MITES!!!

[The Snark]

Most keepers know about mites. Anything from harmless up to a serious detriment to your animals.

We just made it through a seasonal outbreak of some form of mite I've never encountered before. They apparently were airborne then washed down off the roof during the rains. From there on the porch then onto our clothing.

They rewrote my book on mean ornery nasty ferocious monsters from delirious nightmares. Little red microdots that moved at lightning speed. Their bite packed a wallop! As bad as fire ants, capable of burrowing deep under your skin within a few seconds and requiring removal/killing by digging at them with a needle soaked in Betadyne or alcohol.

So don't underestimate these little sporks. May be benign, may be rat bastards from the nethermost floor of hell. Thanks gads our infestation was short lived and seasonal.

 

[Ranitomeya]

They could be soft ticks or immature ticks. Do birds frequent your home or have any recently nested on the premises or nearby trees? Bird nests tend to become nests of soft ticks and more than once I've had to remove nests and spray for them around my home. The ones I've dealt with are a mere millimeter as adults, move quickly, and are reddish brown. They can go for months without food and will often wait for birds to re-use the nests so that they can get feed and reproduce. They are notorious for extremely painful, itchy bites.

 

[The Snark]

Yes, birds are everywhere. But these are mites, as guessed at by a local entomologist. He wanted specimens and suspected an undescribed species.
-They are FAST. 3 or 4 inches per second fast.
-Average size, 1/8th mm or smaller. Very difficult to even spot them except under a bright light.
-From scampering on your skin to dug in, less than 10 seconds.
-The bite is pure pain. Never any itch or any other mark. Think a good hard jab with a sharp needle.

But the point is, there are mites and there are mites. Imagine an infestation of these or similar monsters on your Beardie or T = GACK!