the length and width of the feet and then multiply them together (length X width = square footage).

Mix 3.2 fluid ounces of Flex 10-10 into 1 gallon of water to treat up to 1,000 square feet of treatment area in a handheld pump sprayer.

This solution can be applied to furniture, mattresses, baseboards, carpeting, and shelves. To prevent mites and other bugs from entering your home from the outside, it would be best to create a perimeter barrier around the exterior of your home.

Prevention

After you have treated your home and addressed the rat mite infestation, you will want to be sure that these pests are not a problem for you in the future. Apply the following preventative measures to keep them at bay.

• Prevent rats from entering your home by cleaning around it to remove food sources and possible harborage areas. Seal loose foods like cereal, flour, and pet foods into air-tight containers. Rake away leaf litter, pick up fallen debris, and ensure your garbage bins seal completely.
• Keep your pets washed and shampooed often so no lingering mite is left in their coats.
• Regularly wash and heat treat your bedsheets, clothing, and other fabrics to ensure that rat mites have been wiped off them.
• Seal all holes, cracks, and crevices in and around your house with caulk or copper mesh. Rats do not like copper mesh, so they cannot chew through it. These openings and entry points invite rats, which later cause rat mites.
• Finally, keep up with monthly Flex 10-10 treatments outdoors to control and prevent rat mites and other pests from entering your home.

Key Takeaways

What are Rat Mites?

• Rat mites are parasitic insects that often host and feed on rats. Their irritating bites can also be a problem for humans.

How To Get Rid of Rat Mites

• To get rid of rat mites, you will need to address invading rat issues by applying snap traps, glue traps, rodent bait, and Flex 10-10 Insecticide to kill any rat mites that have settled into your property.

Preventing Rat Mite Reinfestation

• Prevent the return of rat mites by keeping up with sanitation, exclusion by sealing off holes and points of entry with caulk, and applying a preventative treatment of Flex 10-10.