Questions we are often asked are, “Is this a bird mite?”, and “how do I verify bird mites vs. other pests such as scabies, or bed bugs”

Is this a bird mite? How to verify you have bird mites

One way to verify what type of mite you are dealing with is to reach out to one of the Entomology departments or University Entomology Clubs in your area.

Tip: Entomologists are the scientists that study bugs.

They will need a sample, so follow these instructions to try and capture bird mite samples:

To capture mite samples from a heavily infested room: Place a pan of hot, steaming water in the middle of a darkened room at night. Place a single light over the pan, preferably a red IR lamp. Leave the room undisturbed for a couple of hours. You will need to use a strong magnifier to see them in the water. Place samples in a vial with alcohol to preserve. (Some are able to see the mites better using a black light in a darkened room.)

The following is a list of North American colleges and universities that offer advanced degrees in entomology or entomology-related disciplines. They are listed in alphabetical order according to state.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and program offerings and links can change.  Our thanks to Entomological Society of America for allowing us to publish this list.

Alabama
•  Auburn University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology

Alaska
•  University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dept. of Biology and Wildlife

Arizona
•  University of Arizona, College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology, Tucson

Arkansas
•  University of Arkansas, College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology, Fayetteville

California
•  University of California-Berkeley; College of Natural Resources
•  University of California-Davis, Department of Entomology
•  University of California-Riverside, Department of Entomology

Colorado
•  Colorado State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Fort Collins

Connecticut
•  University of Connecticut, Department of Plant Sciences, Storrs

Delaware
•  University of Delaware, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Entomology and Applied Ecology, Newark

Florida
•  Florida A&M University; College of Engineering Science, Technology, and Agriculture; Division of Agricultural Sciences; Entomology and Structural Pest Program, Tallahassee
•  University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Gainesville

Georgia
•  Georgia Southern University, Department of Biology, Statesboro
•  University of Georgia, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Department of Entomology, Athens

Hawaii
•  University of Hawaii at Manoa, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Honolulu

Idaho
•  University of Idaho; College of Agriculture; Department of Plant, Soil, and Entomological Science; Moscow

Illinois
•  University of Illinois, Department of Entomology, Urbana

Indiana
•  Purdue University, Department of Entomology, West Lafayette

Iowa
•  Iowa State University, College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology, Ames

Kansas
•  Kansas State University, College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology, Manhattan
•  University of Kansas, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Lawrence

Kentucky
•  University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology, Lexington

Louisiana
•  Louisiana State University, College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology, Baton Rouge

Maine
•  University of Maine; College of Natural Science, Forestry, and Agriculture; School of Biology and Ecology; Orono

Maryland
•  University of Maryland, College of Life Sciences, Entomology Department, College Park

Massachusetts
•  University of Massachusetts, Department of Plant, Soil & Insect Sciences, Amherst

Michigan
•  Michigan State University, Department of Entomology, East Lansing

Minnesota
•  University of Minnesota, Department of Entomology, Saint Paul

Mississippi
•  Mississippi State University, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State

Missouri
•  University of Missouri, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Entomology, Columbia

Montana
•  Montana State University, College of Agriculture, Bozeman

Nebraska
•  University of Nebraska, Department of Entomology, Lincoln

New Jersey
•  Rutgers University, Cook College; Department of Entomology; New Brunswick

New Mexico
•  New Mexico State University; College of Agriculture and Home Economics; Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science; Las Cruces

New York
•  Cornell University, Department of Entomology, Ithaca
•  State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse

North Carolina
•  North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology, Raleigh

North Dakota
•  North Dakota State University, College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology, Fargo

Ohio
•  Ohio State University, Department of Entomology, Columbus

Oklahoma
•  Oklahoma State University, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Stillwater

Oregon
•  Oregon State University, Entomology Graduate Program, Corvallis

Pennsylvania
•  Pennsylvania State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Entomology, University Park

Rhode Island
•  University of Rhode Island, Department of Plant Sciences, Kingston

South Carolina
•  Clemson University, Department of Entomology, Clemson

South Dakota
•  South Dakota State University, College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Plant Science Department, Brookings

Tennessee
•  University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Knoxville

Texas
•  Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology, College Station
•  Texas Tech University, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Lubbock

Utah
•  Brigham Young University, College of Life Sciences, Provo
•  Utah State University, Department of Biology, Logan

