What are those mysterious itchy red bites? Rat mites? Rat mites, or tropical rat mites, are tiny parasites that live on rats and birds. They normally feed on the blood of rats and birds. They become a problem for people when they nest in or on buildings. It’s in those nests where the mite population becomes concentrated with large numbers of mites. But sometimes, when they can’t find rats or birds to infest, they resort to making a meal out of the blood of humans. Their super tiny; you can hardly see them with the naked eye. But if they can’t find their regular host, human’s blood will do just fine for them. They’d love to bite you in your sleep.
The tropical Rat mites are capable of surviving for long periods of time without a host and can also travel several hundred feet from a rat, bird or their nest to find a new host. Considering that in California, you’re basically always at least several hundred feet from a rat, that’s really terrifying! They’re also “the most common house invading species.” Okay, great.
How can I tell if I have rat mites?
When these mites bite your skin, they cause dermatitis similar to bedbugs: You may notice raised, red, itchy bumps on a specific section of your skin.
How do I know if I have those mites or bed bugs?
The best way to tell whether you’ve been infested by bedbugs or mites is to use sticky traps to capture a sampling, and then have them inspected by a pest-control company. The experts will be able to determine what exactly you’re dealing with and come up with a plan of attack to solve your problem.
How do I get rid of them?
If you have rat mites, it means you have rats. You have to locate the rat’s nest and destroy it and have the area sprayed with the proper pesticide to get rid of the rat mites. You also need to locate and eradicate the rat population; you’ll have to make sure you seal off any entry points the rats used to get into your home. Then, disinfect your home using a pest-control spray, or save up and call an exterminator because you do not want to mess around with rat mites.
Can rat mites spread rat diseases?
Luckily, no cases of rat mites spreading diseases to humans have ever been documented, but “scientists have been able to facilitate rat-mite-to-human disease transmission in a lab Why are rat mites so much more disgusting than bedbugs? That’s because they come from RATS and where ever there are people you’ll have rats.
