The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Menthol
Posted by Ruth (Easley, SC) on 10/09/2008
★★★★★
COPING WITH INVISIBLE BITING CRITTERS
Boiling menthol rub for colds seems to make these critters settle, or else it soothes the skin. Sulfur type products seem to cool and soothe the skin also.
EC: Menthol Rub = Vicks Vapor Rub or generic version... You can find sulfur type products in the eczema/psoriasis section of a pharmacy.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Sharon (Springfield, Illinois) on 09/25/2008
★☆☆☆☆
I've just moved into an infested home and didn't know what was going on until, by the process of elimination, I was able to determine that the house is full of bird mites. I have read all the suggestion but so far nothing has worked for me. I had to get up at 10 p.m. last night, throw bed linens in the wash, vacuum bed and room, then spray all that. I let the linens dry on the highest dryer setting for an hour, then made the bed, spraying each layer. I finally fell back into bed and here they came. I was so tired that I fell asleep anyway and awoke with my nose and ears full of mites. The corners of my eyes and mouth were also affected. I feel crawling all over my head and body constantly and think I may be going insane. I can't go anywhere and won't let anyone come here. My pets have to be shampooed daily, so their lives are miserable as well. I just sprinkled borax all over the house, bought some listerine for my shower later. I've been using a home made spray with aromatic oils and alcohol. The pest control sprays I've bought were useless and simply served to irritate me and the pets. This is an awful experience and one I'd never heard about until now. All comments and suggestions are welcome.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Mary (Regina, Canada) on 09/25/2008
Hi: How awful. It just occurred to me that I bathed in Borax and h202 while I was treating our dogs and still do. I am at 1x week now. All is well. Wash everything in borax/peroxide including you and dogs. Best of luck!
Mary
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Remedymaybfound (Houston, Texas) on 09/16/2012
We tried everything. Only things that are working: oil soap. Wash everyhting with diluted murphy's. Wood, cloth, vinyl, leather, carpet, body, hair... We have spray bottles in EACH room with diluted murphys (per instructions on their bottle). We spray each time we feel a crawl or bite. It suffocates the mites. We wash hair & body with shampoo, oil soap & water mixture (mostly water). Use nylon body puff. All towels, clothes etc get washed immediately or bagged up tight. After shower rub down with baby oil & tea tree oil. Once a day use clove oil & massage all over including spine area. Clove oil kills mites within an hour. Drink nutmeg, clove & echinacea tea. Steam your carpet & upholstry with a shark or other garment steamer approved for bed bugs. I spray the diluted murphy's in sections just before steaming slow. Vaccuum each day especially before steaming. Vacuuming hatches the eggs. Treat vehicles same. Hope it helps.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Lou (Tyler, TX) on 02/17/2024
If you have bird mites, the best thing to do is spray all of your floors/baseboards with a cedar and sage cleaner. I found one pretty cheap at Tr____ J__'s or on Amazon. Get Prema______ to spray down mattresses. Wash bedding in hot water with bleach or borax. Good luck! Vacuum vacuum vacuum!
Disinfectant, Hair Dryer
Posted by Arlisa (Gloucester, U.S.) on 06/21/2008
★★★★★
Bed Bugs: I used disinfectant spray, then dried it with a hair dryer, replaced my mattresses and they disappeared.
Hair Dryer
Posted by Maria (Évora, Alentejo, Portugal) on 03/09/2010
My mother have that horrible desiase (Morgellons), since 2007. She have 3 kind of strange microscopic insects, coming out, and going inside her skin, during almost 3 years. It starts in her back, that soon becames in to a map of blooding wonds, and marks of tunels, as if something in the interior could stand all the wonds/injuries connected by tunels. Mantaing, though, the nests and the cocoons connected to the way out. Only now, i've discovered(at Discovery channel) what that desiase is for real. Until now, my mother only ear from doctors, that she's crazy and nothing else!...Sorry...my English is not very good (has you allready have noticed)...3h...and i'm still here (asking all time, to my frind Google for help;)...but giving you my best!... .I only can ask you, to investigate all about Morgellons desiase, and also "Chamtrails". My mother have only used a simple cream soap (Uriage) for dry and damaged skins...She's better now...but she's still feeling some wonds in her scalp. All rest of the body (BACK,arms,belly,NOSE,SCALP) are now much more better.The marks of the wonds, will stay forever...but even she gets totaly cured, one wond (psycologic one) will resist in her mind, open...allways...Thank you all, and dont you haver give up!...Tomorrow morning, i'm going to try to kill that little monsters whith a simple HAIR DRYER ;)...and i'm believing on it!
