I'm being bitten by red mite

[sfw2]

Christine, I'm having the same problem - chickens seem fine, but I'm covered in bites! According to the info I can find, it may be the larvae, not the adult mites, that bite humans. I've tried changing out bed linens, along with everything else, but I'm still getting bites, too. Miserably itchy! Calamine lotion seems to help.

BTW, where in Kent are you? I was born in Rainham, but I've lived in the US most of my life. My parents and oldest brother live in Sittingbourne.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Do you have chiggers in your area? W ehave them a lot in the south and midwest here. They look like little red chiken mites, but they are different and love to bite humans. They kind of burrow under the skin. I don't know any solutions but I would try rubbing your skin with lemon balm, it's a natural deterent to biting pests.

 

[Big Chicken Little]

Two natural things that work ...tea tree oil and cedar wood oil. Both are safe to use on your body and will clear up the red welts plus knock out the red mites... also works on chiggers. On the more chemical side use pyrethrins and it is made from the chrysanthemum plant there are animal powders that work.

 

[purpletree23]

Could they be bed bugs? The United States is experiencing a nasty infestation in some areas. I'm not sure about the UK.

 

[chickenlady81]

I was just going to mention bed bugs. Esp if she is waking up with the bites. They are nasty little things and can really multiply quickly!

 

[ChristineDown]

I'm in Pluckley (The most haunted village in England) which is between Maidstone and Ashford. Very pretty, it's where Kent apples come from and we are surrounded by orchards.

Ok back to business. I don't think it can be bedbugs - never heard of them in the UK. Also, my husband and I sleep in the same together and he hasn't been bitten. He used sticky tape on my clothing 2 nights ago and looked under the microscope and we could see clear and grey mites. I don't know what chiggers are perhaps we don't have them in the UK either? However, as suggested all my bedding has been washed (again!) we've changed pillows and turned the mattress. Had the bedding off all day and sprayed the matress with Killmite (pyrethrin).
Calomine was a good suggestion as was tea tree oil. Thank you to everyone.

Someone suggested a treatment for the coop which I have used and seems very effective. It's called a sulphur (sulfur) candle. You shut up the coop completely, light the candle and leave it burn until it's all gone. Then you open up the coop again and air it before the birds go back in. The smoke gets into everywhere - all cracks and chinks - and kills everything stone dead. It has an ongoing effect so should kill any new mites that hatch out over the next few months. Its not really a candle but a small tin of sulphur pellets with a paper wick. In the UK it's used in greenhouses. I'll let you know how effective it is over time.

 

[Texnnj]

The best thing for chiggers is to spray your ankles, waist and wrist with Deep Woods Off, or any other product containing DEET. Don't waste time with citronella; it doesn't repel chiggers.

Any poison that kills fleas will also kill chiggers, so you don't need anything fancy. I have heard of people having problems indoors, but have not had any myself even though we have had them close to the house in our backyard.

I recently read on a university website that chiggers die within a few hours of feeding on humans because of our immune system. I guess this is why I have never had them inside. I always put my clothing directly into the washing machine and take a shower after coming inside, so even the ones not dying of "food poisoning" would be washed to death.

There have been the odd occasions that someone has gotten a chigger bite or two without venturing into "Chigger Land". We suspect this is from the dog rolling around in the pasture and then sitting in their lap.

P.S. I spray my ankles with Deep Woods Off once every morning before I go feed the chickens. I don't worry about spraying anywhere else unless I'm going in the woods or doing some yard work.

 

[mquale]

Hi there. Did you finally conquer this? People think it's bed bugs or chiggers. It's not! And some people will think you're delusional because you are the only one getting bit. I clean e coop once a week too and I am pretty sure we have red mites in our home now. I can feel them in my hair, especially at nighht. I have not tried lice shampoo yet. We wash everything nightly and now I'm afraid to go to the coop. My husband feeds them and shuts the coop now . But I did hose down their coop, placed DE in nesting box and run with ashes, sprayed them with poultry shield too. I just want to get rid of the mites on me, and now I thnk they are on my kids!! How long did it take for you to get rid of them? Thanks.

 

[chicken bob]

Get a red mite smoke bomb, leave everything as exposed as possible light and go out for the day.

 

[chicken bob]

Make sure you open all windows etc when you get home. The smoke will get in everywhere and kill the lot, repeat after 7 days to kill any eggs that hatch