Can't exterminate northen mites!

[jasgriff01]

Hello I am need of advice ! I am a newbie to chickens and we love them but after 3 months of trying my best to get ride of these Northen mites they are back and I am on the verge of wondering if we should give up with all this wonderful chicken business even though they are all named and we love them tremendusly this is painful!

Back in October one got mites and dyed I did not even realise she was ill until it was too late.
I powdered with Pemetrin and cleaned out the coop and dusted DE all over the place.
In a gap of 10 days.
In november they came back and managed to kill another chicken my dear EE one we did not even get to see her blue eggs!
So dusted again and cleaned out the coop again this time did it 3 times in a space of 7 days. and raked up any feathers I could see.

Now my white angel is looking terrible she has black gunk all down her backside and it is disgusting! Dusted them all on wednesday night and cleaned out the coop and dusted extremelly intensly with the Pemetrin! Quite the sight mask, gloves, head lamp! God knows what the neighbors though! planing to do it again in 4 days.

I really hope I can get on top of this! I am thinking it must be a pretty big infestation?

I am petrified about:
- never getting ride of these mites
- read tons about mites not affecting people but also read about people getting scabies?
- Worried about my kids
- house getting infected! chickens run free sometimes they are more contained now where I have dusted
- worried about side effects about the dusting on me and the chickens
- waste of eggs.
- stress on the poor girls

If you are a veteran and have gone through this please give me any advice and let me know if I should put us all out of our misery.

 

[Deanner03]

When you dusted, did you make sure to get it ALL over the birds? I'd have dusted the coop with the Permethrin, too (and have, actually). Did you repeat the process in two weeks to get any that had hatched since the first treatment?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Because of the life cycle of the mites, you need to retreat in 10 days. If you retreat earlier and don't do it at the 10 day mark, the eggs hatch and the reinfestation occurs.

You also must get rid of all shavings in the coop and nest boxes for each treatment.

I treat every 4 months year round to prevent infestations, repeating at 10 days. They are EASILY killed by sevin dust and permethrin dust, although sevin is more reliable. The time to toss the eggs is 7 days according to what I have read.

Scabies is different- not the same thing. Never fear- I have had the Northern Fowl Mite jump on my clothes at least twice or three times and bite me in the house...they die without chickens. They don't actually like to bite people.

The red mite is a different one- lives in the coop and comes out at night. That is the one you hear about taking over human dwellings. That one is easily killed also with permethrin spray on the coop walls, cracks, and under the roost bar.

These mite infestations are easily killed:
Put on gloves, mask, and long sleeves.
Take shower afterward.
Place chicken in cardboard box lined with trash bag or on ground, on the back and hold onto their feet (tummy up). Place the powder in a tied-off sock and powder puff them all around the vent, under wings and everywhere but the face.

That's it! Then repeat in 10 days.

You too can have a mite-free chicken flock.

Here is a nice link:



http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[jasgriff01]

Thank you!
I am not finding it easy though!

When I closed them up and picked up the few eggs one of them was covered in a clump of black mites that were still alive! How? the entire place is covered in powder but not the egg I suppose... One of the girls bum is still a mess and looks worse today. I am thinking about cutting it all off or giving her a bath in flee stuff but it is meant to snow tomorrow and I don't want her to freeze she is my favorite one. I have also been thinking about the flee control stuff Ivermectin. So much for trying my hardest to have organic chickens these are more like an infested toxic breed! poor girls! And I am paranoid this powder is going to give me cancer! seriously paranoid at the moment! I suppose it is because I am so new to all this.

 

[klmclain1]

Use Sevin - dust AND liquid. Wear a mask. Put the dust in a pillowcase. Put chicken in the pillowcase to high up on it's neck. SHAKE and rub to get the dust alllllllllllll over your chicken. Do it to all chickens. Segregate each as you do it. After all chickens are dusted, THOROUGHLY clean out the coop and put the liquid Sevin in a hose end sprayer. Spray the hell out of the coop making sure the liquid runs into all cracks and crevices. Allow to dry. Put in new bedding and re-introduce the chickens. Repeat at 10 days. Not before. Got to get those eggs when they hatch! Hang in there!

