Pigeon Mites

Bird Mites Love People and Pets, Too

Pigeon mites, more correctly known as bird mites or avian mites because they can infect many bird species, are tiny 8-legged creatures that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. A nest with baby birds is likely to be heavily infested with bird mites.

Very soon after the last baby bird flies out of the nest, the starving pigeon mites crawl out en mass seeking another warm-blooded source of nourishment. Frequently, that source is people or their pets.

Female pigeon mites lay small groups of eggs in the fibrous material of a pigeon nest. The eggs hatch as larvae in a day or two, and a day or two after the hatch the larvae molt into nymphs. These 8-legged nymphs seek out several blood meals from warm-blooded animals, preferring to feed at night.

A few days later the nymphs molt into adult pigeon mites (bird mites). Adult pigeon mites can live up to a year, and can go for several months between blood meals. Adults that are bright red have recently fed, dark ones fed less recently and white ones are ready for another blood meal.

Pigeon mites are happy to feed from baby pigeons (squabs), but when these babies leave the nest the problems for humans begin. If the pigeon nest was on a window ledge, the mites (sometimes numbering in the hundreds) may migrate past the window and into the human-occupied area.

Once inside, they will bite any accessible people or pets. Their bites hurt and itch. If you scratch the bites, your skin can easily become infected.

Can Even Infect Hospitals

Many people think of pigeon mites as affecting urban high-rise apartment dwellers, but actually they can even cause problems in nursing homes and hospitals. One municipal hospital had an outbreak of pigeon mite infestation involving two patients, two nurses, and a doctor. One patient developed an itching rash on his trunk and extremities. A second patient who developed a scalp itch was found to have mites present on her pillow and bed linen.

The intern taking care of both patients, and two nurses who had contact with these patients, also developed mite infestations. Pigeons roosting on the air conditioners and near the doors between the patients' rooms and a sun porch were the source of the mites. This particular outbreak stopped after nuisance-bird control measures were put into place that prevented pigeons from roosting on the porch.

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