(Dermanyssus gallinae)
Biology:
Bird mites are small animals, up to 0.75 mm in size, which have 6 legs as larvae and 8 legs in the adult stage. They belong to the arachnid family.
The development of the bird mite normally proceeds via egg, larva and various nymph stages to the adult animal. Permanent forms can also be formed that survive unfavorable living conditions for a very long time. However, if the living conditions are favorable, mass reproduction usually occurs. Overwintering is possible in protected bird nests.
Bird mites are temporary ectoparasites and feed primarily on the blood of various bird species.
The fasting animals are almost white, but after a blood meal they are colored red to almost black, depending on the degree of digestion of the blood.
After a blood meal, the females of Dermanyssus gallinae can starve for a long time. If there is a lack of food, the red mite can also switch to other hosts, such as various mammals and humans.
The ingestion of mammalian blood enables the mites to survive, but they are dependent on birds as hosts for reproduction.
Damage:
Bird mites occur in the environment of poultry, impair fattening and laying performance due to their blood-sucking activity and can act as carriers of poultry diseases. They are therefore considered the most important ectoparasites of poultry in Europe.
If there is a prolonged lack of food, they also infest mammals and humans, leaving behind severely itchy bite marks.
Human infestations often originate from pigeons in attics and abandoned pigeon nests, for example, from where the bird mites enter homes. Unlike the scabies mite(Sarcoptes scabiei), the bird mite does not burrow into the human skin, so the parasites can be easily removed from the body by washing or showering.
