Dermanyssus gallinae

SPECIES: Dermanyssus gallinae ( subclass Acari )

COMMON NAME: Pigeon red mite, chicken mite

SIZE: approx. 1 mm

LIFESPAN: very short

FEATURES: Adults are about 1 mm long and off-white in colour. Just after feeding they assume a reddish colour because of the blood they have ingested. Their colour darkens during digestion. Large pigeon populations (Columba livia f. Domestica) can carry several pathogens, and the pigeons themselves may in turn be infested with various ectoparasites. The 'red mite', is a parasite that affects all birds, including poultry, and in some cases, even people.

HABITAT: Dermanyssus gallinae only use birds to feed, after which they then hide in the interstices of walls, on cornices, in air conditioner radiators, on roofs, under perches, in leaf litter, in nests, etc. where they breed intensely, rapidly increasing their population.

DAMAGE: Aggression to humans is often linked to incautious removal of nests (active, or abandoned) without proper cleaning and disinfestation of the site. In such cases, the parasites, suddenly finding themselves without their usual hosts, often disperse in search of new "targets".

I want to sterminate it