invisible biting bugs

[bobby38]

Last summer I seemed to have become sensitive to bites to microscopic critters, apparently.  I used to leave the windows open during the day and night.  At first the bites began sporadically in the evenings during dusk.  They would bite my toes and between my fingers.  As time passed the bites increased even during the day. A couple months later I awoke in the middle of the night with a swarm I couldnt see on my scalp and all over. The itch was excrutiating and when I scratched my head they got under my fingernails.  My fingers looked like sausages from all the bites and I took a look in the mirror and my eyes and lips were horribly swollen with red splotches on my face.  I couldnt see any of these biters, even with that many.  The itch lasts several minutes and the swelling was gone by morning when they departed.  I've had to close up my home to keep them out after spraying bug spray and washing the curtains.  I'd open the curtans and they would bite my fingers.  They love fingeres and toes mostly.  It stopped during late winter but is starting again with warmer weather.  Any help identifying? also worse during cloudy weather and at night


This discussion is related to invisible insect infestation.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Firstly we have to establish the presence of these bites. I advice that you get a consultation with a dermatologist so that these may be examined thoroughly.Some of thes bites may be microscopic.Your dermatologist may be able to help you identify these. Also, what you are experiencing may be an allergic reaction to dust or pollen. It may also be a reaction to temperature changes.

Do you have any known asthma, allergies, allergic rhinitis?

[RonnieGirl61]

Post may be old, but the cdc site has hundreds of letters begging for help. Either a new breed of biting mites, or rodent mite. Not bird all the time. Rodent mites that most get from mice, rats, pet birds, and farm birds.

What ever way they do not die from over counter methods. Online remedies are repellents that most do nothing. Mice can spread them all over home. Especially if coming in on wall heat vent piping.

Run microscopic, to pin dot hard round balls, colored white, cream, red, or black Some are powder dust feel them on lint roller, tape, or cloth. Craw to scalp, in nose, ears, and under clothing. If you have several on you. Watch people in a 1-5 foot radius react.

Eye rubbing, ear digging, scalp scratch, and body rubbing. Those sitting next to them, in front, or rear react the same one by one.

Exterminators have no way to diagnose. Too small to see, or do not understand what it is. Enologist the same have no modern enough equipment to tell it not dirt, or dust. House pets can die from assault if hundreds going in nostrils, ears, and fur biting daily.

Hospitals have better luck from testing patients who fell ill from bites, and assault on whole body. Some made news. Tested samples off patient, and found same through out home. Fumigation only method. Most cannot afford, get help, or products needed. Search story online patient Hospitalize from mite bites.

Prepare to let furnishings' go, washing bag cloth, and freezing small items. Maybe commercial freezer for small items. It is a nightmare... Self treatment expensive may not get all.

[washjo]

I have this problem with invisible biting bugs that are seemingly unable to see with the natural eye.  This is not an alergic reaction as some may say this problem is.  I have tryed all types of bugs fogging and fumigation controls.  Please if anyone can provide some help i would appreciate any assistance.
Thank you

[invisiblebiten]

same problem please post ive ordered mite killer hopefully when it comes in i can get some sleep

[invisiblebiten]

beleive it or not my doctor figured it out, no mites its a viral infection in your body, i never beleived him as i was getting biten and had marks to prove it they would bite i said then leave a almost mosquito bite sometimes small rash appreared
took benadyl last night no bites
try it

[bobby38]

My solution to last summers misery this year was to leave windows closed  at all times and invest in a dehumidifier.  I no longer use bug spray but either 50/50 water and vinegar spray or straight vinegar.  It works very well and isnt toxic.  I still occasionaly get bites but the vinegar eliminates them.  I sometimes spray the vinegar around the bed and onto bedding before bedtime and it has helped alot. And also vacuum frequently.  I have had a much easier season but have found I now  am sensitive to just about everything that bites. I hope this helps.

