BUGS.. eeek HELP with how to

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

get ride of bugs on my flock. Seems I have wild birds getting in the run and enjoying the scratch along with my flock so I have bugs now. I see red mites and what Im guessing lice

GAG on most of my birds

..ewww Ok so how do I get ride of them? I dusted once and still see them. I have not seen them in the coop just on the birds..

 

[Terri O]

WHat did you dust with? I use SEVIN and wear a mask doing it. Dust the whole bird and do it again in 10 days and one more time in 10 more. Should solve the problem if they are lice. It is good that they are only on the birds...roost mites are harder. Also make them a dustbath of sand, wood ash and DE. I add a bit of SEVIN to that as well. If you have roos make sure to get them well...they spread the bugs to all the hens!
Oh yeah...if you have feathers covered with lice eggs around the vents and head/wings it is good to pull them out and drop them in soapy water and then get rid of them. Cuts down on the repopulation. Screen out the wild birds...LOL--good luck on that one!

HTH--Terri O

 

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

ok I dusted everyone and everything with Seven.. put some DE in every nook and cranny.. Will wait a day or 2 and empty all bedding and shavings and burn them. I see no bugs in the coop just on the birds and not every bird has them. I can see BOTH lice ( ewwwww ) and tiny redish mites on the lighter birds and just lice ( ewwww itch, yuck

) on the darker ones. Will this be all i need to do? I will repeat in 10 days.. I cant keep the wild birds out of the run so whats my best bet? DE everywhere? I find my self itching all over everytime i go get eggs now. Will the mites stay on me?

 

[chicmom]

OH, doesn't that make ya feel all creepy crawly? I had my first lice ever last winter, just before spring. Really made me mad! GRRRR
Now, the lice is easy because you just dust your flock with Seven Dust, and then repeat in exactly 2 weeks. (The repeat is to kill any immature lice that hatched out of the eggs, before they can lay more eggs....)

The red mites are a whole 'nother ball game. They often hide in the coop, then feast on your fowl at night! So you have to gut the coop, sprinkle Seven Dust EVERYWHERE! And then add new bedding.

DE doesn't do much for an infestation.

Good luck to you, and remember, it's not the end of the world, and you guys aren't dirty bird keepers!