Do chickens get fleas?

[UrbanFarmerGirl]

We moved into a house infested with fleas from a previous tenant. It was terrible. Flea bombs worked ok, but two things helped way more- Fleas and eggs contain water. If you sprinkle Borax all over your carpet and furniture and let it sit, it will dry out all of the fleas. After a day or two (when we were out of town for a weekend) I vacuumed it up. That eliminated almost all of them. Then I had a friend lend me her cat, which had the flea-drops (frontline). That makes fleas sterile or kills them when they drink the blood. That seemed to take care of any stragglers. It was a lot less toxic than the flea bombs- and these methods didn't pose the risk of accidentally getting toxins into my kitchen or bed. Keeping the lawn mowed short and yard free of raccoons and rodents is also a good idea.

 

[Chickychickbucbuc]

Sprinkle table salt all over the carpet it dries out the fleas. Doesn't take that much and can be left in the carpet until you vacuum.

 

[rrgrassi]

We had a flea issue as well. My DW works as an office mgr for a pest control company. They brought out stuff made for fleas, that kills the larve and the adults fleas. The eggs are very protected, and pretty well non killable.

Thay also advised us to put a small pet flea collar on the dust collection area of the vacuum cleaner to kill and adults or larve that were vacuumed up.

 

[noodleroo]

Quote:
No, chickens don't have shoulders....

 

[iluvsedward]

id think so. fleas? no.

 

[iluvsedward]

Quote:
oh my gosh we had a terible time with fleas once when our cat got them
we tried everything inculding salt and pepper and vacuming but pepper dosent work.
our cat stayed outside for 3 months and wore a flea coller.

we should have tried vacuming her......

 

[kicket1012]

Yes they do, the way to get rid of them is to collect cigar butts and put them with the chickens, it will kills the fleas.

 

[Mingming]

Yes they do, the way to get rid of them is to collect cigar butts and put them with the chickens, it will kills the fleas.

In th coop? What an interesting idea!

 

[Cajunlady163]

Yes chickens get fleas and mites. Mine came down with fleas bad this year. Best to remove all hay and straw from floor and nesting boxes and then spray 4 T of 55% Malathion in 1 gallon of water all over the coop. After it dries dust everything with diatomaceous earth, food grade. It's about $18 for 10 lbs at garden centers, that sell mulch in bulk. Also dust the chicken yard. The chickens can ingest the dust and it will rid them of any internal parasites at the same time. Diatomaceous Earth is like broken glass to bodies of insects without harming birds, fish, animals or humans. You might want to spread a "protective ring" of DE around the pen too.

 

[Dustystrail]

Keep an eye out for your neighbors too. We had some animal hoarding tenants at the farm across the road. All of their animals were forever getting loose and roaming the neighborhood spreading their infestations. Fleas, lice, mites, mange! Lots and lots of persistence with keeping your own animals and property treated if it is coming from a neighbor. A year and a half after they left and I have poultry mites creep back up in one of the pens again.
I guess on the plus side, I haven't had to treat for fleas or lice in over a year!