Hair Dryer
Posted by Carolyn (Kansas) on 10/11/2020
Which kind of uriage cream? There are many.
Hair Dryer
Posted by Steve (Valley Ford, California) on 03/27/2012
A few years ago my bed and blankets became infested with some kind tiny, very irritating and itchy bug which was extremely difficult to get rid of. What finally worked for me was to put all my laundry in plastic bags until laundry day(to keep the bugs trapped) and then, after washing, dry everything for 45 minutes to an hour at high heat including pillows. This will kill the bugs in the fabric. I then enclosed the pillows in two plasic bags each to prevent reinfestation and I then wrapped my entire mattress in lightweight plastic (five layers) to both prevent reinfestation and trap and starve to death any bugs remaining inside the mattress. This was after treating myself with over the counter lice killing solution. I left the plastic on the pillows and mattress for a year just to be sure and the bugs have not come back and it's been several years now. It is also important to vacuum the rugs once or twice in the area every day for a couple of weeks. That should keep them from hanging around. I was desperate and this worked for me.
Hair Dryer
Posted by Diane (Studio City, Ca) on 05/09/2012
Glad your approach worked for you, Steve. I've seen lots of shows now (Dr. Oz for example) discussing bed bugs and it sounds like you had them for sure. Sounds like you caught the infestation early. People have their homes and houses heated inside to over 140 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour or more to rid them. It's an expensive process, but it works.
Perhaps you travel a lot and stayed in a hotel with bed bugs? Always check your hotel at TripAdvisor.com and look for the 1-star reviews before you travel. Also, your luggage can also pick up bed bugs from the plane's luggage storage area. I'm so petrified of these critters that I only use hard case luggage and I spray/soak the zippers and fabric around the zippers with a bed bug deterrent spray you can find online and in stores made from all natural oils that apparently bed bugs hate the smell and will avoid your bag. I've also seen many people have their bags wrapped in a clear wrap before it's put on the plane.
Ted's Remedies Reader Feedback
Posted by Chris (Longmont, Colorado, Usa) on 05/25/2010
I am glad, also, to have found this site. I have been dealing with cheyletiella mites for a long time, since my 2 long-haired cats and I lived in mite infested Nederland (dog city) Colorado. On this site I found a helpful suggestion about drinking Neem tea & where to get it. So I would like to share about cleaning your house and doing the laundry with something that will kill the mites. I use a rather expensive ($6.00/bottle) enzyme cleaner. I can not tell you the brand but it also contains real lime extract and it is organic & comes in a lime green bottle with blue trim. You can dilute it with water and spray it on your rug before vacuuming (just let it dry a bit first), you can spray it on your walls and clean the shower with it. It rocks. For laundry use it straight, a couple teaspoons per load. Ok, right now I am going to bathe in epsom salt & lavender oil. Some use Eucalyptus but it irritates my skin. Thank you, all you helpful people.
Chris in Colorado
PS: do NOT use this enzyme cleaner on your body
Lemon Juice in Shampoo
Posted by Lou (Tyler, TX) on 02/20/2022
The Suave coconut shampoo works great. It works even better with a couple of drops of peppermint essential oil.
Hydrogen Peroxide, Coconut Oil
Posted by Jeanette Smith (Houston, Texas) on 08/12/2016
Have you tried aloe Vera. The plant, not some diluted store brand. It works