 

[gjensen]

First, you are not the first person to have this problem. I know of some experienced poultry men that have had a lot of trouble with the mites that you speak of. Fortunately, you have a single flock and coop.
The re treatments are critical. With an infestation like you describe, I would urge you to retreat more than once. I also would not use the same product each time either. With an infestation like this please consider a dip first. It is winter, so make it a warm dip and a warm place to dry off. I would suggest dusting, but as bad as I picture it, it will be easier to get them all with a dip. Do your best to get every single one.
The advice on treating the house is good. When you remove the bedding, burn it. Do not neglect the outside of the house and environment though. This mite lives and breeds on the bird, but they did not spontaneously generate on the bird. I believe in cleaning and treating the area also. Temporary quarters for the birds makes this easier.
I am going to describe how I would address this. It is probably going to be more aggressive than many would think necessary. I would approach it this way because you describe an infestation. Treating for some mites, or preventing them is different than an infestation. You can take it for what it is worth. It is just an opinion.

1. Dip the birds. They sell permethrin concentrate at Tractor Supply. Mix it according to the directions. Be thorough, but of course keep it out of their face and yours.
2. Empty and clean the house. Burn any bedding, and spray thoroughly every crack, crevice, floor ceiling, etc. according to the directions for the same product. Get the outside, and area immediately around it. If you can't burn the bedding, at least get it off the property. You can use seven, but I would get the concentrate and mix it for fleas. They are harder to kill than aphids.
3. Once the house is dry, dust the floor with seven, getting the roost, and every ledge. Get a strip of it around the house, if it isn't going to rain for a bit. Leave the house empty for ten days to two weeks. The idea behind this is to get the missed wanderers.
4. At ten days dust the birds, as the others described with seven. Check them thoroughly, and dust them thoroughly. Make sure to work it down to their skin. Pay special attention to the area around the vent, under the wings, and the neck.
5. Set the house back up, and put them in.
6. In another ten days treat them with ivermectin pour on.
7. In the mean time, throw away the DE. Feed them a high protein ration like chick starter until they recover.

I do not know your options. Thoroughness and timeliness is the key. The other advice is good. I would just deal with an infestation like you describe aggressively. Once you have it under control, just check them regularly, and dust them every three or four months. Good luck. It will not always be this difficult.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

First, you are not the first person to have this problem. I know of some experienced poultry men that have had a lot of trouble with the mites that you speak of. Fortunately, you have a single flock and coop.
The re treatments are critical. With an infestation like you describe, I would urge you to retreat more than once. I also would not use the same product each time either. With an infestation like this please consider a dip first. It is winter, so make it a warm dip and a warm place to dry off. I would suggest dusting, but as bad as I picture it, it will be easier to get them all with a dip. Do your best to get every single one.
The advice on treating the house is good. When you remove the bedding, burn it. Do not neglect the outside of the house and environment though. This mite lives and breeds on the bird, but they did not spontaneously generate on the bird. I believe in cleaning and treating the area also. Temporary quarters for the birds makes this easier.
I am going to describe how I would address this. It is probably going to be more aggressive than many would think necessary. I would approach it this way because you describe an infestation. Treating for some mites, or preventing them is different than an infestation. You can take it for what it is worth. It is just an opinion.

1. Dip the birds. They sell permethrin concentrate at Tractor Supply. Mix it according to the directions. Be thorough, but of course keep it out of their face and yours.
2. Empty and clean the house. Burn any bedding, and spray thoroughly every crack, crevice, floor ceiling, etc. according to the directions for the same product. Get the outside, and area immediately around it. If you can't burn the bedding, at least get it off the property. You can use seven, but I would get the concentrate and mix it for fleas. They are harder to kill than aphids.
3. Once the house is dry, dust the floor with seven, getting the roost, and every ledge. Get a strip of it around the house, if it isn't going to rain for a bit. Leave the house empty for ten days to two weeks. The idea behind this is to get the missed wanderers.
4. At ten days dust the birds, as the others described with seven. Check them thoroughly, and dust them thoroughly. Make sure to work it down to their skin. Pay special attention to the area around the vent, under the wings, and the neck.
5. Set the house back up, and put them in.
6. In another ten days treat them with ivermectin pour on.
7. In the mean time, throw away the DE. Feed them a high protein ration like chick starter until they recover.

