Frank from Harleysville, Pa writes
I have a parrot which I carry around my house occasionally on my hand. I started to notice bite marks on my arms and around my neck. I cannot see anything but occasionally feel something crawling on me which I know are bird mites. I noticed bite marks in my parrot's tail feathers and am now treating him with Scalex. I have been spraying eucalyptus oil on my rugs and furniture, etc. and it is getting better slowly. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
No, Mite-E-Oil Insecticide-Miticide Spray is not for use inside homes and is not for bird mites.
We are sorry to hear you are in distress and we truly hope your situation improves. Unfortunately without a positive identification of the insect, we can not make a treatment recommendation for you. We can say that even small fleas are visible and easily identified so we are sure that cannot be the problem. You may consider visiting a dermatologist and explaining the issue and they may conduct a skin scrape to look for parasites or run other tests to help find the nature of the issue. You may also consider using clear packing tape and lightly pressing it on your skin when you feel a bite to get a sample of the insect. You can then have tape inspected by an entomologist in your region (you can usually find entomologists at local universities). For your bird we would recommend contacting for vet.
We wish you the best of luck in getting an insect identification and in finding relief soon!
Answer last updated on: 03/31/2020