Vermont
•  University of Vermont, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Burlington

Virginia
•  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Entomology, Blacksburg

Washington
•  Washington State University, Department of Entomology, Pullman

West Virginia
•  West Virginia University; Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences; Morgantown

Wisconsin
•  University of Wisconsin, Department of Entomology, Madison

Wyoming
•  University of Wyoming, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Laramie

Canada
•  McGill University; Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Science; Department of Natural Resource Sciences; Sainte-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec
•  Simon Fraser University; Department of Biological Sciences; Burnaby, British Columbia
•  University of Alberta; Department of Biological Sciences; Edmonton, Alberta
•  University of British Columbia; Department of Zoology; Vancouver, British Columbia
•  University of Guelph; College of Biological Science; Guelph, Ontario
•  University of Manitoba; Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences; Department of Entomology; Winnipeg, Manitoba
•  University of Saskatchewan; Department of Biology; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
•  University of Toronto; Ramsay Wright Zoological Laboratories; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; Toronto, Ontario
•  University of Western Ontario; Faculty of Science; Department of Biology; London, Ontario

Puerto Rico
•  University of Puerto Rico, College of Agricultural Sciences, Mayaguez

List of University Entomology Clubs you can use to verify is this a bird mite?

Arizona State University — Bugs at ASU

Auburn University — F.S. Arant Entomology Club

Clemson University — Clemson Entomology Club

Colorado State University — Gillette Entomology Club

Cornell University — Jugatae Graduate Student Club

Cornell University — Snodgrass and Wigglesworth Undergraduate Entomology Club

Iowa State University — Entomology Club

Kansas State University — Popenoe Entomology Club

Louisiana State University — Entomology Club

Michigan State University — Graduate and Undergraduate Entomology Student Society

Montana State University — R.A. Cooley Entomology Club

New Mexico State University — Entomology Club

North Carolina State University — Entomology Graduate Student Association

North Dakota State University — Entomology Club

Ohio State University — Chrysalis Student Club (undergraduate)

Oklahoma State University — Sanborn Entomological Society

Oregon State University — Bug Zoo Club

Pennsylvania State University — Entomology Graduate Student Association

Purdue University — Thomas Say Entomological Society (undergrad)

Purdue University — Entomology Graduate Organization

Rutgers University — Graduate Entomology Student Association

San Jose State University — John Henry Comstock Entomology Club

Texas A&M University — Entomology Graduate and Undergraduate Student Organizations

University of Arkansas — Iseley-Baerg Entomology Club

University of California-Davis — Entomology Club

University of California-Riverside — Entomology Graduate Student Association

University of Central Florida — Entomological Society of Central Florida

University of Delaware — Entomology Club

University of Florida — Entomology Club

University of Florida — Entomology and Nematology Student Organization

University of Florida — Urban Entomological Society

University of Georgia — H.O. Lund Entomology Club

University of Idaho — Aldrich Entomology Club

University of Illinois — Entomology Graduate Student Association

University of Kentucky — Harrison Garman Entomology Club

University of Maryland – Entomology Student Organization

University of Minnesota — Frenatae

University of Missouri — C.V. Riley Entomological Society

University of Nebraska-Lincoln — Bruner Entomology Club

University of Wisconsin — Graduate and Undergraduate Entomology Clubs

Virginia Tech — W.B. Alwood Entomological Society

Washington State University — Entomology Club

Recommended Treatment Provider

We recommend you use a licensed professional to address a bird mite problem. Don’t wait or the problem will get much worse and more expensive to treat. We have a list of pest control companies that are specifically qualified to treat bird mites.

• They come to your house for no charge and give a free estimate.
• Even if you decide not to use them, you get free professional advice.
• Most pest control companies have never dealt with bird mites before. You need to use a bird mite specialist.

Follow this link to find a Qualified Local Exterminator near you.

Keep in mind that if bird mites are not treated correctly, even if the correct chemicals are used, they can become resistant to those chemicals. Don’t use a pest control company unless they have extensive experience treating bird mites.

Also, many of our readers have followed up with (or used outright) natural solutions and pesticide-free, such as on our Treatments Protocols page Follow this link to that page.

Natural and DIY Solutions

In addition to local exterminators, we offer a list of other natural, non-pesticide and/or do-it-yourself products that we have found helpful on our Treatments Protocol page.  Follow this link to the Treatments Protocols page.