Do you get chicken mites on you often?

[Bells]

For the past couple of days, I've been itching and my daughter has picked some chicken mites off me. About two months ago we had a rooster who had a pretty bad mite infestation and at the vet's recommendation, dusted him w/ 5% Sevin (I'm not a fan of Sevin but it sure did the trick).
Should I have our two coops on a regular dusting schedule? Or, do you poultry people just pick off your mites and forget it? Thanks!
Bells

 

[speckledhen]

I've never had any mites or lice on my birds. From the time they went out into the coop, they've had dustbaths with food grade Diatomaceous Earth added, DE also in the straw in the nestboxes, etc. I've only purchased one grown bird since having chickens, he had lice, and DE took care of those as well. I've been known to put wood ash from the woodstove into the pens along with DE from time to time for them to dustbath in. I also keep a parmesan cheese shaker filled with DE and on occasion will up-end a bird and dust her with that around her bottom and under the wings.

 

[kstaven]

NEVER had mites or lice here either. Use DE all the time.

Also spray down perches and nest boxes with citrus oil every few months. The little critters won't go near it and it will kill mite eggs if you already have a problem.

 

[Bells]

Thank you. I'll try some DE and citrus oil (hey - where do I get that??). Also like the wood ash idea.
Bells

 

[speckledhen]

Just make sure it's FOOD GRADE DE, should be around 1% silicon, not 85%. I have used Orange Guard, made from citrus oils, on my roosts to prevent bugs. ACE hardware is a dealer for that product.

 

[bigzio]

Bells, I'm a fan of the 5% sevin for the elimination of lice and mites. If used properly it's safe and you already know it works, without any problems. I like a regular dusting program twice a year Spring and Fall, as well as adding to the flocks dusting areas. I've never had any lice ,mites, or sick hens. DE in the lungs is just as dangerous as sevin and masks should be worn when using either.

bigzio

 

[Wildsky]

Never had issues here either - I also use DE.

I just throw some in the run now and then - where they dust bathe......

 

[ksacres]

I've always used sevin, though I can't remember the last time I had a bird with lice. I've never had one with mites, except once I bought a bird at a swap meet that had scaley leg mites. She was a silkie, and I never was able to get rid of them completely.

 

[BJ]

I thought mites were "species specific"...meaning chicken mites wouldn't get on people. Guess that's not so...

 

[patandchickens]

As far as I've read, chicken mites will not *live on* people, but that doesn't mean they won't crawl up your arm looking to see if there's another chicken at the other end

Pat