Anyone used spinosad for mites?

[karenej]

Hi all, My flock has mites. Pretty sure they're the northern fowl ones. And they are EVERYWHERE. I've tried DE. It seemed to cut down on the number but they are still crawling all over the place. I cater to some organic leaning clients and I like to stay as chemical-free as possible but I'm about to go nuclear. Thinking of using spinosad garden spray, but not sure if anyone has had any success with it. Also, do you need to do it again in 7 days?

 

[casportpony]

Hi all, My flock has mites. Pretty sure they're the northern fowl ones. And they are EVERYWHERE. I've tried DE. It seemed to cut down on the number but they are still crawling all over the place. I cater to some organic leaning clients and I like to stay as chemical-free as possible but I'm about to go nuclear. Thinking of using spinosad garden spray, but not sure if anyone has had any success with it. Also, do you need to do it again in 7 days?

@karenej , welcome to BYC!
Which garden spray are you thinking about using?

 

[casportpony]

Might be best to try permethrin spray first. It is approved for use in poultry, and it costs much less than any spinosad.

 

[karenej]

I have some Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad Concentrate 32 oz. Was going to try using that. I'm a little wary of the permethrin because I use the litter for compost in my garden. I like that the spinosad degrades quickly with UV light.

 

[casportpony]

I have some Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad Concentrate 32 oz. Was going to try using that. I'm a little wary of the permethrin because I use the litter for compost in my garden. I like that the spinosad degrades quickly with UV light.

The Monterey stuff is 0.5% spinosad, 99.5% other ingredients. Are those other ingredients safe for poultry? If you do decide to use the 0.5 % stuff you would have to mix it to a percentage strong enough to treat mites, and that means mixing it so the the final percentage is 1%.

Before using, please verify that all the "other" ingredients are safe for poultry.


Any 0.5% product (0.5% spinosad - 99.5% other ingredients)

Add 757 ml to empty one gallon container then fill to one gallon mark with 3028 ml of water.

So basically a 32 ounce bottle (946 ml) will make just one gallon of mite spray.

 

[karenej]

Hmm only 1 gallon huh...
Have you used this stuff successfully?

 

[casportpony]

Hmm only 1 gallon huh...
Have you used this stuff successfully?

There was one person that did use it and they claimed it worked. Yes, just a little more than one gallon because it's already so diluted. The reason Electra PSP is so expensive is because it's way more concentrated.

 

[casportpony]

Off the top of my head, I think the 8 ounce bottle of Electra PSP makes 26 gallons.

 

[karenej]

Gotcha. Thanks!

 

[caseebeths]

I would just go ahead and purchase the Elector. You only mix 9cc per gallon.