Ailment: Mites (demodex mites)
Remedy: Diatomaceous earth / silicon
Diatomaceous earth, soluble silicon. Food sources. Supplements.
Comment posted by Mugatu of Albuquerque , NM, USA on 28 December 2022 at 9:47 5409
YES
This is how I cured my demodex infection. I quit all sugars, carbs, alcohol, tobacco and any other substances. Diatomaceous earth didn’t work for me. I tried it over 3 yrs, also pesticides, ivermectin flagyl, permethrin. The mites just kept coming back. Went to plenty of doctors and they thought that I was crazy, so did my family. You’re on your own with this. This is what I did to cure it. Wash everything every day, vacuum and wash pets. To get them off your body soak in hot water with strongest dish soap with tea tree oil then rinse off in shower with cold water. Then put dish soap mixed with tea tree oil in hair without water and use vicks vaporub on body. Get a vaporizer with Vicks and tea tree oil. I also took vitamin c and drank a lot of water. I bagged up my clothes every day after drying them then put in freezer for two days. You have to stay on top of it! Skip one day and you’ll get reinfected. It took two months for them to finally go away. This was crazy having to go through this! There needs to be more research on this with doctors and pest control experts. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.
Comment from David Niven Miller. Please read the Grow Youthful web page on demodex mites and their breeding cycle. All this cleaning, vacuuming and washing is NOT necessary! Did you get a professional diagnosis of demodex infection or was it something else, such as bird mites? I am happy that your infection is over, one or more of the remedies you mentioned must have worked – or was it that a bird nest nearby ceased?
Comment posted by Mike Alger of Ashland, NE, USA on 27 May 2022 at 0:52 5349
YES
I’ll be 64 in June and this is the worst thing I’ve encountered in my life. I discovered my shop and house has water leaks causing mold AND I’ve been dealing with bird mites that infested my shop and moved to my house for three years. Doctors thought I was nuts or on drugs. I have leukaemia and do blood test regularly. Three bug people been out, all trying to sell me something I didn’t need or regular bug treatments. None of them drilled a hole, scraped or scooped anything. I would have spent $5000 so far to eliminate my issues. My dog and I were bothered and the hardest part of this whole ordeal is my wife says it’s in my head. Mites were in my hair, eyebrows, nose, ankles, elbows, ears. My wife helped clean and ran laundry booster if she thought about it. I found an enzyme cleaner like Kleen green will take the brown off your skin, stop itching and make black things fall off you in the sink. I’ve cleared 80% of my issues. I now know what to look for and how to treat. Watch for brown powder, black specs or dots and dust in your clothes. I enzyme spay and shake off clothes I wear, the dust turns into floating white things and when you vacuum your dirt container looks like a cotton candy machine. Dermatologist said I had nibs without one sample or looking at skin close. This is a fight of your own. I don’t say anything to friends or family, tired of the he’s nuts look. Enzyme cleaners YES, diatomaceous earth YES, constant cleaning YES, neem oil YES, tea tree body wash YES, borax YES. These are all part of my life now. Now no itching or bites 95% of the time.
Reply from David Niven Miller:
I would suggest the mould is the bigger problem and it is essential to fix all leaks and clean the mould with a chlorine bleach cleaner. Bird mites are only a possible problem if you have occupied birds nests close to the house or shop.
Comment posted by Autumn Shelton of Layton, Utah, USA on 12 May 2022 at 2:51 5347
YES
I used food grade diatomaceous earth with some success. Even used it on our pets. Full clean out after.
Comment posted by Walking pestilence of Americus , GA, USA on 21 December 2021 at 4:17 5325
YES
Diatomaceous Earth is a great way to ease the agony of the mange I had been suffering with for six months now. I think I was infected by a mange-ridden puppy in my work vehicle. My employers could not keep me due to my not being able to get rid of these mites. I have moved several times. I lost everything due to the re-infestations - even my vehicle.
