Biting Insect Indoors

How can one tell if there are dust mites in the house and on the furniture? We have been having a problem with something that feels like it is crawling all over your skin. At times you can even feel a bite sorta like a mosquito. I don't even have any red marks on my skin. What in heaven's name is biting on me?

By Sherry from Knoxville, TN

Answers: Biting Insect Indoors

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By 09/23/2010

I agree with Shosha. You definitely have dust mites, but they are not causing your problem. I can't imagine what it might be if it is too small to see. I think you need to look more closely so that you can find out what it really is.

By 09/22/2010

I can pretty much guarantee you have dust mites. Everyone does, even if they don't think so. However, they don't bite people. They eat the bits of skin and such left in the carpets, upholstery and bedding etc. I would check more for fleas and bedbugs, or another kind of mite. but most bugs leave some kind of mark when they bite. I'd also check into the possibility of having allergies to something.

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Biting Insect Indoors

What can you do to kill off indoor biting pests? I can't identify the bugger. I don't want to spray the house with raid. I have a cat and I don't want to make her sick. I have read about diatomaceous earth working well. What brand and how do I use it? Someone said bugs don't like thyme and salt. Please help me.

Miss Kitty

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

If you can see them I would just use soap water in a sprayer. It is much safer that using raid. (08/24/2005)

By Joyce wis

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

Check to make sure your cat doesn't have fleas. If she does, you must treat her and your house at the same time. (08/29/2005)

By mkymlp

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

Check to make sure it's not bed bugs. They are very wide spread right now and hard to get rid of. (09/01/2005)

By Colleen

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

If you buy Diatomaceous earth make sure it's *food grade*. If it's not then it is harmful to both humans and pets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth (06/10/2008)

By M

Biting Insect Indoors

My family and I recently bought a new mobile home. Since we moved in mainly in the master bedroom and in the bed at night my wife and I and our little girl get eaten up with bites. It started on our backsides and then to our thighs and abdomens.

We have looked and looked, someone told us we had sand fleas. So we paid $120 for the exterminators to come out and spray our house. We vacuum everyday and dump the canister outside away from the house. Any ideas about what this could be or any treatments?

By jpaddidaddy from Le Flore Co., OK

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

If you can get your hands on a steamer, try steaming the surface and sides of your bed, all corners of walls in the house, and every nook and cranny. It's a bad year for biting bugs; I've been attacked a lot. But I bought a little red steamer thingy at Walgreens for $30 and it's great. I use it to steam anything suspect, for general cleaning, great to clean sports shoes with a toothbrush, soapy water, a little bleach and steam. I use it to clean the bathroom sink area and so on.

My grandson was worried about spiders on his bed which had been in storage, but had a new baby and didn't want to use spray. He used the steamer on the mattress surface and no more bites. (09/03/2009)

By PIKKA

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

Be careful of the bites and treat them properly. They may get infected and you will need a prescription for an antibiotic and a cream as well.

The steamer may work and is worth a try, but don't be fooled if they disappear then and come back again. The little devils, whatever they are, will have laid eggs. You may have to do it at least three times. If that doesn't work then Raid or something similar will have to do. You may want to make a note of when you notice the bites and in which room, etc. That may give you a clue as to where they are. (09/03/2009)

By quiltmum

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

I agree with the other posts, sounds like fleas, or bed bugs. It could be an insect that started at the warehouse where the carpets were stored. I would start by contacting the person/place I bought the mobile home from. They should be the ones sending an exterminator. I would try checking the canister and see if you can pull out any of the critters and contact your exterminator or a doctor's office somewhere to see if they can identify the culprit, then you can treat for that particular problem. Did you get any new or used furniture that you brought into the home, they could have come out of these as well. Good luck! (09/04/2009)

By Luvmyjrt

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

Check for bedbugs. Fleas? Spread dry 20 Mule Team borax into all carpet and bedding. About 2 cups for average size room. Leave for 2 weeks then you can vacuum. They need to go through life cycle of egg, larvae, and adult.

This is a natural mined product that will not hurt you. Bugs will be active at first because they are dying. A company called Fleabusters charges lots for using the same thing. You will not have fleas breeding in your home for at least a year. Outdoors is something else. Check the internet for bedbug remedy, hopefully there is a natural remedy, maybe even 20 Mule Team. (09/05/2009)

By muttmom

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

Sounds like bedbugs to me. The are very difficult to eradicate. I have no personal experience with them, but friends have had them, and my mother says everyone had bedbugs during her childhood.

I doubt that it is scabies. I have had them, and there are no visible bites. Just itchiness. And they are pretty easy to deal with in my experience. Go to a doctor. It may be a good idea to go to a doctor to have these bites examined. An experienced GP should have seen these sorts of things before. Then you will know what you are dealing with and how to get rid of them. (09/07/2009)

By louel53

RE: Biting Insect Indoors

Are there any trees touching your home? You could have a problem with bird mites, they tend to bite on the body. You might need to lop a few branches. Good luck! (09/07/2009)

By merry50