All of my roosters have mite infestation; hens are fine

[Bonnie Gentry]

M@M@2four :

Here's how I dust--as I said before, I use Sevin dust. It works great for my chickens. Whatever you choose to dust with, pick a well venilated area as it will make a bit of a mess and wear gloves. I take a large pan or bucket and set the chicken in and just take small handful of dust and sprinkle and rub in the dust on their back, nape of their necks, base of their tail and around their, under their wings, and chest. Try not to get it in their eyes, but i do rub some carefully on the top of their heads as well and then just set them down or place them where they go if their caged(most of mine free range). I use the pan/bucket because it catches the loose powder, so you can scoop it right out of the bottom and re-use it for the next bird. I then re-treat about 7 days later just to make sure I got everything. We also sprinkle DE on the flooring and in bedding once every couple months. Also, another note, do any of your chickens have raised scales on their legs or feet? Cause they can also be suffering from "scaley leg mites." This is where the mite burrows under the scale of the leg/foot and it causes the scale to raise. It is painful for the chicken and can cause toe loss and discomfort. I treat this by lathering their legs with vaseline. Yes, it's messy, but it suffocates the mite and within a week or two the old, dead skin falls off, revealing new scales and in turn, a much happier, healthier chicken!

Hope this helps!!!

What is "DE" I have seen that referenced alot... some say it works others say not, but is DE short for some long name?? I would like to check it out. Also has sevin dust ever killed a chicken? what if they preen and injest some of it??will sevin work on leg mites?​

 

[thkosan]

First of all, the active ingredient in Sevin is NOT the same as in Adams - and Sevin does not work on all mites (I forget which, but it only works on Northern or Southern mites, but not the other). The Adams works on all mites and also on lice. And you do NOT dust with Adams -- it can cause neurological problems for life. PLEASE only use as directed by my Board Certified Avian vet -- a little on your gloved hands and run your hands through the feathers. DO NOT DUST!

DE is Diatomaceous Earth -- but because the chickens may eat it, you must ONLY use food grade (not the stuff you can buy at the pool supply store for cleaning your pool). Diatomceous Earth is the silicious skeleton of small sea creatures (their skeletons are made of silica, not carbonate like ours). The theory is that it is a mechanical insecticide -- meaning that either the surficial tension of the testes (skeletons) attract the bugs and removes them from the chicken or that it simply acts as like a dust bath and mechanically washes them off. BUT it does NOT kill them -- only a chemical can do that. If you use DE the mites will just climb back on. There is nothing about a diatom test that is lethal.

(Yes, I have a Ph.D. in this stuff... does it show?)

 

[ivan3]

thkosan wrote: DE is Diatomaceous Earth -- but because the chickens may eat it, you must ONLY use food grade (not the stuff you can buy at the pool supply store for cleaning your pool). Diatomceous Earth is the silicious skeleton of small sea creatures (their skeletons are made of silica, not carbonate like ours). The theory is that it is a mechanical insecticide -- meaning that either the surficial tension of the testes (skeletons) attract the bugs and removes them from the chicken or that it simply acts as like a dust bath and mechanically washes them off. BUT it does NOT kill them -- only a chemical can do that. If you use DE the mites will just climb back on. There is nothing about a diatom test that is lethal

Amorphous DE kills, primarily, by adsorption of lipids from the waxy outer layer of the chitinous exoskeletons of nasty ectoparasites. It is very common for both the `marketeers' and users to confuse the primary mechanism of ADE with that of crystalline DE (kills insects primarily by mechanical action -cutting them up - why indiscriminate use by humans can result in silicosis). DE (abrasion) and ADE (adsorption of lipids) both result in desiccaction leading to death in insects. However, whereas DE's action ends with the death (friction/cutting/sans bug), ADE's action, adsorption of lipids, continues after the death of the insect. Several `sorptive dusts' possess this property. This subject has come up over and over.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=294680&p=2 Post #20
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=295586&p=2 Post #20, 22

Overall, ADE is a relatively effective, relatively benign insecticide/desiccant. The effectiveness is dependent on relative humidity (the higher the less effective), surface area of the body and thickness of cuticle. So, Slow death by desiccation (dehydration); some insects more intolerant to the action than others.

Bad infestations require something like Adams spray/Eprinex (tea tree oil can be used on roosts but not directly on chooks - as effective an acaricide as Eprinex, but toxic if applied directly on chooks).​