Chickadees nested in a protected area adjacent to her air conditioner outside the window of her Brigantine apartment. It was pretty cool getting a close-up view of chickadees raising their brood.

But when the fledglings took flight and the chickadees abandoned the nest, the bird mites that thrived by biting the birds suddenly went looking for a new blood meal.

The nearest animal was the young woman.

The mites had no problem crawling through the tiniest cracks around the window casing, since including legs and head they’re no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence, and their bodies are smaller still.

Bird mites are not very common, but when they do appear, this is a likely reason why.

The solution is to identify the problem (you can use tape to pick up bird mite samples on a window ledge, for example).  And then get a pest management professional to treat it.

While bird mite infestations in humans are rare, they do happen, says Dr. Richard Zack, associate professor and chair of the department of entomology at Washington State University. The most common infestations occur in people who work in the bird and poultry industry, but the creatures will flock to anybody if the circumstances are right.

“Nesting birds or small mammals carry their own set of parasites and although those parasites don’t normally feed or interfere with humans, if something happens to the mice or the birds that are nesting in your house, the parasites will look for an alternative food source,” he says. Unfortunately, that alternative food source can be you.”

The article also mentions head lice, body lice, follicular mites, bed bugs, scabies, and more.

Speaking by phone from her hospital room, Bradica said Friday she was “hanging in there” but could still feel the mites moving around on her skin. “I feel biting, just like someone pricking you with a needle, and you can feel them crawl, like a piece of hair is tickling you,” she said.

The mites are considered a nuisance and don’t cause serious injury or death, Steier said, and added that neighbors of her Saddle Lane home are likely not at risk.

Bradica also complained of chest pains unrelated to the mites, said Dr. Shadab Ahmed, who is treating her at NUMC. Ahmed said Bradica is otherwise healthy and was expected to be discharged within 48 hours. She is being treated with a topical cream for the mites. Bird mites stay on the skin and bite but do not burrow into the flesh to drink blood, Ahmed said.

Investigators determined the mites had spread from a nest birds built in Bradica’s bathroom vent at least two weeks ago, said Officer Adele Burke, a Nassau police spokeswoman.

It’s important to note that pest management professionals can treat for bird mites.More from Newsday.

Several types of mites are associated with cases of skin dermatitis in humans. The tropical rat
mite, Ornithonyssus bacoti, is one of the most commonly encountered species. The tropical fowl mite,
Ornithonyssus bursa, and northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum, both associated with domestic
or wild birds, can also be found in homes. The tropical rat mite is a parasite of rats and inhabit the area
in and around the rat’s nesting area. Although none of these species are truly parasitic on humans or
pets, they will readily bite humans. Some people are unaffected by the bites while others will
experience itching and dermatitis. The bite is normally pimple sized that itches for up to a week or so.
The bite mark may last as long as three weeks. The bites can be randomly found on the body but often
are found under areas where clothes constrict the body or areas such as under armpits and breasts.
Scratching may lead to secondary bacterial infections. Fortunately rat mites do not vector disease.
Rat mites are very small, approximately the size of a period.

The sheet includes photos of spiny rat mites and tropical rat mites, and of bites on a woman from a tropical rat mite. (Though these are in black and white, they are nevertheless helpful.)

You can click here to download a PDF and read the rest.

Oregon State provides an overview in “Mites that Bite” to various biting (and other) mites and ticks here (click to load PDF).

Texas A&M Cooperative Extension notes that the most important thing to do when faced with biting mites is to seek possible bird or rodent sources. Identifying the mite that’s biting you is crucial.

Identification and detection are not simple, since mites are so small.  You really need a professional to detect, identify and get rid of mites found in the home.

Avian Mite Bites Acquired From a New Source—Pet Gerbils

Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature

Anne W. Lucky, MD; C. Paul Sayers, MD; J. David Argus, DVM; Andrea Lucky, BA

Arch Dermatol. 2001;137:167-170.

ABSTRACT

Background Cutaneous manifestations of avian mite bites are not well recognized by physicians or patients. Clinical signs and symptoms are usually caused by bites from avian mites that have infested domestic poultry or birds nesting in or near human habitation. This report details 2 cases of pruritic papules acquired from avian mites that had infested pet gerbils and reviews the dermatologic literature about avian mites.

Observations An 11-year-old boy and an unrelated 10-year-old girl each had mysterious, pruritic papules for many months before their pet gerbils were found to be infested with Ornithonyssus sylviarum (the northern fowl mite) and Dermanyssus gallinae (the chicken mite), respectively. Symptoms resolved when the gerbils were removed from the home.

Conclusions Because infestation of pet gerbils with avian mites has never been reported, cases of avian mite bites and dermatitis may have gone unrecognized or misdiagnosed. Inquiry about ownership of pet gerbils may be helpful in patients with mysterious bites.

You can read the whole article here at the Archives of Dermatology.

Remember, if you think something’s biting you, go and see a doctor and rule out scabies, body lice, and other conditions the doctor can treat. If you may have bird mites, rat mites, or another infestation, seek the advice of a good pest management professional. You cannot get rid of this on your own.