Nasia Papadaki was lingering sleepily in her kitchen, enjoying her morning coffee. She could barely keep her eyes open when she noticed a few tiny black specks scattered across the paper towel roll hanging above the marble sink. She paused, trying to figure out what they were. Her gaze drifted across the room before stopping abruptly at the battered range hood she almost never used.
Suddenly, she remembered the magnifying glass she and her partner occasionally used to inspect their cat’s skin and fur. Leaning closer to the paper roll, she saw something that sent a jolt of panic through her. The black specks – barely visible to the naked eye – were moving. And they were not alone: Among them were tiny white dots, equally alive and equally mobile.
She immediately searched online for pest-control companies and called the first one she found. “Ma’am, there’s no need to send photos,” the technician told her. “I can assure you these are bird lice. They may have come through the range hood, or perhaps not. They’re practically invisible and are probably already everywhere in your apartment. Let me ask you something: Have you noticed any pigeon nests nearby?” Instantly, the mystery was solved.