[restmom]

The problem we are having is that my 10-yr old keeps getting bit. At first we thought she was crazy, but I have been right next to her and she swells up with bites, like the two bites on her face yesterday.

Do you think this vinegar mixture will work on the carpet also?

[bobby38]

The vinegar works very well on my carpet for the most part, for the type of bites that I described at the beginning of this post.  I also steam clean my carpet frequently along with vinegar solution spray in between cleanings. I think there are other types of microscopic bugs that are airborne and I havent found a remedy for those yet.  Other than lathering a bar of soap and applying it to the itching sometimes helps, but I think it depends on what type of bug has bitten me

[fatfamily02]

I have only experienced what I am now experiencing in southern california, near the river, and from someone I knew who came from southern az.  the bugs I experience are like little stinging nettle bites.  the sensation doesnt last long but it happens very frequently.  I cannot see anything and I never see a mark from them but it feels like there should be.  I dont exactly feel the crawling so much as a stingy presence.  I have expeinced them before when I lived in cali and I have now moved back after 14 years and I have only experienced it one other time--from the person who moved from az to ou home in ga.  when I loved here before my friend experienced it too and we would shower and change and it would go away until this one friend of ours would come over and it would start again.  this time I picked them up at adult school and I have showered many times and they are not going away.  same exact feeling as last time (14 years ago).  I think they may be some kind of sand mites.

[jagesh50]

I am not pronouning a diagnosis but many of these so called invisible bites,belong to a condition called parasitophobia  patients suffering from this even pick a mite,inviible to eye ofcourse but they can see them.This is a specific condition,and all those indeed bitten by mites do not suffer from this.Cocaine is known to produce similar symptoms.

[westwind11]

This problem has been satisfactorily answered for many at a yahoo group.  MORGELLONS_PARASITES

[maatson]

Had a look at.It is painstaking research to identify possible pathogen.However it could be artifacts.To prove that these stuctures indded cause disease would need adherence to koch postulates.That means these should not be found in normal people,should be cultured and grown.Cause disease when innoculated,and reisolated back and reinoculated, to cause disease in another host.

[Trudy771]

I too thought they were mites, but they are Echidnophaga Gallinacea, The Sticktight flea, it loves human hosts, will LIVE in your ears, and crotch area and very hard to get off, as they have a mouth that attaches to your flesh, I have been thru thousands of dollars this past year, am finally getting relief from Lemon ( they hate it ) concentrate soaks ,with my ears down in water ! I just dump the whole bottle in. make sprayer bottles also, and get pets on Revolution or some other topical ! Buy Drione dust, safe for pets & humans, and foggers with DDVP in them , check for Sorptive 2% dust, ( this is not a brand name) There are sites where it shows photo's of their cycle, you'll find it's what you've been seeing under magnifacation right along. You might also have some mites but they leave, these stay !

[bestgram101]

I thought I was going crazy until I found this site.  I am being bitten alive as I write this. After the sting like bite, I can feel little welts, & see some bites.  They are attacking my shoulders & arms.  I just rubbed my myself with lemon, hoping it will stop.  We seem to have quite a few different causes listed for these invisible suckers.  Where are they coming from?  Granted it was 74 here today/ New England, & my windows have been open- they have been worse today.  Started a week or so ago.  Was wondering if they could have possibly migrated from a neighbors apt/condo adjacent to mine - if so, could the cleanliness(less) of their unit have contributed to this?

