Bird Mites

Bird mites (avian mites) are parasitic arthropods in the acari (tick/spider) family. There are reportedly 45,000 species of mites that are known. Only a few species of acaroid mites are parasites on mammals; but they can be very detrimental to the host, with symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to loss of health and even death. Research has shown that parasitic mites have evolved and adapted very well to a changing environment, and many are no longer host specific; and they have become problematic for many different mammals, including humans.

Of the two most common species, D.Gallinae is by far the more difficult to eradicate. It is smaller, can live much longer without a blood meal, and is more resistant to miticide chemicals than the NFM.

There are two main species of bird mites commonly found in North America. These are Demanyssus Gallinae (D. Gallinae) and Ornithonyssus Sylviarum (northern fowl mite or NFM). There are also other bird mite species found mainly in other regions of the world that are very similar, such as Ornithonyssus Bursa (tropical fowl mite). Most researchers contend that there could very well be other parasitic bird mite species still unclassified.