Topic of the Week - Lice and Mites - Prevention and Treatments

Did it work ?for u

Pyrethrin is approved for organic poultry; permethrin spray is very inexpensive and works great, with good residual effects. Permethrin dust works, but is much more difficult, and costs more. Spinosad is approved, but extremely expensive! Other products, like carboryl, are not approved, or ineffective. Mary

Folly's place said:

Pyrethrin is approved for organic poultry; permethrin spray is very inexpensive and works great, with good residual effects. Permethrin dust works, but is much more difficult, and costs more. Spinosad is approved, but extremely expensive! Other products, like carboryl, are not approved, or ineffective. Mary

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I just wanted to add that Carbaryl is not approved in the United States.
It is still acceptable in Canada. (In case someone from Canada is reading this.)

Wickedchicken6 said:

I just wanted to add that Carbaryl is not approved in the United States.
It is still acceptable in Canada. (In case someone from Canada is reading this.)

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Canadians can read?

I am totally just joking! I just couldn't help myself.

KikisGirls said:

Canadians can read?

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KikisGirls said:

I am totally just joking! I just couldn't help myself.

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Ohhhhh...now that's fightin' words.

@KikisGirls

TalkALittle said:

So I have one bantam hen with a persistent case of scaly leg mites. She tends to sleep in one of the unused nest boxes a lot and rarely dust bathes so I'm thinking that is a contributing factor. It's time to treat my dogs with fipronil so I thought I'd use a few drops on her. Could those that have used fipronil tell me how much and where do I treat her?

And before anyone feels compelled to inform me that fipronil isn't approved for use in poultry, I already know that. I haven't gotten eggs from her in ages (She was sourced from a breeder and is beautiful but has never layed well.) and don't think I will get anymore. She and her "sister" (who lays equally poorly) are my only bantams so it's easy to identify and avoid their once-in-a-great-while eggs and I will never eat her.

I also know all about greasing up the legs, cleaning the coop and nest boxes, and providing a dust bath. I do all those already. This is my only bird for whom those measures just haven't worked.

TIA.

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Just wanted to post an update on my bantam. I treated her with two drops of fipronil (one on each side of her vent) a month ago and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I have been struggling with her leg mites for a long while, had briefly achieved a somewhat substantial improvement with rigorous weekly application of Bag Balm, but then once again struggled to battle the worsening infestation. Her legs were so bad it was inhibiting her movement. I'd post a pic but, frankly, I was too embarrassed by it that I couldn't even bring myself to photograph her legs.

Needless to say, now her legs look loads better. She is able to walk without limping now (that's how bad it had gotten) and today was scratching around like I haven't seen her do in a long while. In fact, for a few seconds I thought it was her "sister" I was watching.

When I treated her last month, I did give her legs a good soaking and, despite the discomfort I know it caused her, scrubbed them good and applied an antiseptic spray and some Bag Balm again (mostly just to protect the raw and irritated patches on her legs rather than for anything it might do to the mites). In a few days it'll have been a full month and I plan to apply another 2 drops. I couldn't be more pleased with the results and I know she is much happier.

Will I need to clean the whole coop and spray with permethrin once or will I have to do it a second time? If so how long in between? Also, should I spray around the outside of the coop?