[bobby38]

Its been raining alot this spring and the bites are so much worse than last year when it was drier.  I open the window just a half inch to let in fresh air but i get bitten repeatedly.  Its not just one type of bite.  The bites are different. There are those that come in swarms I can't see and seem to penetrate clothing, even heavy jeans.  I've been bitten so many times by those, now I get half inch wide welts, like claw scratches down my back.  It goes away within half hour or so but the itching is intense.    
Then the unseen ones that seem to land on items, everywhere, like the computer mouse in the front room or any surface be it hard or soft like cloth.  When I touch infested item I get stinging itch, sometimes it even feels like one large bite but I can't see any skin breakage or reaction but just intense itching. The water/vinegar spray sure helps when its bedtime and I spray my bedding, especially foot area.  I don't think its from the neighbors apartment or even fleas or mites that attach and stay,  These are random bites and only occur after opening the window and/or certain weather conditions.     They also get worse in the evening when the sun goes down. It didnt' get this bad until late summer last year because, I believe, we didn't get much rain.  
I am on Humira for rheumatoid arthritis and thought it might be a rare side effect of the medication to become hypersensitive to bites.  Others in my household  aren't affected by the bites.   I'm taking a trip to New Mexico next month where the climate is much drier, desert country. I plan to  test whether environment is the key.I currently live near the mountains in the city with lots of shubs, grass etc.
One advantage of my misery, is I have a very clean house, in an effort to minimize itching. I also might try benadryl after I check with doctor to see if its safe with my meds.

[helpfullady]

This is what I did to eliminate them from my home and life.

I used to hate going anywhere for fear I would always touch my face, jump off me onto someone else etc.  I used to feel them crawl on me at first, but it was only me, and no one else in the house until it got so bad they started biting.  Then everyone felt it.  I experimented for at least a year but now it is to the point where it is non-existent in my house.

I cannot guarantee you it will work for you, but I will tell you what I did. work for you but it did for me.  I have to also say I have a pet as well.

I used to always feel them crawling on my legs, and face; my legs are hairy and when I shaved them, it was better, the reason you feel them on your face at night is because they live in your hair and come out when you lay down at night.  At first they do not bite but just a lot of crawling then two weeks later the biting starts.  I think they are babies when they crawl and bite when they reach the adult stage.

On my day off I took my pet to the groomers and got pet a flea bath and had the hair cut all the way down.  

I came home and started a load of clothes in the washing machine.  Whites first because I wanted to get Bleach in my machine first.  They I started to wash all the clothes in my house and went through everything.  Clothes that I wasn't wearing I just put in space bags and vacuumed the bags.  The next load was my towels in hot water and a little bleach.  Then all my clothes in hot water, tide detergent and a capful of vinegar.

Next, I took my collectibles, teddy bears and put them in space bags. I got rid of all the plants in my house, indoors and out doors.  I bought a sheet set for my bed that was all white so I could bleach/hot water once a week or anytime I felt them.

I wet my hair then I put head and shoulder shampoo in my hair and left it in for an hour.  It was painful.  But a couple of days later after my scalp healed I felt a 100% better.  I got in the shower to rinse my hair and I used a pouf sponge. I lathered up my body with tea tree oil and a body wash ( i used dove with green tea) and I stayed in the shower until I stopped feeling them bite.  I felt itchy, but after I put on the neutrogena oil and jergens cocoa butter lotion mixed together I felt much better, and used it daily ever since.  I got out of the shower and I got hot water and soaked my feet in epsom salt and listerine.

for my face i use a tea tree oil cleanser then witch hazel astringent then clinique lotion that has stopped them from crawling on my face  

I bought a hepa bagless vaccum and vacumed the house.  After vaccuming, I put my air purifiers on in both my rooms, my bedoom and living room.

these bugs also love paper so trow away newpapers the you dont need, any thing you want to save put in space bags for four weeks.

when your pet comes home watch them they should be fine butt if they start to itch spray them with hartz flea spray.

with this daily regimen, I gradually felt relief to the point where I am totally free of these invisible bugs.

[samplerman]

My doctor told me the bites were because of paranoia!  I know better.  They are a nano-mite that have quite a bite.  The itch lasts under a minute if you dont scratch but will spread and last a week if you do.  I've tried sprays, dusts, essential oils to no avail.  Vacuuming often does help but they get tracked in from our infested yard.  My neighbors think they are baby mosquitos....which is crazy...we have no mosquitos here in the Phoenix area.  They are the size of a spec of dust and can fly around in swarms if not kept under control with vacuuming and filters.  You can view them with a bright flashlight in a very dark room.  I wonder if they have been created in a lab or just a freak of science.  I've become excessively allergic to everything because of the constant bites.  This needs to be seriously looked into to find a way to eradicate them.  Nobody wants to visit my home due to the constant biting they get on their legs.  This is crazy.