The doctors in my area don't know how to treat scabies but instead say I have delusional parasitosis. I have seen three medical professionals who diagnosed me with scabies but I was referred to see someone else! If I have a body rash and inflammation with bites on my body, scabies would be a proper diagnosis. I went to one hospital where an ER nurse thought my symptoms were the result of me trying to kill myself and she refused to examine me as we spoke in the lobby. She told me they have to turn everyone down because they don't have scabies when they think they do. She said I was delusional even after I presented evidence of samples and pictures.
I went to see a regular PA who said I was delusional. He looked at my tape samples full of mites and he said this looks like trash. He refused to examine me and said, I think you are crazy. I cried and he showed no sympathy. He took a skin sample and toe nail samples. His nurse called me delusional so I asked if she could give me tape to remove some of the mites between my toes. The doctor prescribed a steroid cream but not a much-needed scabicide. I was in tears. As I was leaving the nurse was looking under the microscope in the next room from me and I heard the nurse saying she has mites and what are you doing to the samples. I heard the doctor say he did not want to be a part of a controversy. I wasted $200 on seeing him not including the prescription cost. All my doctors visits cost me about $2,000 alone. So I found myself looking into farmers supply stores. I bought ivermectin topical and oral, lime sulfur dip, and dog shampoo with highest permithin percentage I can find. It seemed to work but only for a short while. I found that if you leave diatomaceous earth on the skin for three consecutive days it relieves the itching and the sensation. I have been sleeping out of a tent since a week before Thanksgiving 2021.I only have two sets of clothes left. I have nothing. It can be very cold at night. I am homeless and jobless. I had used all my money on doctors visits, cleaning equipment and supplies, and moving to get rid of these things. Diatomaceous earth will stop them but it will not cure. I wish scabies could be eradicated.
Comment posted by Susan of East Granby , Connecticut, USA on 14 November 2021 at 12:0 5319
YES
I’ve been suffering since September 2019 with a large bird nest over my kitchen window they crawled through the air conditioner in my window. I was overwhelmed by what seemed like hundreds of them crawling on my legs up to my knees then all at once they started to bite at the same time. It was a complete nightmare. Only one bug inspector knew what it was after seeing 3 other inspectors. I lived in hotels for over a year. My apartment was completely infested with them, clothing, under all the carpets. I also had to get rid of a car due to them in the car. They are so microscopic until they’ve had a blood meal, either humans or birds then they turn black, still the size of a ball point pen tip.
I’ve just begun to use MSM and have noticed a slight improvement. Also I spray hypochlorous acid on everything including my skin and clothing, purchased online. It smells like bleach. I also just started to drink food grade diatomaceous earth twice a day. I am also using an enzyme cleaner. I’ve just taken Ivermectin 3 weeks straight. I’ve heard about an injection called Stromectol and waiting to hear from my Dr if I can get this injection once a month for 3 months.
Only a few people have heard about these mites. Most doctors cannot help, but only one dermatologist understands and is trying to help me. It can drive you crazy, hot humid days, rainy days are the worst. I’m going to get the limes and lemon as suggested on this site. It’s costing so much money to get rid of these things. Best to all of you.
Comment posted by FranklyMe of Renton, WA, USA on 16 December 2020 at 6:23 5283
I am 51 years old and in the last 2 years my eyes have gone from perfect eyesight to that I can hardly see and I have double vision. It started after my husband and I were caring for and re-homing a very sick dog from a veteran who passed away. She had eye infections and ear infections and a skin infection. We also had a puppy and did our best to keep them separate. Fast forward a month and I get this insane itching on my eyelids then my scalp and a few tiny painful bites in my eyebrows that quickly got infected with abscesses. My husband, a nurse said looks like staph. I did a virtual doctor visit and went on 7 days antibiotics for staph. Two days after the last dose went to urgent care for another abscess and went on 14 days antibiotics and Mupirocin ointment. That cleared the infection but still itching, hair loss and my eyesight is getting drastically worse by the day. Still getting tiny red and painful bites, still using tea tree oil and oil of oregano and being very careful with regard to skin injuries. In August I scratched a bite in my sleep and it got infected went to the urgent care the next day. The doctor thought it was just a reaction like to a spider bite and he put me on antibiotics. Three days later I end up in the hospital on IV antibiotics for methicillin-resistant staph infection and had to have surgery. My eyelashes, eyebrows, scalp seem to have no injuries or bite marks but have lots of itching and I can’t see hardly anything. The doc says she thinks folliculitis and puts me on doxycycline. Is not sure if it is caused by mites.
