Re: Trlyblst & others getting bug ID ed.? variations in mites

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You brought up a good point at the end of your post here. It is important to understand that D. Gallinae can revert to an earlier morphological state (there term not mine) in order to not be rejected by the host, which means they remain smaller and more simplistic physiologically, and that prevents them from being rejected by the host's immune system...I found that research at the UF research library years ago but never bothered to jot down the articlefor reference on the 'research' webpage.I too have been bothered by this species and they are very small andvery tenacious. I could never see more than floating specks of dust without magnification. The species of O.Bacoti, O. Sylvarium, and O. Bursa arelarger and tend to be seen as black, not whitish, when viewed by thenaked eye.D. Gallinae has changed significantly since first documented as the 'redmite of chicken' by DeGeer back in the 1700's. (They are reddish only after a blood meal.) At that time they were larger than today's version, and they simply have adapted to today's environment, and different hosts. Some entomologists are current with this knowledge, but it is amazing how many are not, and think that these can simply be viewed with the naked eye. That is nolonger true of this species.Tim

> >> > Everyone, I have a question I don't understand. Of all the pest > control people here in San > > Diego that have had problems with bird mites, they can see the tiny > specks, they treat it > > with the pyrethrins, and then they are gone.> > > > Why?> > > > If many of us have the similar circumstances of nests nearby, etc, > why can't our birdmites > > be killed the same way, or even be seen?> > > > And after IDing it, for instance, Trlyblest, what is done after > that? Have you told a pest > > control person about it? Like ones in our area, have they had an > easy time getting rid of > > them, and are able to see them? Or, in everyone's area of living, > have they not even heard > > of birdmites invading the home? Most of our pest control companies > here have only dealt > > with 3 to 8 incidents within their time of their company's > existence. So although many say > > it is rare, it happens and is taken care of immediately.> > > > Trlyblest, you said you could only see the G Gallanae (sp?) under > 400 mag. Did it only > > look like a black speck under 200 mag? Our Health Control Dept. > here could only had a > > magnification of about 130, and said he can see birdmites easily > under this magnification. > > I DON'T UNDERSTAND!> > > > Everyone, please help me on this subject.> > > > By the way, my neighbor has a condo two doors down from me and I > had called our Home > > Owners Association about removing a vacant nest above her windows > in the eaves of the > > roof. The bird left about a week ago, and she has been itching > ever since. Her clothes itch > > her, and she wakes up with small bumps on her shins and legs and > arms. They cant > > remove the nest till next week and I have asked that they tell us > if there are birdmites in > > them. The man who removed all three of ours said there were none. > He said he had > > removed many with birdmites in them and have gotten them on his > arm/hand and just > > washes them off.> > > > Why does it seem to be not big deal for the society, and yet many > of us are dealing with > > this unidentified mystery? Do you think it is something else? A > different mite?> >>