[CanBeEm]

Im in Chicago Ill and I moved into a New Condo here Oct 2010. Me and my husband suffer from the No See Um. We have no Pets and no Plants so how we got them I 'll never no. We finally got to see em
using Sticky Fly Catcher.. we hung them in the Office, Bedrooms and Living room and within days using a magnifing Glass you can see the little bugs some were black with wings some were white we also seen the adult that were red. We usr the Listerinein out Bath/ showers to remove them from our skin. the Dollar store brand of listerine is cheaper. We Use Windex on all our appliance and electronic. The No See Umh seem to love the warm behind TV and computers. We wash our clothes and carpet with Kleen-Free. the Best use was the Citronella Candles in our home we closed off bed room and office lit a candle it really work (No i did not get sick). Last we order Citronella Oil put two pots of water on and add the oil to the boiling water it really made a big difference blowing  through the vents in our home we are not totally rid of them but we are getting there.  Hope this Help 12/10/2010

[IrishChris]

I have been getting bit as well. Going on one year now.  They are little round white flying bugs that look like dust.  You can only see them with the right lighting or sunlight.  Raid does not kill them, I raid bombed plus sprayed all over my house.  I followed them with a flash light at night after I sprayed them.  They fly right through it like nothing happened and keep flying! I turned off the heat in my house, opened all the windows ( It was only 10 degrees F) at night and (20 degrees F) during the day.  I kept every window open for over 30 hours straight.  The thermostat was reading 27F during the day and 19F in the middle of the night.  I slept in my car after I checked the temp inside.  30+ hours later... No difference!  In fact, I think there were more of them!  The ice cold temps have no effect on them just like the raid.  How is that possible?  I am litterally being eaten alive 24 hours a day.  It's so bad,  it makes me feel like commiting suicide because I feel like they will be with me for the rest of my life.  I wont do it, don't worry.  I just feel that way because of this constant misery.  This past summer, I would spray myself with bug spray which helped slightly...I was still getting bit though but,  it irritates my skin after a few applications.  Can someone please let me know what I should do to get rid of these things?  I can't take much more of this.   =(

[bugged_out]

I battled with these things for a year and a half. I wont get into details other than to say it was nightmarish. I took baths using Dr. Bonners peppermint soap and also used it in my laundry. I threw everything out every 3 months or so. I steam ironed my clothes. I steam cleaned my carpets. Each room 3 times in a row. I bought a shark hand held steam cleaner for the furniture. I covered my mattress with plastic painters drop cloth and packing tape. The biggest help was moth balls. I crushed them into the carpets, put moth crystals into my bed when I wasn't in it. I also used them on the sofa in the ziplock storage bags that I used to keep my clothes in and in my truck. To rid them from my truck I used fleabusters and moth crystals all over the seats floorboard etc. and stayed out of the truck for a month. Moving air disturbs them and makes them slow down on the crawling so I also used fans and a dehumidifier at night. In time they will go away. My prayers are with you.

[IrishChris]

Thanks,  I will give that a try.  I am willing to try anything at this point.  

