Mosquitoes swarming flock

[amorgan]

@EggSighted4Life They didn't really seem to terribly bothered. I could see the buggers like a cloud around each bird as I was out checking their boxes since I didn't get to them last night. They would close their eyes and shake their head every so often, but cant tell if it's from bites for just because they were flying so close. I just feel so awful cause they can't get away. Would it hurt them to try to mist their feathers with an essential oil blend?

 

[centrarchid]

Putting oils on outside my experience.


Mosquitos working my birds are very particular where they bite. The go after legs and where feathers are very thin. They bite between scales on legs. On head they go after exposed skin. Chicks in down very vulnerable.

When birds really worked by mosquitos I up the protein and otherwise make certain nutrition good to replace blood loss and fight infection. Some diseases chickens get are mosquito born.

 

[aart]

Strongly moving air is the best repellent.
Saw a box fan with some kind of filter on it in a coop, trapped loads of mosquitoes.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-coop-and-make-your-chickens-more-comfortable

I would be leery of concentrated essential oils as birds can be sensitive to them as well....respiratory issues.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Strongly moving air is the best repellent.
Saw a box fan with some kind of filter on it in a coop, trapped loads of mosquitoes.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-coop-and-make-your-chickens-more-comfortable

I would be leery of concentrated essential oils as birds can be sensitive to them as well....respiratory issues.

I was wondering about respiratory stuff since everything else says keep you coop clean because they are sensitive, just as you stated.

I like that fan idea a lot. Since I am at the coast, our max high is around 60 on a warm day. 70's start breaking records. I know the air flow keeps the mosquitos away when pointed at you.... how would you set it up not pointing at the chickens but still effective?

Thanks.

 

[chick-little]

I just shut my chickens up in their house for the night. Live in Louisiana & we got 4 more inches of rain today. Mosquitos are the worst we have ever seen. I felt so sorry for my poor hens I shut the door they up on the roost & in beam of flashlight I could see thick swarms mosquitos . We have a zapper lite in shed not using, going wire it up tomoro hoping it will draw them & zap zap zap .... Im keeping up with this thread hoping someone will offer something that really works. Im going to my Tractor Supply Store tomoro see if they have suggestion.

 

[aldarita]

Strongly moving air is the best repellent.
Saw a box fan with some kind of filter on it in a coop, trapped loads of mosquitoes.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-coop-and-make-your-chickens-more-comfortable

I would be leery of concentrated essential oils as birds can be sensitive to them as well....respiratory issues.

Second your advice. I have done essential oils in the coops with very limited results. The coop smells very nice though but the fragrances don't last very long. Definitely moving air is what has worked for me.



This is one of my coops set up for the summer. There are 2 ponds around our property which are near this coop, added to that, we have had lots of rain in the past few months (very torrential rains) which makes water pools every where (mosquitos heaven). I opened the coop doors, added two 9 inch fans that run 24/7 besides a very nice breeze coming from the south almost every day. All this helps a lot with our mosquito situation.