Bird mites in Walmer homes

If you're getting itchy bites at night, can't find anything in the bed, and birds have recently been nesting in your roof or gutters, there's a real chance you have bird mites. These tiny mites live in nests and feed on the birds. When the chicks leave, or the nest is abandoned or removed, the mites go looking for a new meal and can find their way into the house. They don't survive long on people, but they bite while they search. Getting rid of them means dealing with the nest as well as the rooms.

Why Walmer roofs attract nesting birds

Older homes in Walmer often have roofs that have been through many years of Port Elizabeth wind. Tiles shift, ridge mortar cracks, fascia boards rot and gaps open up at the eaves and gable ends. Those openings are perfect for pigeons, sparrows, mynas and starlings looking for a dry, safe place to raise chicks. Mature trees close to the house add more cover and nesting material, and gutters full of leaves can hold nests too.

Many people don't know birds are in the roof until they hear chicks chirping in spring, or see birds flying in and out of a gap under the tiles.

Signs of bird mites

• Itchy bites, often at night, sometimes with a crawling sensation on the skin
• Tiny moving specks, smaller than a pinhead, on walls, ceilings, windowsills or bedding, often grey or reddish after feeding
• Mites gathering near ceiling lights, air vents, the ceiling hatch or windows close to where the nest is
• A nest in the roof, eaves or gutter that has recently been left or removed

Holding a white tissue or a piece of sticky tape against a spot where you think you see them can help you check.

Bird mites or bed bugs?

They're often confused. Bed bugs are much larger, about the size of an apple seed, and you'll find them, their droppings and their shed skins in mattress seams and bed frames. Bird mites are almost invisible and rarely stay in the bed. If you've checked the mattress thoroughly and found nothing, look at the roof instead. Our page on bed bug treatment in Walmer explains how to check for bed bugs properly.

How we treat bird mites

1. We find the nest. Usually in the roof space above the room where the bites are worst, or in the eaves, a gutter or a gap in the wall.
2. We treat the nest site with a targeted product, then remove the old nest material safely so the mites don't spread as it's disturbed.
3. We treat inside the house in the affected rooms, around ceiling lights, cornices, window frames and other spots where mites are gathering.
4. We advise on bird proofing. We show you the gaps the birds used, so a roofer or handyman can close them once the nesting season has passed.

You don't need to move out. Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until they're dry. Vacuuming and washing bedding on a hot cycle helps clear stray mites quickly.

The Walmer tip: watch your roof in spring

From late winter into spring, keep an eye on birds flying in and out of gaps in the roof, especially near ridge tiles, gable ends and under the eaves near big trees. If you see them, plan to close the gap after the chicks have left, and have the nest treated at the same time. Closing the gap while chicks are inside traps them, and the mites leave the dying birds and head straight into the house.

What people get wrong

Pulling out a bird's nest themselves and throwing it away, without treating it. Disturbing the nest scatters thousands of mites through the roof space and into the ceiling below. The other mistake is spending weeks treating the bedroom for bed bugs when the source is above the ceiling.

What does it cost?

It mainly depends on how easy it is to reach the nest, how many nests there are and how many rooms are affected. A single nest in an accessible roof space with one bedroom affected is a manageable job. Several nests under a high roof or in hard-to-reach eaves takes longer. Roof repairs or bird proofing by a roofer are separate. We quote once we've inspected.

To learn more about how bird mites live and why they bite, read our bird mite guide. We also treat bird mites in Mill Park and across the metro through our Port Elizabeth bird mite service. For rats or other pests in the same roof, see our pest control page for Walmer. Call 087 012 5550, or WhatsApp us a photo of the nest or the specks you're seeing.