Parasites*

Irene Andersen**

In 1999 there was an invasion of unidentified bugs into my home. The bugs I discovered look somewhat like a mix between a mosquito and a fruit fly when fully grown. When they are first hatched they cannot be seen with the natural eye. As they mature they appear more like a fly speck, or a speck of black pepper.

These bugs can and do bite/sting from birth. They are somewhat like a mosquito as far as seeming to have a preference as to who they will bite. They like certain blood types, and don't care at all about others. Many people have come into my home who never felt the bugs at all, in fact, that is more commonly the case. But these bugs have the ability to burrow themselves under the skin and reproduce. They prefer warm places to reproduce, but it seems they can reproduce most any place.

When these parasites burrow under the skin, they go in with a sting, and come out the same way. Quite often I can feel a sting and when I rub over the spot where the sting is coming from, and if I scratch the spot a bit and then push the underside with two fingers, I can push the bug out. At that point the bug feels like a few grains of grits, sometimes like cooked grits, only not wet. The bugs get in my eyes, which hurts. Every night I wash my eyes with an eye wash. The bugs get in my nose, in my mouth, and in my ears. I have gone to the extreme of shaving my head and buying a wig.

I have consulted several doctors about these parasites with no help. Some were even dermatologists but I guess it was easier for them to conclude that the problem existed only in my mind. I took a sample for my dentist to look at and he suggested using foggers for flying insects to rid my home of them. I've done that and it does help. He said he thinks the bugs look like Miggies. However, another doctor of mine thinks they look like something else. I got the Health Department involved with no help. The pest control experts said they don't know how to control them either. I also consulted an entomologist. His answer was that he and several doctors had met and decided that these old people who complained about stings and itches really had no problem because it was all in their minds.

Another problem I've encountered is that when people learn you have such a problem they avoid you. No one can blame them for not wanting the problem themselves, but it still hurts to be avoided as much as possible. One dear friend who has visited me on a regular basis, without telling me, allowed herself to be bitten fifteen times while sitting on my couch. She thought she could simply go home and change her clothes. She sprayed herself real good with white vinegar (one of the ways I've found to control them), and thought that would be the end of it. A few days later when she took the clothes hamper to the laundry room and started taking out the clothes, both she and her little dog got covered with the bugs. She sprayed herself and the dog with vinegar. It took her about three more weeks after that to totally get rid of them.

Unfortunately, I'm still bothered by the parasites though not as much since I've learned how to battle them. I think my friend was able to completely get rid of them because she caught and killed them early enough while they were still confined to a small part of her house. Although I'm not yet totally free of this infestation, it is much better than it was eight years ago. I'm so thankful for the blessings of relief. The big ones are gone now. I rarely see them anymore.

Some of the things I've learned the bugs don't like and some of the things that will kill them:

• White Vinegar in a spray bottle.
• They can't live when they come in contact with Clorox.
• Alcohol helps on some parts of my body.
• One of the most effective things I've used is the old fashioned fly trap ribbons stuck to the ceiling. When the bugs merely touch them, that's it for the bugs!
• Chamomile Oil - about 17 to 20 drops in a quart spray bottle will help, but I have to use it with caution as it does not come off the furniture, nor my eye glasses.

*These submissions represent the author's opinion. Tunguska Time does not claim responsibility for the content. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Always consult a doctor for medical advice.

**Name changed per request