Elector PSP Question

[kle2684]

I recently had my first mite situation (Northern Fowl Mites to be exact) with my small backyard flock of 7 girls. I ordered Elector PSP and treated the coop and girls once and again 14 days later. My question is do I need to preventivley treat them? I have had chickens for 6 years and NEVER had a mite issue. I dont EVER want to have the issue again so looking for any info on preventivly treating. I've read that DE is bad for their respiratory systems so not really interested in using that. They do have an area to dust bathe in

 

[Shadrach]

I recently had my first mite situation (Northern Fowl Mites to be exact) with my small backyard flock of 7 girls. I ordered Elector PSP and treated the coop and girls once and again 14 days later. My question is do I need to preventivley treat them? I have had chickens for 6 years and NEVER had a mite issue. I dont EVER want to have the issue again so looking for any info on preventivly treating. I've read that DE is bad for their respiratory systems so not really interested in using that. They do have an area to dust bathe in

Not a lot of fun is it.
I've never used Elector PSP. Instead I use Permethrin. It's a lot cheaper.
There is no preventative treatment.

You will likely read lots of stuff about dust baths based on the incorrect idea that chickens dust bath to rid themselves of parasites.
Inspection and knowing which type of mite one is dealing with is the key to preventing a serious mite infestation.
With 7 hens you should be able to inspect at least one every day. Easiest to do with a head torch at night while they are roosting.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any idea how the mites came to your chickens after not having them for years? What type of bedding do you use in your coop? Mites can be brought in sometimes inside straw. Rodents and wild birds are another source. I have not dealt with mites, but it is important to know their life cycle. They can hatch out every 5-7 days, so check 7 days after treatment. The idea is to treat the live mites and then repeat in 7 days to get any ones that hatch from eggs. Most treatments will not kill eggs.

Once you treat the birds, empty all old bedding, and move it far away. Spray roosts, the coop and run, nest boxes, and replace with pine shavings or sand. Here are 2 good articles about lice and mites:
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[chickens345]

We’ve had a backyard flock for 10 years in the woods and have only had mites twice. I hate them! The first time was when I used straw in their coop (I usually use pine shavings) and they came in on that. They have them for the second time now and I’m not sure how they got them this time.

I used permethrin last time which did work. I decided to try elector psp this time. We will see how that goes. I know there is a lot of debate about DE. I do use small amounts of DE and barn lime in my coop and my hens have never had any respiratory issues in 10 years so I feel ok about it but I know there are mixed opinions. I haven’t seen any mites in my coop just on my hens.

Did you treat again with elector after 14 days bc there were still mites or just to be safe? I may treat them again as well. Any mites since? Thanks.

 

[Eggcessive]

As much as I have read about poultry and northern fowl mites, the treatment should be repeated at 5-7 day intervals to get the newly hatched ones before they lay more eggs. I would treat 2 or even 3 times. But the bedding should be emptied in nests and the coop, and the whole coop, roosts, and nests should be sprayed with permethrin or Elector PSP. There are a lot of good articles about poultry mites online to read. Sulfur powder is also something that may be used against mites, and is found in some garden centers or online.