Somewhat URGENT as the replacement flock is set to arrive this weekend!
I discovered mites as I was demolishing parts of my coop (roost area) to make improvements before the new healthy flock arrived and now I am super concerned I won't be able to treat adequately before they get here. (*side note- I had been keeping my eyes out for mites, but was clearly looking in the wrong places as once I ripped off the roost, it was clear as day....MITES! Yuck!)
My coop has raw plywood sides and ceiling (sloped), dirt floor (cleaning out about 8-12 inches of the dirt to get most if the yucky out). I am in Canada, so I am not sure how that effects meds/chemicals/treatment options available. I do have a friend who is a vet and he may be able to order me products suggested.
My questions are -
#1- Does bleach do an adequate/proper job of killing the mites and do you advise using it (will it be toxic to chickens if not enough has gassed off by the time they get here this weekend/Monday?)
#2- Is tea tree oil effective against mites by either killing or repelling them? How to apply and any advice on tea tree oil uses and chickens. (*side note - I use tea tree in our laundry and shampoo to deter/repel ticks and lice....so far it's working).
#3- We kept 3 of our flock that were healthy and young and I need any and all suggestions for how to treat them. I will keep them segregated for as long as necessary too, but if the mites are not cleared, I won't be able to house them seperatly indefinitely. I would love to keep it as safe as possible as these hens provide eggs for us as well as for sale.
#4- Does Vinegar and Peroxide (applied seperatly) kill mites or mainly bacteria and germs etc? Would you recommend it dot use on raw plywood and how about dirt floor (wonderkng it there is any real effectiveness on dirt, after all it is dirt....)
#5- Do you recommend dusting your birds as an effective method of treatment and if so, what product? How easy/difficult would it be to treat 33 birds?
#6- Is there something like a "bug bomb" that I could use to treat the coop (at the moment it is very closed/sealed up). I'm remembering back to when I was a kid and my parents "bug bombed" (for fleas...lived in S.E. Alaska....lots of fleas!) the house while we stayed away for a day. Do these things even still exist and if so are they effective against mites and other crawlers I don't want?
I appreciate any help in this matter as I am stressing out quite a bit. We were getting our new flock as a sort of fresh start after our first flock which ended up being very old birds with issues (sold to us by a local woman just off loading ner problems onto us! Errrrrr!). Hoping for a clean slate after sanitizing as best I could, but now that mites are throwing a curve ball into the mix!
Thank you, thank you!
~M~
It sounds like you have Red Mites also known as Roost Mites. These buggers don't live on the chicken but instead live and breed inside the wooden parts of the coop. They only come out to feed on your birds then run back into their strongholds to hide and multiply. It is imperative that you kill Red Mites where they live, not were you think they live. get some liquid Permethrin and mix it with some used motor oil or Diesel and use a paint brush to paint the insides of the coop paying special attention to the roost poles, nests, and any exposed areas.. Not only will the oil smother mites and their eggs but the oil acts as a carrier agent to get down into the places Red Mites Hide, it stays there, and denies these places to the next generation of Red Mites. Some liquid Permethrin and water in a hand pump garden sprayer works well to give each hen a quick spritz around the vent and between the legs, under each wing, and down the back. You can also dip your birds in Permethrin and water like the old timers did with their cattle. Remember if you're going to kill mites you got to kill um where they live. So research your mite species and act accordingly . .