Im an illustration student, and frequently bring home sample objects for reference. These include leaves, feathers, toys, and other stuff…
A few days ago I brought ho a large lichen coverec branch.
soon, I began finding lots of small RED MITES crawling throughout the room from the blinds, to the desk, to my bed!! :eek:
I need to know if these are dangrous, because I know that ticks can carry a plethora of diseases.
Do they bite? and what do the bites look like?
I am located in northern TX. these mites are bright red and very small. they are found on trees here…
**Please HElp!!! **
Im quite paranoid with these around… and cant sleep until I know it’s safe…:eek:
No worries. If they are the same one you are seeing on the trees they are probably either European Red Mites or Citrus Red Mites - Both are plant pests, but are harmlss to humans.
Chiggers will congregate on low foliage or plant debris while waiting for a host to drop by, but if they were chiggers you’d probably know by now ( one or more would have likely nailed you while you were messing with the branch ).
Try doing a search for pictures of the above-name species and see if they look like what you have.
If they are chiggers, I suggest immediately burning the contents of your room, stripping bare and bathing in a strong solvent. Sure, you might lose some skin, but it is better than a chigger infestation.
On the plus side, the chiggers that I have experienced are seemingly capable of teleportation but were fairly sedate in their movements. This might have to do with their size tho.
Most everyone has bed mites, they are in the mattresses & really don’t do much as they are so very tiny…
I would talk to my local museum about these ‘red mites’ because they always have come through for me. I bring in a sample bug & they let me know what it is & what I can do about it.
From Pythagras’s site: “chiggers are so small that most cannot be seen without a magnifying glass”. They’re probably not chiggers. Squish 'em, and forget 'em.