Chicken Fleas?

[Lanissa86]

So I had my house sprayed for fleas today and the guy was saying looks like we had chicken fleas? I have heard of them getting mites, but fleas??? He said they are tiny and don't bite humans much, just very annoying. Well, my babies were 7 weeks old when my dog killed them, and Booger has no fleas on him, So I have no idea what he is talking about!

He said we had tons! Can these little pests establish THAT fast!???

 

[Lanissa86]

Anybody?

 

[S0rcy]

"Fleas Ceratophyllus gallinae are similar to mites, in that they infest the birds but breed in the soil or litter of your fowl shed. They can be treated in the same manner as described for red mites. Unlike normal fleas, Stick-fast Fleas Echidnophaga gallinae bury their entire heads into the host and spend days attached in this manner. They usually appear around the eyes and face as black "eyebrows". Smear a light coating of an oily substance over these insects and they suffocate very quickly. Olive oil and baby oil are useful for this, as they do not irritate the birds' eyes. Treat the shed floors as for mites and ticks. Like mites, all fleas will infest your home if left unchecked and will feed on any living warm-blooded animals."

From: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/chickens_retired/58107/3

Authors profile: http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/greggles

 

[Lanissa86]

Thanks for that info! But still have yet to see them, all I have seen are the normal fleas that get on dogs and cats and such. My chicks are inside, and I thoroughly checked them, especially Booger since he is the only one that has been outside. Did not see any, so maybe he was just telling me as a heads up or something. No coop yet either, its still only half built. I appreciate the info you provided, definitely will be keeping my eyes peeled for any!

 

[Bigmuddaddy]

OOOHHHH my God these fleas are awful. They are the stick tight kind on my chickens. Started on one hen and spread to all the birds. I tried organics with DE on ground and on chickens. Then tried sevin dust, poultry powder, and sevin dust spray. They are still everywhere. They killed one hen. I would go out late at night with a flash light and hens are standing up scratching their heads. They can't even sleep. I even went with fresh shaved cedar for the nests to repel them. The combs have turned pale and I see the fleas crawling and some buried into skin around eyes that I can not brush off whith my hand. I just started chickens in May of this year. Brand new pens. I figured if they were going to kill the chickens then I would get stronger stuff. I have used bayer flea spray, a farm citronella and permethrin spray, and indoor outdoor home defense max. Chickens are still scratching like crazy. Their are too many to get off individually. Next step is rubbing all their heads down with vaseline. My pens and coops look like it has snowed DE and Sevin Dust. I am frustrated. I sprayed the chickens directly with all the supplies above until it looked like they took a bath. Fleas still remain. I am in North Florida. I guess I should turn all the chickens loose and burn the coops down. I have read every article I can find on google and nothing is working. I know some farmers with a pesticide license maybe I can get something to kill every bug in a ten mile radius. I have mounted my assault over about a months time. I will let you know if anything short of Napalm will get rid of them.

 

[Ollieyamfer]

Does anyone have any updates? I have also tried everything from Permethrin dips to Sevin dust and granules, and DE. I have even taken out the flame thrower and gone to town on the sandy soil and coop walls/ceiling. I even tried Ivermectin to no avail. This has been going on for a cpl months now. Even my poor cat now has to get daily checks because they get on her ears. I am also in FL. I am desperate at this point. Anyone?

 

[CHlCKEN]

Does anyone have any updates? I have also tried everything from Permethrin dips to Sevin dust and granules, and DE. I have even taken out the flame thrower and gone to town on the sandy soil and coop walls/ceiling. I even tried Ivermectin to no avail. This has been going on for a cpl months now. Even my poor cat now has to get daily checks because they get on her ears. I am also in FL. I am desperate at this point. Anyone?

You might try making your own thread since this one is about 16 years old You should be able to find some helpful advice by posting your own question under this subforum.

What I can tell you now is this; DE is useless and more harmful than it ever is helpful. You can scrap that option now.

Good luck!

 

[Nym]

Stickfast flea life history​

The complete life cycle of the flea takes about four weeks, varying according to the temperature. The female fleas lay at night while attached to the bird, and the very small eggs fall to the ground. In about four days, small wormlike larvae emerge from the eggs.


The larvae feed on organic material, mainly the dried blood excreted by the adult fleas, and shelter in the surface dust and litter on the soil. After several moults, they grow to about three millimetres, cease to feed and burrow down into the soil to a depth of about 15 centimetres. Here they spin silken cocoons within which they develop into adult fleas. This last stage takes about two weeks. Then the adult fleas emerge, burrow their way to the surface and search for a host.

Hosts

The stickfast flea is found on all classes of poultry and also on native birds. Young chickens or ducklings are most at risk from stickfast fleas and cases have been reported where young birds have died as a result of severe infestation.

Dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and numerous native animals also spread the flea and it has also been reported as affecting humans.

Prevention and control​

• Providing an impervious, preferably concrete, floor in the poultry shed will effectively break the life cycle, since the female flea lays her eggs only at night while attached to the fowl and the larvae must pupate under 15 centimetres of soil.
• It is important that all birds roost at night in the shed over the impervious floor, so that there is a total break in the life cycle of the flea.
• Do not bring any infected birds or animals onto your property.
• The adult fleas may be controlled by smearing the infected parts of the birds with a non-burning greasy substance such as petroleum jelly (for example Vaseline).
• Birds can also be treated with a 0.5 per cent solution of maldison. Use a pump action spray bottle (similar to those used to clean windows) to administer the solution.
• Poultry dust containing 20 grams per kilogram maldison can be used.
• Clean out the fowl shed, removing all loose items of equipment and the litter. Clean up all debris in the yards and burn this rubbish and the litter.
• Then thoroughly spray the shed and run with a 3 per cent solution of maldison. Apply the spray in all cracks, crevices and corners of the shed and thoroughly spray all equipment as well. Also spray the run, especially around trees and posts.
• Spray again after 12 days as above, to kill freshly emerging adults.

Stickfast fleas: control and eradication