Tiny tiny black bugs in the chicken coop, help!

[Devonshirehippy]

Hi, I have them too in my chicken coop, I bought some lice and mite powder by Johnsons from the pet shop a while ago and I squirted it in all the corners and on the floor of the coop, then just piled the straw on top and it killed them all off, I have no idea what they are but they look like fruit flies, I don't imagine that they are fruit flies but they look just the same and as annoying, once they had appeared, my hens looked less well, so they were doing something to upset their health, so they had to go!
Sophie.

 

[betty105]

I've also just noticed these tiny bugs!! they were crawling on my face when I finished being in the coop, yuck!! We just put the plastic around the coop for the winter. It is open on the bottom and has wheel so we pull it up close to the house for the winter. It's only a small 4 chicken coop. I haven't noticed them ever before, and my chickens free range in the fenced in back yard. I put straw I had in our little shed from last year into the coop for winter bedding. I was wondering if anyone out there could tell me if this could be where the bugs came from?? My chickens are in great health so I can't imagine these bugs have been around for long. If it is from the old straw, I could just throw that out and buy new, or buy some DE and put it all over the straw.
Any ideas or comments would be really appreciated!!! thanks everyone!

 

[HotDesertChick]

Any chance, of good/clear pics of the offending invader?

Put something like a dime close to the beetle, when you take a pic of a non-schmooshed "bug", to offer some sense of "scale"? First, you have to I.D. the obviously-successful opportunist. Second,...look up "wire worms" and "Click Beetles". This is taking a very wild stab, without seeing any photos. NOT a "diagnosis".

Any more information? Pretty hard, to come up with solutions, when no one even understands what you are fighting?

 

[HotDesertChick]

I should have added the word "mites" to the description. Not just beetles. We still could use some sort of "comparative photo" that illustrates the size of the organism?

Was a very busy day....forgive?

 

[Chickmagnet98]

We have the same thing in our coop after having chickens for over a year. There are 20 hens, 5 roosters and 9 ducks. The little black specks look like moving dirt on the eggs in the nest boxes. You can't even feel them on you, but I looked down and they were on my hands and feet after collecting eggs and putting fresh pine shavings in the next boxes. Now I have bite marks on my legs! So gross! We have been dusting with DE, but apparently that wasn't enough. Will put up a picture as soon as I get one, no one in the family wants to go in the chicken pen anymore, lol! Hope the insecticide and pet flea and tick spray works.

 

[ellieschooks]

I have the same problem too! I only have 2 chickens, but there are tons of these bugs and lice/mite powder doesn't touch them. The chickens seem to be really bothered by something, although haven't seen any actually on the chickens.I have tried to find them on Google, but no look. I have attached a pic to see if anyone here knows what they may be. Thanks

[/IMG]

 

[ellieschooks]

Another pic, next to a trolley coin for scale.

 

[aart]

I have the same problem too! I only have 2 chickens, but there are tons of these bugs and lice/mite powder doesn't touch them. The chickens seem to be really bothered by something, although haven't seen any actually on the chickens.I have tried to find them on Google, but no look. I have attached a pic to see if anyone here knows what they may be. Thanks

[/URL]

Another pic, next to a trolley coin for scale.

Great close up pic....I have no idea how big a trolley coin is tho.

Are you in the US?
What is the active ingredient in the 'lice and mite powder' you used?

They don't quite look like lice or mites.
Have you looked closely around vent and head/neck....parting feathers down to the skin...with a bright light?

 

[casportpony]

I have the same problem too! I only have 2 chickens, but there are tons of these bugs and lice/mite powder doesn't touch them. The chickens seem to be really bothered by something, although haven't seen any actually on the chickens.I have tried to find them on Google, but no look. I have attached a pic to see if anyone here knows what they may be. Thanks

[/URL]

@elliechooks , if you squish them on a white paper towel, can you see blood?

Welcome to BYC!

-Kathy

 

[Clduff506]

I have these icky itchy teeney little bugs too! I got them on me after I found one of my hens had hatched some babies in the feed trough in the main part of our barn. I have been itching since! What the heck are they? I don't want to put any kind of pesticide products in there with the babies.