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Bugman BITES, LESIONS MAY BE TIED TO MORGELLON'S DISEASE To Eradicate Bat Problem, You Need A Specialist Termites, Mice Will Remain Active in the Winter |
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Bites, Lesions May Be Tied To Morgellon's Disease
By Richard Fagerlund
For the Journal
Q: My mother has something biting her and she wants to get someone to spray her house, but nobody will because they can't find the bug. Can't they just generally spray the house? I don't think she is imagining the bites, although no one else in the house is getting bitten.
A: It is not permissible to spray pesticides unless you have a target pest. It is certainly not ethical.
Over the years I have received a number of e-mails, letters and phone calls from people who said they have bugs crawling on their skin, burrowing under their skin, pieces of fiber growing out of their skin and an assortment of other unusual symptoms.
There was a name for this condition: delusory parasitosis (DP). I always accepted that and referred people to a dermatologist, who would then refer them to a psychologist.
I am not so sure anymore. Now I am getting these calls almost daily, and I imagine the pest control industry gets them far more often than I.
I am now of the belief that this is indeed a physical condition caused by an unknown source or sources. The name for it is Morgellon's disease (MD), but a large segment of the medical community doesn't recognize it as a real disease.
They may be right, but I think it is about time we seriously, as a society, look into it.
I believe that Morgellon's may be a number of different conditions with different causes.
Many people experience fibers in their lesions or coming out their pores. This is interesting and I would like to see a government or private agency set up a national database to collect these fibers, and other physical evidence for future study.
Some folks say that mites or small insects are the cause. I have offered to look at any specimens and determine if mites or insects are present and to get them identified by a specialist if they are.
Of the hundreds of samples I have received, the only thing that I found that was from an insect was several exoskeletons from hide beetle larvae.
Hide beetles belong to the family Dermestidae and they should be considered a health problem. The larval form of these beetles have hairs that can penetrate the skin and cause itching and even rashes to develop.
People exposed to a lot of dermestid beetle larvae have been known to suffer from conjunctivitis, nausea and even irritation of the respiratory tract.
Also, because of their diet, there is the possibility that they can spread bacilli or spores of anthrax. Anthrax bacilli have been found in the feces of dermestid beetles.
I am of the belief that MD may be caused by pollutants in the air that are reacting with our skin and flesh cells in some odd way. If I had to make a guess, I would suggest pesticides may be a factor.
Pesticides have been linked to Parkinson's disease as well as some genital abnormalities in babies.
I think it is perfectly logical to come to the conclusion that exposure to pesticides can cause many of the symptoms about which people who suffer from Morgellon's disease complain.
Q: Are termites active in the winter?
A: Absolutely. If they are in your house, they are enjoying the same warm temperatures you are.
Also, crawl spaces tend to stay warmer in the winter than outside conditions and they can be very active there.
I would recommend getting your home inspected this time of year. I can recommend honest companies if you like to do the inspection and treatment if necessary.
Contact him
Richard "Bugman" Fagerlund, is a pest management consultant. He can be reached by phone at 385-2820 or by e-mail at richardfagerlund@yahoo.com. His Web site is www.askthebugman.com.
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