Do you get chicken mites on you often?

[Bells]

For the past couple of days, I've been itching and my daughter has picked some chicken mites off me. About two months ago we had a rooster who had a pretty bad mite infestation and at the vet's recommendation, dusted him w/ 5% Sevin (I'm not a fan of Sevin but it sure did the trick).
Should I have our two coops on a regular dusting schedule? Or, do you poultry people just pick off your mites and forget it? Thanks!
Bells

 

[patandchickens]

As far as I've read, chicken mites will not *live on* people, but that doesn't mean they won't crawl up your arm looking to see if there's another chicken at the other end

Pat

 

[speckledhen]

I've never had any mites or lice on my birds. From the time they went out into the coop, they've had dustbaths with food grade Diatomaceous Earth added, DE also in the straw in the nestboxes, etc. I've only purchased one grown bird since having chickens, he had lice, and DE took care of those as well. I've been known to put wood ash from the woodstove into the pens along with DE from time to time for them to dustbath in. I also keep a parmesan cheese shaker filled with DE and on occasion will up-end a bird and dust her with that around her bottom and under the wings.

 

[Bells]

Thank you. I'll try some DE and citrus oil (hey - where do I get that??). Also like the wood ash idea.
Bells

 

[speckledhen]

Just make sure it's FOOD GRADE DE, should be around 1% silicon, not 85%. I have used Orange Guard, made from citrus oils, on my roosts to prevent bugs. ACE hardware is a dealer for that product.

 

[codybird]

I do not agree that Sevin is being taken off the market. I have only seen one blogger that mentioned this and all the rumors seem to have started with his comment. If you have any good information that Sevin is being removed from the market please post links here so I can stop saying that it is not.

Edit:

I think I have found the facts: If I can decipher the government BS, this seems to authorize certain Sevin uses to be terminated and Sevin dust existing supplies cannot be sold after February 2011.

http://www.epa.gov/EPA-PEST/2009/March/Day-18/p5695.htm

Products being sold as poultry dust contain permethrin which has been rumored to be safer than Sevin. Again I have no facts to make a decision, only my experience. I have been using Permethrin on my work clothes for 20 years and have only grown two extra heads out of my tail.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
So, you use the 'old sock' it to 'em method?

 

[bigzio]

Northern fowl mites can't survive very long unless in contact with the birds...they are transmitted by wild song birds, and have nothing to do with where you bought your birds (unless they have them). Even folks that have excellent management practices going, can result with having these vermin. One can go years and years with never a problem....however it can happen, making good management a good thing by catching the problem when it arises.

bigz

 

[ReelFaster]

parmesan cheese shaker filled with DE and on occasion will up-end a bird and dust her with that around her bottom and under the wings.

That's an awesome idea.......! I dust the coop & nesting boxes with DE as well. I Also sprinkle some wood ash around from time to time.

 

[speckledhen]

That's an awesome idea.......! I dust the coop & nesting boxes with DE as well. I Also sprinkle some wood ash around from time to time.

Wood ash helps, too!