[Dailydrool] How to Keep Mites off Tina ?

[Nancy Kay]

The other evening, we saw that Tina's snooter and one ear were all
lumpy and itchy, apparently bitten by something, so we gave her
benadryl and she was better in the morning. But I wasn't! I've got
20-30 itchy insect bites. We figured out why this morning, when I
changed our sheets and saw dozens of little pinhead-size brown specs
that turned out to be straw mites! YIKES!

Tina loves to lie out in our front yard, under a cedar tree or under
the crepe myrtle. We have mulch under both, and when she comes in,
she's apparently been bringing along a batch of mites. So we've spent
the morning washing bedding (ours and the dogs'), spraying the rugs
and baseboards and boxspring, spraying outside wherever she habitually
hangs out, everything we can think of.

Does anyone have a good idea about what I can put on Tina to keep the
mites off, or to kill them on the way by? I put Frontline on her this
morning; we hadn't used any this year so far, big mistake! The mites
are mainly around her damp parts, like her ear flaps, her muzzle, and
her female parts. I guess the heat and dryness we've had the last two
weeks is making the mites desperate for moisture. I flea-combed her
for a long time, and got lots of them off, but I know there have to be
more of them.

I'm hoping for an idea in the "natural remedy" realm -- I don't want
to overload her with insecticide, especially with her fresh
application of Frontline.

Nancy (itchy), Tina (itchy), and Frank (no problem)