Grain mites

[aart]

It's working now! Thank you moderators!

Didn't even think to ask, thanks!

I thought that DE is bad for chickens but you are mixing it with your feed to kill the mites??

Breathing DE that is suspended in the air is bad for them(and us), eating it won't hurt them...many feeds already have DE in them. If you read carefully thru this thread you'll see that at one point the brand/model feed I buy added DE in the summer months after I first found this issue.

The grain mites shouldn't bother the birds, grain mites eat grain not poultry skin and blood like roost mites or poultry mites. I've had them on me too and they don't bite, it's just creepy. Probably don't want them in your kitchen tho.

 

[Futuregreenefarm]

If you read carefully thru this thread you'll see that at one point the brand/model feed I buy added DE in the summer months after I first found this issue.

Oh yes, I see now. sorry about that.

 

[Folly's place]

I haven't ever seen them here. Either the feed has been clear, or I'm blind, or something. I'm not a fan of mites of any sort, being allergic to at least dust mites.
Mary

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Except for dead of winter, Every time i’ve Looked at the crumbles I get from tractor supply, there are mites in it to varying degrees. I figure they’re extra protein.

If I were storing larger quantities of grain, I’d be concerned, but I only get a few bags at a time so I don’t worry about it.

 

[aart]

Except for dead of winter, Every time i’ve Looked at the crumbles I get from tractor supply, there are mites in it to varying degrees.

I only see them in the hot humid summers...and believe me I look.
I am the 'dust watcher'...is it moving?

What brand and model of feed to you use?

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I only see them in the hot humid summers...and believe me I look.
I am the 'dust watcher'...is it moving?

What brand and model of feed to you use?

Dumor layer crumbles. The only reason I noticed them was practicing fecals. I thought I hit the jackpot when I got whole live mites and eggs after flotation and centrifugation. They were dizzy, but alive.

 

[aart]

Dumor layer crumbles. The only reason I noticed them was practicing fecals. I thought I hit the jackpot when I got whole live mites and eggs after flotation and centrifugation. They were dizzy, but alive.

Live grain mites in fecal floats?!
Why I try to knock 'em down in the feed bin.
I know they are not a threat to the birds, but still...

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Live grain mites in fecal floats?!
Why I try to knock 'em down in the feed bin.
I know they are not a threat to the birds, but still...

I'd rather they eat mites than insecticide. The mites aren't gonna hurt anything, and they don't eat much. At least that's my thinking on it. I bet the feed mills don't like them so much though.

 

[aart]

I'd rather they eat mites than insecticide.

Well, yeah.... I don't use insecticide, just DE.
The stores don't like them either, they are always wiping and restacking all those bags.
Once I asked them to wipe down a bag, they used a ~24% pyrethrin(not permethrin),
didn't do a damn thing bag was still covered less than 12 hours later.

 

[cmom]

I just bought my weekly feed yesterday. Since the birds are molting I got some higher protein feed for them. It must have been sitting around for awhile because it had grain mites in it. I fed it to them along with some of their regular layer feed. I will let the feed store know. The owner is not very interested in the store anymore and has it for sale. He has been ordering his feed once a month but other stores I talked to do the same. This feed must have been around for quite awhile. I put the feed in buckets because it's easier for me to handle. He does order what I ask him to order.