Bird lice!!! How do I get rid of it!

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Mrs.Puff

Mrs.Puff

Songster
11 Years
Apr 16, 2008
627
3
151
Southern Iowa
I've been occasionally finding a little bug crawling on me, especially after handling my birds, so I looked it up in my Audubon guide, and they're bird lice! EEEWW!! My chickens don't really scratch any more than usual, but my boyfriend is freaked out and doesn't want my birds anywhere near the house now. What is a good way to delouse them? I also have tiny week old chicks, so I assume they'll get lice too. My chickens frequent areas where wild birds hang out (under the birdfeeder) so I assume they'll be exposed to lice constantly. We're going to change the fencing arrangement soon so they won't be by the feeder.
 
Some louse powders include Sevin (carbaryl)
and Dri-Kill (sulfur and rotenone).
I think Miss Prissy had a definitive post on this a while ago, she suggests mixing diatomaceous earth (DE) and Sevin in a pantyhose foot and using it to dust under the wings and all over the vent area of each bird.

Both can be used in bedding and nest boxes. Many of us are using DE as a preventive in the coop.
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Thanks-- I was thinking of using sevin, but I wasn't sure if it was okay for birds. The pantyhose idea is great. I couldn't figure out how I would manage to dust them without getting it all over the place. Non- food grade DE is okay for external use right? I have my doubts that I could find the other kind in my area.
 
Mrs.Puff :

Thanks-- I was thinking of using sevin, but I wasn't sure if it was okay for birds. The pantyhose idea is great. I couldn't figure out how I would manage to dust them without getting it all over the place. Non- food grade DE is okay for external use right? I have my doubts that I could find the other kind in my area.

NO! DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT use the non-food grade DE on your birds or anyplace around them. You can order the food grade DE from spatcher here on BYC. His prices are very reasonable and I understand that he can get it to you fairly quickly.

If this is something you want to take care of today, which I don't blame you, then just use the sevin in the panty hose. When you get your food grade DE add it to the coop area and nesting boxes.
smile.png
 
While generally Bird Lice cannot live off humans, they can become a problem and can bite. My daughter had Bird Lice entering through her window. Before we knew what they were or where they were coming from, we would treat her for lice every day and then they'd be back to following day.

The doctor identified them as bird lice. We then treated the area outside and around here window with Sevin and also removed the limbs that were near the house. We never had a problem after that.

I believe that everything exists for a reason... However, lice and chiggers are a real mystery to me.:|
 
I dust them with seven powder from home depot and the bugs are gone in less than a day. Dont eat the eggs for at least 1 week after applying. Seven works GREAT.
 

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