Bird Mite

Found in bird nests (pigeons, starlings, sparrows) and poultry houses; often migrate indoors through vents or windows when birds leave the nest.

Blood of birds (preferred) but will bite mammals, including humans, if their primary avian host is unavailable.

Very active crawlers that are most active at night; they cannot fly or jump. They require a blood meal to reproduce and have a short life cycle of about 7-12 days.

Risks include intense itching, skin irritation, and dermatitis in humans. They do not survive or reproduce on human blood alone and are not known to transmit diseases to humans. Benefit: No biological benefit to humans; considered a pest.