I do not know your options. Thoroughness and timeliness is the key. The other advice is good. I would just deal with an infestation like you describe aggressively. Once you have it under control, just check them regularly, and dust them every three or four months. Good luck. It will not always be this difficult.

Gjensen brings up a very important point- that you might require more than one retreatment. Definitely keep inspecting and retreat every 10 days until gone, no matter which treatment you choose. I have the liquid permethrin and it is good stuff. You have to peel the label to see the dilution instructions. I was using it full strength to spray the coop until I figured this out. Bought a second bottle and did it right the second time.

 

[jasgriff01]

Thank you I really appreciate any advice.
I don't know how I am going to pull this off it is snowing pretty badly.
I dusted them 4 days ago and they are looking worse than ever can I dust them again tonight? or should I wait the 10 days?

I am thinking I will have a bucket in the garage with the diluted stuff and dip them then blow dry them and go and clean their coop out. I only have a dog cage which will be tight for them not ideal and they will probably be super stressed. Worried I will be bringing mites into the garage which is attached to the house but I don't want them to freeze. Do I need to use a new batch of dip for each bird? My orpington is pretty big so she will be interesting. I do have a kiddy pool that I could use but then I might not get the dip effect.

I think this is going to keep happening until I can move them in the spring.
I am also thinking I might have to get a new coop.

I noticed the area gets visited by loads of birds and a squirel and at night I think we have racoons because I found a trail that looks like they would have done it. not to mention mice and the deer in october.

They are loosing so much weight! I gave them oatmeal with warm milk and a tin of cat food this morning.

Very worried about them and fell I need to go out there and detox everything.
Going to also buy the Ivermectin.
I hope none of this affect my cat Mr Pops.

Hope you are all having a good Sunday.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Definitely do the ivermectin. .25 cc for bantams, .50 cc for standard chickens. I use a bit more than that. Make sure you get it on the skin. I either put it on the base of their neck or their wing pit, whichever is easier to get to the skin.

Thank you I really appreciate any advice.
I don't know how I am going to pull this off it is snowing pretty badly.
I dusted them 4 days ago and they are looking worse than ever can I dust them again tonight? or should I wait the 10 days?

I am thinking I will have a bucket in the garage with the diluted stuff and dip them then blow dry them and go and clean their coop out. I only have a dog cage which will be tight for them not ideal and they will probably be super stressed. Worried I will be bringing mites into the garage which is attached to the house but I don't want them to freeze. Do I need to use a new batch of dip for each bird? My orpington is pretty big so she will be interesting. I do have a kiddy pool that I could use but then I might not get the dip effect.

I think this is going to keep happening until I can move them in the spring.
I am also thinking I might have to get a new coop.

I noticed the area gets visited by loads of birds and a squirel and at night I think we have racoons because I found a trail that looks like they would have done it. not to mention mice and the deer in october.

They are loosing so much weight! I gave them oatmeal with warm milk and a tin of cat food this morning.

Very worried about them and fell I need to go out there and detox everything.
Going to also buy the Ivermectin.
I hope none of this affect my cat Mr Pops.

Hope you are all having a good Sunday.

 

[KimberlyJ]

We use the deep little method and only clean out the coop in the fall and spring. This year we cleaned out the coop and about two weeks later we noticed mites!!

I shut all the chickens in the coop and dusted the run. Then I took the girls one by one into the house for a spa day. I bathed, blow dried and then dusted each one, fed her meals worms for being such a good girl and then put her in the run. We only have nine hens and it took me all day. I just had to get those nasty creepy crawlers off my girls!!! When my husband got home from work he cleaned out the coop for the second time in two weeks and then dusted it completely. He also dusted the new bedding before any of the girls were let back in. I was exhausted, but it was a great experience. Gave me a chance to evaluate everyone's feet and treat a few little scabs while I was at it. And everyone was sooo pretty....for about a day. I can't prove that the mites came in on the new bedding that we got from a different store, but that's what I think, so we will never buy our bedding there again. So if you have an ongoing infestation, perhaps it's in the bedding????

KimberlyJ ~Don't get discouraged and hang in there.