Chickens and Family infested with Red and Black mites

[JumpinOmega]

I don't understand. I just got back from the store with the vegitable oil for the coop and the chickens. I just need to know what to use on my house. In reading about the mites. They can live upto a month in my house.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

I just did a search and this what one company says, but it is a lot of work and patience by the sounds of it.

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/how-to-get-rid-of-bird-mites-in-the-home-a-426.html

http://birdmites.org/strategies.html

The second link seems to be more thorough and less directed by profiteering. Sounds like you might need a multidisciplinary approach at best...and at worst....which may not be a bad idea if you can afford it...a pest control company.

I feel so very bad for you. Itching here, too now.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

What state are you in, JumpinOmega?

 

[Lacy Blues]

So for the 7 dust. If the local feed doesnt carry it should I go to the internet and purchase online? Does anyone know a good site to purchase from?
As for the spray, which one is more recommended? Do I spray it like I would Lysol... all over the furniture and then do the perimiter of the house (inside and out)?
Or should I get some of that stuff u get from Home Depot that you pump and spray. (I'm not sure if that kills mites though. I know it kills spiders, ants, fleas, ticks.....But I am fearfull about the animals coming in contact with the spray. I guess I can lock everyone up and then spray). I could do the perimater with that and then find something for the inside of the house.
My coop and run is about a ft from my house and my porch. So when I was dusting yesterday I made sure to get all around the coop and run.
I have read that ppl just put their chickens in a pillow case and shake them like shake and bake. If decided so, should I do the same instead of doing the spray every other day? Will this be safe for my silkie and for the 2.5 month olds? Also, if I shake them in a pillowcase, should I flip them upside down when shaking them in the dust? How much dust do I use for ea of my larger hens? I have a Barred Rock, Buff Orpington and a Delaware. My silky is maybe 1/2 a pound. How much should I use for my 2.5 month olds?

I just got done vacuuming my bedroom again and found another one on my face. If I throw my pillows in the dryer for 30 mins will it kill them? Soooo itchy. I'm freakin out. I keep reading about freezing stuff. I know I cant fit my bedding in the freezer.
Never had this problem in Oregon. And I only cleaned the run once every 6 months. And everyone around us had farms. Now I clean more and infested with these dang things. EEEEEGaagggs!

Think about that for just a minute.

Sevin dust is available at Walmart if you have one close by. Think about how you use it though. Poison powder in the eyes, mouth and nostrils...

You can turn your birds upside down and distribute powder through their feathers without resorting putting them in a bag and shaking them. Put some in their dust bathing areas. Use liquid Sevin to spray the walls and everything else in the coop. DE works well too. You might want to use that in your house. If you don't have a dust mask to protect yourself from, be sure to breathe only through your nose. You will get a nose bleed, but it shouldn't last long, if you breathe through your mouth it'll get to your lungs. I don't think you would want that.

When you clean out your coop, some of the mites will probably be in the bedding. If you're not in a fire hazard area, you should burn the stuff you take out. If you can't do that, put everything in a large contractor type trash bag and make sure it is securely closed. I'd hang onto the bags til winter and then burn the contents. Sending the bag to the dump will only release the little buggers somewhere else.

 

[bobbi-j]

I would be very hesitant to use chemicals in your house. Especially with small children. If you wish to use the Sevin in the coop, please use a mask. I'm not sure where the previous poster thinks air from your nose goes, but it also goes in your lungs. It's possible that your nose hairs will filter out the Sevin Dust or DE, but where do you think it will end up? Being absorbed by your mucous membranes in your nose. I have heard that washing bedding in very hot water, then drying it on high will kill lice. Maybe that will work on mites, too. Sorry to hear about your troubles! I hope you can find a solution.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I would be very hesitant to use chemicals in your house. Especially with small children. If you wish to use the Sevin in the coop, please use a mask. I'm not sure where the previous poster thinks air from your nose goes, but it also goes in your lungs. It's possible that your nose hairs will filter out the Sevin Dust or DE, but where do you think it will end up? Being absorbed by your mucous membranes in your nose. I have heard that washing bedding in very hot water, then drying it on high will kill lice. Maybe that will work on mites, too. Sorry to hear about your troubles! I hope you can find a solution.

I am fully aware of where your nose leads to. I forgot to mention that blowing your nose afterward would be a good idea.

 

[wvgal61]

Better spray your house & 7 dust the birds and coup.

ok while reading this, i saw your avatar(just about half was up) and thought I had a bug on my monitor!

 

[Folly's place]

PLEASE wear a really good dust mask! Lowes or Home Depot have them in the paint department; disposable, tight fit, good even with glasses on. I didn't, and had a nasty asthma flairup. Ugh! Sevi works well, also "poultry dust" pyrethrin/permethrin. Both available at farm stores. For the house I'd use a long lasting spray, not a dust. DE isn't safe to breathe, either. Mary

 

[welasharon]

You don't put the chicken heads in the pillowcase...just bunch it up around the neck and hold it while you fluff the stuff through the birds feathers with the head sticking out. Everyone has to make their own decision about using chemicals. I use the seven dust and it kills them instantly. I don't care for bugs on me or mine.I am not sure what I would use in the house but I think I would use a liquid rather than a dust around kids. I bet Dawg53 would know what spray would be best. you could pm him
sharon

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

When my dad had an infestation of fleas in his house he bought those bug bomb foggers. I think they said that they work for mites too. You will need to stay out of your house for a few hours to a day depending on what type you get. You might considering moving the chicken coop farther from the house as well. Having it mere feet from your house seems a little close.

Any type of dust is bad for you if it's breathed in, no matter if it's chemical in nature or not. If using any sort of dust invest in a good dust mask and make sure it's rated for fine dust.