drug resistant feather mites, got Sevin dust but is not carbaryl.

[kuki mom]

Hello, we have had consistant recurrence of microspic mites over the years, they look like dust specks and usually white or pink, for sure we've never seen any of them turn red, so we suppose they are not bloodsucking types. They are barely visible and they are seen crawling around the skin or stuck in the feather quills. seems that the hens lay less eggs when they have too many of those mites, but we've never had problems with picking feathers or missing feathers. They all look healthy even when they have them. We've been regularly treating them two doses 10 days apart with topical ivermectin and spray their sleeping areas with permethrin, but they always come back! and now some baby chicks have them too.

We decided to try another type of pesticide that can be used on the chickens and bedding and read that carbaryl dust was effective, so we ordered Sevin dust (very expensive here because it's imported and we are in Mexico) but the ingredient is Bifenthrin NOT Carbaryl. Does anyone know about this? Is Bifenthrin safe to use on chickens and is it effective against mites?

 

[cavemanrich]

Carbaryl had been taken off the market widely, and only offered in professional grade insecticide.
Carbaryl is banned in the European Union. and one other country.
I think the replacement is a safer alternative than the previous Carbaryl Seven.
Bifenthrin is from similar product line as permethrin.
If you feel safe using permethrin, then this new product should be about as safe.
This is what is available at my Feed store here in US. It is stated to control Northern Fowl Mites.
Pyrethrum based. 2 pounds for $10 is not bad price.

Also consider dust baths for your chickens,, if not already doing it. Best medium is Wood ashes. Or a mixture of ashes, sand, soil. Natural remedy.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[kuki mom]

They do the dust bath in regular soil, it’s hard to burn wood to get ashes here are northern fowl mites visible to naked eye without having to put flash light and really really look closely? The mites these guys have really look like about the size of house dust mite they are super tiny and very hard to see but when it’s bad I’ve seen them move around on the surface of the egg and on the skin in the vent area. hope they are not resistant to pyrethrins since I use permethrin and they still come back…

 

[cavemanrich]

I use permethrin and they still come back

Reason they keep arriving,,,,,,,,,,, may be that they get brought in on other animals, like mice.
The permethrin kills off what is there,,, and new crew arrives.
Another possibility,, the mites get killed,, but the eggs don't. Then new generation hatches.
I treated my chickens with SULFUR. I purchased Garden sulfur, and placed quantities of sulfur into their dust bath holes. Then next day, when sulfur was all mixed in with soil,,, I added more,,, and again,, and again,, Their dust bath spot is in a dry area out of rain. I also dusted them with some powder directly. It is a non-toxic option,, (to us and our chickens) Only drawback using sulfur,,, the odor is of rotten eggs. It does not bother me at all. If you hug, and handle your chickens,, then the rotten smell will linger on your clothes. Gone after a wash of course. If you sell you eggs, those may have a slight odor as well. If you wash your eggs before sale,, the odor should be gone.
This is what I purchased. 4 pounds for $10,, not bad price. This is intended for garden use, so available in garden supply stores.

The Northern fowl mites are a common mite that is not a good thing to have. That is why maybe the product that I posted, (Garden an poultry dust) claims it kills those. If it kills those,,, I imagine not too many mites would escape same demise.

 

[Lortiz]

Hello, we have had consistant recurrence of microspic mites over the years, they look like dust specks and usually white or pink, for sure we've never seen any of them turn red, so we suppose they are not bloodsucking types. They are barely visible and they are seen crawling around the skin or stuck in the feather quills. seems that the hens lay less eggs when they have too many of those mites, but we've never had problems with picking feathers or missing feathers. They all look healthy even when they have them. We've been regularly treating them two doses 10 days apart with topical ivermectin and spray their sleeping areas with permethrin, but they always come back! and now some baby chicks have them too.

We decided to try another type of pesticide that can be used on the chickens and bedding and read that carbaryl dust was effective, so we ordered Sevin dust (very expensive here because it's imported and we are in Mexico) but the ingredient is Bifenthrin NOT Carbaryl. Does anyone know about this? Is Bifenthrin safe to use on chickens and is it effective against mites?

I have had feather mites and found success with a few products. First, before I realized I had feather mites, my vet prescribed Revolution for dogs (Selamectin, 0.5 ml per standard sized chickens, 0.25 ml per small chicken topically on back of neck) for some stick tight fleas. My hens had a lot of feather damage from being with multiple roosters but I had separated them for many months with no improvement. After treating with Selamectin, one of the hens started growing new feathers. That is when I realized they might have feather mites. After researching it. I decided to use lime sulfur dip and sulfur powder. I dipped each chicken and let them dry naturally. Then I sprinkled the left over dip using a garden watering can around the perimeter of their shed and run, and in their dust bath areas. Then I sprinkled sulfur dust all around the shed, roosts, bedding, nest boxes. I treated the chickens and their dust baths with the sulfur dust weekly for a month, and less often since then. All of them fully recovered and look beautiful again! That was in early summer. I repeated the dips in the fall for good measure. Since it may be too cold now, I would suggest sulfur powder, and you could make a spray from the dip. I use Bonide brand garden anti fungal dust. It flows better than standard sulfur powder. It is also labelled for animals and specifically for poultry feather mites.

Also, have you tried Elector PSP? It seems it would work. I bought some but haven't used it.

 

[raingarden]

I stocked up on Carbaryl Seven as it was being taken off the market; just becaue that's what we've always used. It works as well as permethrin dust but probably not any better.

 

[featherhead007]

They do the dust bath in regular soil, it’s hard to burn wood to get ashes here are northern fowl mites visible to naked eye without having to put flash light and really really look closely? The mites these guys have really look like about the size of house dust mite they are super tiny and very hard to see but when it’s bad I’ve seen them move around on the surface of the egg and on the skin in the vent area. hope they are not resistant to pyrethrins since I use permethrin and they still come back…

I hate those little things. Warmer weather makes them come out and infest the coop.