katiejill's no. 2 tip - LINT ROLLERS AND MICROSCOPES

[Guest guest]

LINT ROLLERS

These are useful in so many ways:

Where do I use them?

I keep one everywhere I spend a lot of time (by the bed, computer desk,

tv chair, bathroom, kitchen, dining room table, etc).

When?

As soon as I feel a bite I have several options: spray or apply any of

several liquid protocols you'll find here, incl epsom, clorox, raid,

dawn, etc, or this mechanical means.

Why lint rollers?

Allows you to collect a specimen you can see under your microscope.

How to use?

Apply to bite site on outside of clothing. If bite sensation does not

stop, get where you can open your clothing and get to the bite site if

you can, and put the lint roller directly on your skin. Hold the lint

roller with medium pressure for at least a full minute. Remove. If bite

sensation resumes, replace lint roller against bite site.

How does it work?

Biter will squirm to escape the pressure of the lint roller and in so

doing will actually get more and more stuck. Many have slender

appendages of various types and these are what they wiggle and what

gets them stuck.

What next?

Once you have stopped the biting and it stays stopped after you remove

the lint roller, look at the lint roller sheet at the exact spot you

pressed it against the bite site and see if you can observe anything

with the naked eye. If not, that's ok. Make a note of the spot.

Sometimes you can turn the lint roller roll and see something sticking

up that you could not see looking directly at it.

MICROSCOPES

If you have a microscope, look at the critter quickly as they dry out

fast and become unrecognizable. You can put them in a liquid medium,

many folks do. Rubbing alcohol dried out my specimens as I had them for

a long time (no one to identify them, finally threw them away). Now

there are mail order labs who will do it for so much a specimen

(haven't used their services, though). Other folks report that they

like mineral oil because it does not bubble (some oils do).

Prepare to be puzzled at whatever you see. Specimens producing the

symptoms I read about here range from recognizable mites (8 legs, match

the images in Photos (link at left), to other stuff. You can find lots

of links by searching this site for " www "

If you do not have a digital microscope, write down a description of

the biter, and if you can draw, draw the biter the best you can.

There will be others here who have seen the same thing. If nothing

else, you will know you are neither alone NOR CRAZY.

Sorry to see you here for the obvious reasons, but you may be in the

right place to find solutions that work for you.

Resources:

LINT ROLLERS - I use Evercare's GIANT lint rollers. They are a huge

improvement over all older models. Refills are available.

amazinghomeproducts dot com

MICROSCOPES -

About $10: Go to eBay and search for " 60-100x microscope " and try to

find a lighted pocket microscope for $10 give or take a couple bucks.

About $60: Go to eBay and search for " Digi-Vision digital microscope "

and be sure and ask the seller to provide the new driver (the original

has a virus) which he may have to get from the manufacturer. If he

can't, I have it, it is a smallish file.

I echo Doe's blessings,

katiejill