Roach and beetle infestation in coop

[jimileethaxton1]

Need help eliminating cockroaches from appearing at night on the ground in chicken coop. Don't see them during the day but when I go out to close the coop door in the evening, they are covering the ground. What can I safely use to kill them or keep them out. Due to California drought, our whole region is seeing a large infestation of these pest and other similar bugs. I do keep the coop ground clean every day.

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

Best thing I have found is diatomaceous earth (food grade only) it will take care of most all the crawly creatures with out being a danger to your chickens. It works great on ant hills, around base boards, around plant bases or even whole garden space. I find it a far better choice than boric acid or other products that are poisonous to critters and humans.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I am not understanding the species of beetles that your chicken coop is infested with.

Can you include a photo of the beetle species that is infesting your coop?

George-

 

[Wynater]

I'm experiencing a similar problem here in Arizona for the first time but I believe they came from the run down house across the street that someone is renovating as another neighbor is experiencing cockroaches for the first time also.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I started using DE in my chicken coop and while I believe it is great at keeping ants out and other crawlies, it is not killing the adult cockroaches. So now I am out every night after dark with my flashlight and a spray bottle of water with a couple of tablespoons of Ivory dishsoap mixed in. It seems to kill some of them but then some carcasses that I expected to see laying about before I let the chickens out this morning, were not there.

So now I'm online this morning doing more research. Tonight I will try a spray bottle of straight rubbing alcohol and see how that does. Next is a product I read about that I will order if the alcohol doesn't work even though it is quite expensive. I don't care. I will not have cockroaches on my property. The product is called Safe Solutions Enzyme cleaner at http://www.safesolutionsinc.com/TweetMint_Enzyme_Cleaner.htm

Just adding the little information I've gathered so far. Anyone out there with other suggestions let me know. Cucumber peels did not work for me either. I found a cockroach eating some cucumber off one of the peels.

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

It is possible your chickens are eating the bodies of the dead. That is why I don't use boric acid in the coop. Our Herbalist has a product that kills them, and is not harmful to chickens, dogs, goats, rabbits and other critters we want to live. We are planning on using that product if we find we need extra control. That product you mention is great too.

 

[Wynater]

Thank you, Redhawk. I also thought my chickens were eating the bodies of the dead but last night several carcasses were on the outside of the coop and yard and the chickens weren't let out until this morning but the roaches bodies weren't there. Very disturbing as I was sure they were dead. Tonight I will be armed with both Ivory soap and a bottle of alcohol. However, this is not what I want my night life to be about. I think I'm going to order that product because it also sounds like a great cleaner and a little will go a long way.

 

[123RedBeard]

Other critters than just chickens eat dead cockroaches ... Other birds or lizards ...