Can anyone identify these bugs and tell me how to get rid of them?

Date sort Score sort
lagreca

lagreca

In the Brooder
5 Years
Dec 26, 2014
9
4
11
While in my coop today, I saw these bugs swarming the ground. I have no idea what they are. Can anyone identify them and let me know how to get rid of them?

If it helps, I'm located in San Diego, CA.

I was thinking about spraying the coop with permethrin and letting it dry before letting the chickens back inside.

High res versions available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2szxt08ek9h6oi9/AABX18uYFV1uFb3vlaAr7GEOa?dl=0

 
Last edited:
I can't see them well enough to get a sense of what they are. you might be able to get a few into a sealed jar or plastic bag and take them to your county agricultural extension office, or a near by college which has an agricultural program. Check your birds to be sure there are not any of these bugs on them.
 
I tried to collect a few samples on a piece of tape, but couldn't quite get them. I tried taking close up pictures of them, but they were just too small for my camera to capture clearly. I ended up spraying permethrin all over and letting it dry before letting the chickens back in. I will have to check the chickens as well. Thanks.
 
I would say that it is a shame you sprayed them. They may have made a tasty appetiser for your chickens..... bugs are naturally what hens eat you know and certainly healthier to eat them alive than after you have killed them with insecticide.
 
rebrascora said:
I would say that it is a shame you sprayed them. They may have made a tasty appetiser for your chickens..... bugs are naturally what hens eat you know and certainly healthier to eat them alive than after you have killed them with insecticide.
Click to expand...
To add to this, I hope you removed the bugs before letting the chickens back in. Otherwise you're chickens will probably be eating poisoned bugs.
 
The bugs were VERY small. Definitely not wood lice. I would say just a touch larger than mites, or maybe they were a form of flea or mite.

I cleaned the coop out, the chickens did NOT eat any poisoned bugs. They also weren't eating them before I sprayed.

I was afraid if I didn't spray they would quickly get out of control.
 
For future reference, you can use food grade Diatomaceous Earth for an effective insect control - and no worries with your flock. Basically it makes microscopic cuts on the insects and they dry out and die within a few hours. Then your chickens can eat them safely and no insecticidal residue to be concerned about. Just make sure it's the food grade kind - found at farm/feed stores. Also, you can google the Texas A&M Entomology website and identify almost any type insect - I've used it numerous times. Identify, learn, respond - appropriately.
 
azahn said:
For future reference, you can use food grade Diatomaceous Earth for an effective insect control - and no worries with your flock.  Basically it makes microscopic cuts on the insects and they dry out and die within a few hours.  Then your chickens can eat them safely and no insecticidal residue to be concerned about.  Just make sure it's the food grade kind - found at farm/feed stores.  Also, you can google the Texas A&M Entomology website and identify almost any type insect - I've used it numerous times.  Identify, learn, respond - appropriately. 
Click to expand...
I don't want to cause an argument here, but from my own experience I added food grade DE to my poutry dustbath sandbox container without reading up on it. While sitting out with the hens and watching them go crazy dust bathing in it, a couple of them started to sneeze. I had the same response when I shook it all over the coop. Because it's a natural product I didn't take the time to read more about it. It not only caused respiratory infection in my hens, but upon research of this product I found out humans & animals should not breath in the fine dust, it can cause respiratory issue & that it is actually a carcinogen for humans. Hope this will saves anyone from making the same mistake as I did. I know many who swear by it & use it all the time, but please people read the label & Google it for your safety.
 

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