Citrus rats and the blood-sucking mites that love them can certainly cause Tampa property owners and their loved ones much consternation. A citrus rat invasion is typically easy to spot because of the tell-tale signs that they leave behind, like greasy baseboards and droppings. Corresponding mite invasions, on the other hand, may be much harder to identify.
Why? The mites that love to hitch a ride aboard citrus rats’ hides tend to be no bigger than a period and their bites imitate that of other blood suckers. Their official name is Ornithonyssus bacoti, or O. bacoti for short. And if they run out of citrus rats to feast on, they have no problem putting humans on the menu.
If that isn’t troubling enough, these hard-to-spot parasites have an insatiable appetite that causes them to remain active 24/7. As a result, it is not uncommon for people staying in heavily infested, Tampa homes to be bitten hundreds of times a day. The bites may be anywhere from 1cm to 5mm in size and cause the unfortunate recipients to itch like crazy. The bites may also bleed, become infected and spur widespread dermatitis to occur. So many people often mistake them for fly, flea, lice or bed bug bites.
This type of bite, coupled with the diseases that citrus mites are known to carry, could spell the development of serious health trouble for some of Tampa’s unprotected residents. People that tend to be exceptionally prone to receiving mite bites are small children, the elderly and those who produce a lot of carbon dioxide (e.g. breathing heavy during exercise).
On a positive note, our Tampa pest control team can help property owners remove citrus rats and O. bacoti from their dwellings, thereby reducing residents’ bite risk. To learn more about how our team effectively handles O. bacoti and citrus rat invasions for Tampa’s residents, please contact us today.
