Bird Nests Exposed

It almost sounds like the title of a tabloid magazine. Or maybe it could be a title of a horror movie!? When in fact what I want to talk about is a very little known creature that can inhabit bird nests and roosting areas of all shapes and sizes. Want to know what I'm talking about. Read more, I promise you will question what may be lingering in bird nests from now on.

Today I had the unfortunate duty of removing a nest that had been built just above a flue in the chimney of a families home. I've removed nests before and ran into these intruders before. But today was a special day that I would like to share.

Picture this, I knock on the door of this house and two little girls under five answer and I ask for their mother. She comes to the door holding a newborn in her arms and a young toddler grasping her hand. We then walk through the house to the basement with the whole family curiously following us. This is where our horror begins. She tells me about this sound in the chimney and think it may be bats. Not uncommon for me to deal with bats, but this sounds different. I instantly know we are dealing with a birds nest. She goes upstairs with kids in tote, and I close the door just in case something escapes when I open the flue. The flue is open and I'm shining my light. Sure enough its a birds nest. I safely remove the three baby birds. But wait, what this crawling all over my arms. Oh shoot!!!! I knew what they were. I had a nest and baby birds infested with bird mites! Yuck! Proper thing to do is also remove the nest, and the bird mites infest the nest and lay eggs. This poor family of with four little children all young had no idea what horror I had just uncovered!

Flash forward, nest and birds removed, and chimney treated so these mites won't venture any further. I show the family the find, only to see the horror on their face. I of course explain how they were removed and that they are safe from what could have been a movie like experience.

Thankfully this family is safe. Other families have not been so lucky. I once treated a house where this poor lady had everyone against her and thought she was crazy. She told many others that it felt like her skin crawled at night. But no one could find anything. And even worse two separate pest control companies couldn't find anything. We found that her bed and box springs had become infested with these bird mites! Wowza!

So next time you think that bird nest and baby birds are cute, know this. A bird is a wild creature and can bring with them a hosts of problems. From bird mites, to fecal droppings that can contain histoplasmosis. Give Pest Control Specialists a call to protect you and your family.

Attached are some pictures. That isn't dirt you see! It's a thousand strong bird mites from one nest!