I did more research and found a peer-reviewed study saying if a pet dog mites bite you they leave a really painful red mark, and sometimes mites can cause ocular damage. Also the people who tend to have ocular problems tend to have the mites that cause the methicillin-resistant staph. When the mites carry methicillin-resistant staph they can spread the infection all over your body anywhere that you have an abrasion or breaking your skin or anywhere that they can burrow into your skin or your hair follicles.
I’m seriously struggling here and my next step is to see an eye doctor who hopefully can give me something that is stronger than tea tree oil. I’ve never had eye problems in my life. I have been using tee tree oil 74% to 100% on my face, scalp and neck, and 50% TTO scrub on my eyelids since April 2020. Next I will also be using diatomaceous earth.
Comment posted by Ernesto of Reseda, CA, USA on 8 September 2020 at 13:9 5265
YES
Diatomaceous earth is the solution for any bug whatsoever. Make sure the diatomaceous earth is food grade so you can use it safely. Put it in a slag or pepper container and sprinkle the diatomaceous earth on your skin. You can also use some essential oil to help the earth to stick on your skin. The bugs get killed immediately. You will see them popping up from your skin. Wait at least 20 minutes and take a shower. You can use the diatomaceous earth on your pets, your house, plants and you can eat it as long as it is food grade.
And yes, heat kills mites too, a hairdryer also stops the itching.
Comment posted by Moonbeam of Jupiter, Florida, USA on 7 September 2020 at 2:23 5263
YES
I use castor oil on my eyelashes and eyelids every night to leave on while I sleep. I also use it on my scalp, ears, neck and jawline mixed with a little coconut oil to thin it and add few drops of tea tree and lavender oil. I leave it on my scalp overnight and make sure to do it at least 2 nights in a row without washing out if possible. It is difficult to wash out so I try to apply it to my scalp without getting much on my hair. A pointy tip applicator bottle helps. If you have long enough hair it helps to pull it all up or back and clasp it so it doesn’t travel down to the ends of your hair. You may have to shampoo twice to remove it or use dish detergent. Within several hours to a day after this treatment, you may get some crusty waxy patches or flakes on your skin scalp. After you scratch them off the skin underneath may be red but it will clear up quickly. I also use diatomaceous earth. Good Luck!
Comment posted by DavidM of Perth, WA, Australia on 3 March 2020 at 12:59 5209
Reply to tmom of Boston, MA, USA on 1 March 2020:
You can read the web page on MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) by clicking on Ailments & Remedies at the top of the screen, then Remedies.
Also, if you go back to Ailments & Remedies, and click on Mites, you can see our readers comments on using MSM.
Comment posted by tmom of Boston, MA, USA on 1 March 2020 at 22:40 5208
YES
I have been struggling with mite infestation since late spring 2019. I may have made a bad situation worse by aggressively treating my eyes and driving them to my scalp. Then I took biotin supplements and gave them a feeding frenzy and didn’t understand what was happening right away. I noted abatement when I got my hair colored for a few weeks. Then the scalp crawl started. My hair loss was conspicuous and noticeable by July. I stopped the biotin and it helped, but by December 2019 I was a mess. January 2020 I used diatomaceous earth and dusted it onto my scalp and left it overnight. It made big difference but you need to do it regular to break their life cycle. That was my mistake. My dermatologist thinks I am crazy and diagnosed female hair loss. In Feb 2020 I used a lice treatment rinse and they went crazy active 3 days later - must have been the eggs hatching. I should have done back-to-back treatment. I loaded my scalp with DE last Friday and noted almost immediately the movement stopped. Plan to wash the DE out today BUT have noted crawl sensation on ears, neck so maybe I am just moving them around.
What is the MSM product people are referring to? Thank you to all.
