Big Problem, Need Help!

[The Chickens' Maid]

We've got an infestation of red mites on our back porch. I dusted with Sevin dust, but there is an apparentally motherless starling chick up there, too. I actually took him down and dusted him as well, he was crawling with mites. The two others in his nest have died already, we haven't seen the mom around. My guess is that he is about three weeks old at the most. He is just about ready to fly, but still has to grow some feathers in. Can I feed him until he is ready to fly? Please, I need some help!


Whew! OK, the momma bird is still alive and feeding her chick, but I still am not sure what to do about the red mites. We have chickens, and I don't want to carry the mites to them, especially our five-week-old chicks! I know that I'll probably have to redust the porch. Maybe dusting the coop wouldn't hurt either?

 

[RendonRoo]

If you can find D.E. in your area i would use that to dust the coop, run, and nest boxes. I wouldn't hurt to mix some with sand and set them up a dust bathing area. Good Luck and i hope this is helpful.

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

Just to update: the starling chick is doing well. He seems to be strong and healthy, and he wants to fly. I don't know how well the sevin dust worked yet, but we are clearing all inactive nests off our porch, so the mites won't have anything else to feed on. There are also some sparrow chicks on our porch, but I can't easily get to them. I think that they're too young to dust anyway.