Are these mites??? - New pic on Page 2

[MochaLatte]

***NEW PIC ON PAGE 2***

First I want to say... none of my girls have missing feathers or unhealthy-looking plumage...

...but I was just out in their coop to do a head check, and I saw these teeny tiny crawling bugs on my Arlo camera when I adjusted it. Are these mites?? If they are, can anyone identify what kind? What steps/products do I use to eliminate them before they cause issue for my girls??

Thanks to anyone that can help! (Sorry for pic quality... they were so small it was hard to get a clear pic.)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks more like a beetle to me but couldn't tell you what kind? Maybe grain beetle?! Do you store feed/scratch/grain in your coop?

I don't think they would be harmful to the chickens, but for me, I would be inclined to try to get rid of them. Permethrin spray would probably do it.

 

[Banana01]

Mites are much smaller, barely visible. Those are bigger than mites.

 

[MochaLatte]

Thank you both! They look bigger in the pic than they actually are. I held my phone almost ontop of them to get pic to be able to show them. I am very happy for them to NOT be mites... just worried my pic may be deceiving.

I do not store any food in the coop. Just empty containers and hay.

 

[MochaLatte]

Looks more like a beetle to me but couldn't tell you what kind? Maybe grain beetle?! Do you store feed/scratch/grain in your coop?

I don't think they would be harmful to the chickens, but for me, I would be inclined to try to get rid of them. Permethrin spray would probably do it.

The .5% permethrin spray? Do I just spray it all over the wood and crevasses?

 

[Banana01]

I wish those were mites. I would have no problem getting those off my baby chicks' face. But the mites i have to deal with are so tiny that they are impossible to remove, even though they are still visible, but just as a tiny dot that moves.

I never used permethrin spray because i can't buy it where i live. But you have to remove any material that can house the insects, such as bedding. And spray the area with the spray once, then spray it again in 14 days to kill the eggs that hatched. They live in organic material like leaves and dried up grass, so remove that stuff. And the coop should be clean from excessive droppings that can also house the insects. If you want full instructions for permethrin, there probably are plenty of threads that detail what to do and not to do. I wish i could buy it because that is what is recommended to do.

 

[MochaLatte]

I wish those were mites. I would have no problem getting those off my baby chicks' face. But the mites i have to deal with are so tiny that they are impossible to remove, even though they are still visible, but just as a tiny dot that moves.

I never used permethrin spray because i can't buy it where i live. But you have to remove any material that can house the insects, such as bedding. And spray the area with the spray once, then spray it again in 14 days to kill the eggs that hatched. They live in organic material like leaves and dried up grass, so remove that stuff. And the coop should be clean from excessive droppings that can also house the insects. If you want full instructions for permethrin, there probably are plenty of threads that detail what to do and not to do. I wish i could buy it because that is what is recommended to do.
View attachment 2855046

I cant imagine trying to pluck them off of baby chicks. Yikes! I will get the permethrin spray tomorrow and spray down everything. Their coop stays clean and dry... I just went out there like a crazy lady and checked their vents to see if there were the nighttime demon mites on them... but they were all clean. No tiny crawlies on the actual birds.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The .5% permethrin spray? Do I just spray it all over the wood and crevasses?

That's what I would use and do.

 

[MochaLatte]

That's what I would use and do.

Thank you! I should remove the pine shavings under their roost and start over with my deep litter after spraying that too?

 

[cmom]

The .5% permethrin spray? Do I just spray it all over the wood and crevasses?

I would. As far as removing the shavings, spay and see if it gets rid of them. Often times especially with mites it takes 3 or 4 weekly treatments because it does not kill the mites eggs but will as they hatch out. Good luck...