Unexplained itching can drive you nuts. When it persists over time, the feelings of insanity intensify and panic can set in. But read below to see if you’re perfectly sane and can actually have a solution to this nightmare after all.
Does the itching get worse at night? If yes, we are getting warm.
Is the itching accompanied by sensations of bugs biting or crawling on your skin? If you answer yes, we’re getting closer.
Are there certain places where the unexplained itching is worse – either your bed, the recliner in the den or at your office? If your answer is yes, it’s getting hot in here.
Here is the real kicker – are there other people around you that AREN’T feeling the unexplained itching? If yes is your answer, then we’re now on fire!
A common cause of unexplained itching is mites. They have consistent behaviors such as being most active at night. They tend to harbor in specific areas where there is a recurring food source. And not everyone is reactive to them – hence the chance that you are going crazy and others in your house are fine.
Mites are microscopic so you CANNOT see them. But they crawl and bite and you can feel it. There are tons of different species but the ones that cause unexplained itching for people are typically rat or bird mites.
How do you get mites? The most common way is that mite-infested birds or rodents nest in your home – in the attic or under the crawl space for example. If these host animals leave or die, these hungry critters come looking for a secondary food source and humans will do just fine. You can also have a visitor who is infested with mites introduce them. This is often how they are spread at work places. It is important to figure out the source in order to prevent re-infestation.
Now the most important question – how do you get rid of them? The first rule of mite treatment is that insecticides WILL NOT WORK! Mites are not insects – they are mites and something that kills an ant will make a microscopic mite laugh out loud. (Hoping you can picture that image… )
The second rule is that these biters are expert hiders and burrowers so you must treat more than once to make sure you get all of them. The very best treatment is to use a fogger (filled with a safe product that has been proven effective against mites). A fogging treatment can penetrate into nooks and crannies far better than any spray or powder ever will.
If you have unexplained itching that others don’t have, it is worse at night and in specific places, then you probably have mites and it is time for a treatment.
