Bird mites in laundry room

Question: We have these very small black bugs that we found on our bed sheets and on the light switch in our laundry room. They seem to crawl onto not only our phones, but our bodies as well. They are about a millimeter in size. What are these pesky, super small bugs?

Answer: They seem to be mites, and I am guessing bird mites. You mentioned the laundry room -- maybe there is a dryer there, and it has a vent to the outside. These vents are often the site for bird nests. Birds have mites, mites get into their nest, which is usually not a problem until the bird leaves the nest. Now the mites leave and crawl around and often end up inside, crawling on all sorts of surfaces. They usually don't bite and are a pest for a short time before they die, as it's much too dry indoors for them.

Another possibility is a rodent’s nest indoors behind the wall, and the mites are coming from that. However, you would have noticed the rodents.

There is not a lot that needs to be done; an aerosol may help control the mites, and a vacuum cleaner will remove them. You might remove the wall switch plate and vacuum in there as well.

Call us today to schedule a home inspection. Orkin will inspect your home and identify the pest species. Depending on the species and severity of the infestation, he or she will create a customized pest management plan based in science for your home.