[bugedout]

I've recently experienced a small reinfestation. Went out and bought my Dr. Bronners peppermint soap, moth balls, Gold Bond maximum strength(blue container) powder and a spray bottle of Ecosmart organic insect killer. Since I attacked right away, I got rid of them fairly quickly. I've read about people using menthol crystals on cup warmers. I have found that anything with menthol/mint works well to kill them. A dehumidifier also works wonders. These are the items I have found that have worked for me after having spent thousands of dollars on a ton of stuff reported to work. These things love humidity and become more active in the evening.They are tiny and hardly visible to the naked eye but they look like tiny white specks and at different stage they can actually be seen as tiny black specks in your bathroom or in your kitchen, especially around the sinks. They usually don't move so you think they're just specks of dirt except if you disturb them, they will actually hop. You can see them on your white sheets. Disturb them with your fingernail and watch them hop. Lastly, I know it's difficult to sleep and you feel like you're losing your mind and you may even have thoughts of suicide, please know that there is an end to this and by all means be very careful about taking any prescription sleepaids. Addictive!!!!

[bugproblem]

i live in london,UK and iam having this problem for 2 years now,it started exactly in may 2 years ago...in between i moved 4 times and got rid of almost everything and it was a bit under control,I could feel occasional bite at night but no during the day which was very relieving for me.Now it started again,its strange cos is may so is it because is warmer or??? anyway in that 2 years i went on few 2 weeks holiday and still i would feel them anywhere so i started to think iam crazy cos noone else would feel anything even if i slept in the same bed with other people...this winter i went for a month to thailand,i could feel them in plane in my socks then maybe 2-3 nights and after they disseappear,maybe due sleeping in so many beds( backpack travelling) and as well i put all my clothes to wash over there but it was like a miracle,unfortunately they was waiting at me at home. I think they are more kind,cos the one i have they bite but i never had any marks on my body but the problem is i feel them crawling on me in the hair and ears the most,i could listen like cliking sound around my head at night but i never managed to see any of them :( is very frustrating experience i really dont know if i will ever be living without them again

[baysparkle]

Your sentiments reflect my predicament best. I lost hope.

considering how many 'afflicted ones' exist based on various internet sites should be enough of an impedus for the medical/scientific community to check into this matter of a hellish existence.

I can see them in bright light, almost translucent, long trails and very adaptive and blend into anything, under fingernails, every weave of fabric, electronic air vents on any gadget no matter how small or large.
the live, breed and feed off me. no doubt.
the question is: why? based on the principle that  insects are attracted by other microbes, nematodes, fungi etc, ( same principle as the decomposition premise), is this an abberrant phenomen?
I spent thousands of dollars on gadgets, dehumidifier, oz gen, air purifier, prof fumigator fogger, gz illions in personal arsenal just resulting in transient deter rather than a kill. These things are hardy, hide well because of their translucency and agility and their long appendage surely serves like a fine weaving anchor in anything, anything, skin, body cavity, electronic gadgets, paper, again, ANYTHING.
How can one fight something like this, no one believes you, no hope no help no basic comfort of living anymore. Everything and effort  is geared to battle these things and not getting killed in the process, keeping face of normalcy to the public as not to draw any suspicion ( although hoping that someone would witness finally the same menacing hell you encounter on a daily, minute by minute basis and go to sleep knowing that they are all over you, in you, on you.

the disbelievers call out'crazy' yet stay ten feet away from you ...'just in case '''
it is a doomed live.

[Tiniacapitasisfungus]

I keep trying to leave a comment, one message you, but it keeps disappearing. I will try again soon, as I've run out of time.

[Bittenagainandagain]

I too have experienced this problem and have bites on my face to prove it. Mostly they bite at night and when sleeping. I moved from Texas to Florida and they moved with me. I had carefully washed and bagged and wiped down everything I own. I have been to dermatolgist, I had biopsies done on the bites that prove they are bites, but the doctor can not identify the bug. I had a bug specialist, allergist, read everything I could find on this and have spent my retirement money fumigating, tenting my house and moving. They bite my head and ankles and ears and face more than anything. I've tried every crazy assed thing people recommend. I am going to try buggedout's routine, as I just can't give up. I bought leaf blower/vaccum and went all over my house trying to suck the critters up. I have a room mate who is not bothered but rarely with bites. I have no carpet or drapes or any type of cloth furniture, yet still I suffer. I wish there was an end to this. I have suffered with it for 4 years now.