Keeping Pests Out of the Kitchen: A Pest Control Blog

Posted on: 21 June 2016

While there are no official statistics regarding sensitive skin in Australia, it is estimated that approximately half of this country's females have a skin sensitivity issue. You already know that some environmental factors can affect your skin, but as someone who has recently started having a new skin flare, it is time to look for the culprit. One skin irritation factor you may not have previously considered is pigeons. So, before you put up with too much more scratching, these are the facts you need to know.

Pigeon Nests And Bird Mites

Some parts of Australia have a problem with pigeon control because the birds are attracted to residential areas where people are feeding them. When pigeons choose to start nesting on your property, bird mites come along for the ride.

The big problem with bird mites is they will feed on human skin when their bird hosts are not around. A bird mite bite is not a huge deal in itself, but the itching and swelling of your skin that a bite brings can be very irritating to sensitive skin. Additionally, when scratching your mite bites, you risk secondary infection if dirt or bacteria gets into the bite site.

Removing The Problem

When bird mites are making your skin itch, it's time to remove the root of the problem which is the pigeon nest. You many need to look in a number of places around your property to locate the nest. As a starting point, check the following common nesting places:

• in the chimney if you have one or under the roof eaves if you don't
• in the space between your ceiling and the roof trusses
• under the porch awning
• beneath your window ledges.

Once you have located the pigeon nest, call a bird removal expert to remove it from your property for you. While you could attempt to do this yourself, removal of the birds nest will disturb the mites currently living near the nest. This could lead to a mite feeding fest if you are not properly protected.

Once the nest has been removed, you will also need the area to be treated with a pesticide to kill any bird mites that remain.

Now that you know what could be causing your current skin irritation, it is time to locate the pigeon nest which is behind this nuisance. The sooner you evict the pigeon from your home, the sooner your skin can return to a calm, irritation-free state.