Mites wont leave!!

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k625

k625

Songster
12 Years
Aug 14, 2007
448
2
151
Florida
I finally realised that my polish had mites this year...never have had an issue with mites with my polish at all until this year. I have treated the pen with DE, and I have put adams spray in their crest and under wings...its been a few days and I re-checked, and the mites are still there..

I dont know what to do at this point to get rid of them...can I completely bathe the birds and a light shampoo then dry them, and spray with adams, or what works best?
 
You could do a triple threat treatment. First remove the birds and any non-metal thing from the run. That means all wood, straw, shavings, paper, wooden perches, manure, feed... ANYTHING that is not metal or dirt. Then spray down the pen with the insecticide of your choice. DE is not an insecticide in my book. It is a 'deterrent' of the weakest sort. After you have sprayed the entire inside of your coop, the outside of your coop, the wire, walls, ceiling and floor, treat every wooden thing you own. Spray it all over with permethrin based insecticide. Then dust them with poultry and garden dust. Put them back in the coop. After you fill the nestbox with bedding, sprinkle it liberally with poultry dust. Bleach the waterers and re-fill. Empty all the feed, or let them eat it down and then spray the feeders with the permethrin spray, dust it with poultry dust. Refill the feeders. Last of all, treat your birds THOROUGHLY with whatever you use to control mites. Some people swear by Adams Flea and Tick Spray, Frontline, Pour-on Ivermectin, in addition to Liberally dusting them with poultry dust, under wings, belly, back, nape of neck and especially around the vent. Treat them every three days with the poultry dust for two or three cycles. You should see zero mites at that time. If you see mites again in a few weeks after all of that, you have a re-infestation problem, possibly wild birds, mite infested bedding or wooden perches, rodents, or possibly being carried back in there by you yourself. Yes, you could have a few stray mites on your shoes or clothing after the big cleanup and could possibly re-infect your own flock. Wouldn't THAT be a bummer! Wear stuff you can just toss afterward so as to break the chain. I read somewhere that those nest mites can live up to 36 weeks with no meals, so you are not going to be able to outlast them if you just try to starve them for a few weeks. They go dormant and pop back up to life when they feel a living warm thing nearby and schlep right over there and start their cycle again. Not trying to be a total downer here, just trying to let you know what you are up against. Good luck! Post pics of your dusty birds and clean coop!
 
I think that onthespot has just given you the best mite advice I've ever read.

She's exactly right - DE is used in *hopes* of prevention. But it cannot control mites brought in my wild birds. It's forte' is to help control of small infestations in problem spots. It's of good help but it doesn't treat.

Any time there is an infestation you must do a heavy 'knock down', including the premises, and then retreat in 14 days.

Mites are particularly harmful as they can quickly take down a bird (especially in summer heat) and make it so anemic that it cannot recover and will die. I cannot emphasize that enough. I know you know the importance of it or you wouldn't be posting here.
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But I hope this might help others that read the post as well.

The only thing I'd have to add to onthespot's post is that you should also increase the nutrition being given the birds at this time to combat the anemia that might be happening because of the blood taking of the mites.

That means your best fresh smelling complete ration food at no less than 90-95% of their diet. You can help build their blood back by offering boiled eggs yolks and some plain yogurt. (Yolks for the protein and rich nutrients, yogurt to replace beneficial bacteria and add a little protein).

Make sure they're drinking well to avoid dehydration.

Good luck! Mites are a beast to deal with. But now you have the tools with which to do it.

Added: By the way, as you've discovered, checking the birds frequently (no less than every 14 days) is such a tremendous step in stopping mites before they take your birds from you. Good job!!
 
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Thank you guys sooooo much! Where do I get the spray for the coop, and where do I get the poultry dust?


I am sure its the wood issue, I added on a huge run, and two sides are fenced...I sprayed down their perch today with the adams and the fence line as well. Its a start until I can get these other items asap
 
You say Adams, and I remember many a day of that alcohol smell, the cold feel, and some pretty ticked off chickens in my lap!
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The one thing we learned at the vet clinic is that the alcohol in the formula stirs up the bugs and makes them move more, which in turn hopefully gets them to move into the spray.

Personally now for infestations I like the poultry dust better as it gets everywhere. But I still have a fond spot in my heart for Adams!

Poultry dust you can get at most feedstores. It's literally usually called "Poultry Dust". You can also get it online at stores like Smith Poultry for a good price.

As for the coop spray, just check the label for Permethrins. I'm not sure which one onthespot recommends. I'll let her tell both of us.
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I'd like to know as well.

I just rememebered - on the bedding, you can scrape it back and dust the ground. Then replace it and sprinkle the dust on it, and stir it in. When you replace bedding or make a new coop, treat the ground that way.

Sometimes you can also use Sevin 5% (not the stronger). I still do this for the ground under the bedding, but not so much on the birds any more.

Added later: Also try TSC. They should have it.
 
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I just realized that we had an INFESTATIONT of red mites. I used the Barrier Red Mite liquid and powder. We powdered the hens, sprayed the barn with the liquid concentrate, burned all hay/ straw that had been floating around and scrubbed the nesting boxes with diluted lime. Our vet said that the lime would sink into the wood and get rid of any mites living in the barn. Because our coop is attached to the barn (bright idea… NOT) we can’t get every last thing out to clean.

The mites are only on one hen that was nesting in the tack room. All those wild birds in there must have brought them in. If I sprinkle poultry powder on the infected hen every three days for a week or two then once a week and on the others once a week for a month, wash everything with the concentrate, and put DE everywhere I can think of I think I might have a chance. Anyone have any other suggestions and how often should I be using poultry dust normally?
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I'd think you wouldn't have to use the poultry dust that often really. Probably every other week, or put it in her dust-bathing area. Since you've used it all over the other places where you could.

Pigeon companies sell products that you smoke the coop, etc, and it kills everything (remove the birds) but then again your place has to be able to be closed up tight. Here in Texas, all our coops are open.

Personally if I get a sticky situation like that, I use ivermectin which is said to have a 14-28 day activity against sucking lice and mites in cattle - so who knows in chickens. And of course all that you've done for the coop, etc.

I'm very interested in how you diluted the lime - how did you do that? There are many many recommendations in older standard poultry keeping books about using slaked lime like that, and it does indeed get in all the cracks and crevices. So I'd love to know how you did yours.
 
my advise is to use this mix and paint the roost poles and cracks and knot holes in the coop boards

simply clean the chicken house and do this
1 qt of oil ( new car oil can be used- do not use used car oil)
1 qt of kerosene
mix and use a paint brush and paint all the roost poles
paint any cracks in lumber or knot holes

as this is where the lice and mites live

then put DE liberally on the clean floor
or several sacksa of 5% sevin on clean floor
now put on bedding

also make a dust box

3 lbs of soil or sand
2 cups od DE or saevin 5%

keep this restockd weekly

and do as threehorses says for them and their bodies

the painting of the roost poles and cracks will help the birds kill what lice is on them also

also get the birds on good wet mash probiotics for two weeks daily to restock their gut flora

any questions email me
 
After cleaning... another poster on here said to mix garlic and Olive oil to paint their legs and spray them down with.
 

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