first time chicken owner RED MITES??!!!

[Kiki]

There is no egg withdrawal with permethrin.

 

[Suedan]

IMG_20180924_091915

• Kiki
• Sep 24, 2018

Permethrin Concentrate, Martin's on Left - Durvet on right

• Kiki
• Jul 28, 2018
• 2

Screen Shot 2018-07-20 At 8.58.04 AM

• Kiki
• Aug 3, 2018

Hi Texas Kiki! I have just discovered red mites in my coop at night with a flashlight. They were all over bedding. I just wanted to confirm, dust birds with the above and spray coop with the above once a week for three weeks? For some reason I thought permethrin could be toxic for birds? Pesticides scare me. Thank you so much.

 

[Kiki]

Hi Texas Kiki! I have just discovered red mites in my coop at night with a flashlight. They were all over bedding. I just wanted to confirm, dust birds with the above and spray coop with the above once a week for three weeks? For some reason I thought permethrin could be toxic for birds? Pesticides scare me. Thank you so much.

Yes.
I prefer the spray because you can spray all the cracks of the coop too.

Permethrin is safe for birds.


I would spray them and coop every five days if I were you...for at least 3 times total.
I'd probably do it four times.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posters. I learned the hard way. DE doesn't work. I have tried a lot of different things. I use permethrin. It works. If you have a TSC they carry the permethrin powder, premixed spray bottles and the concentrate. No egg withdrawal period. I also put some of the dust in the nest boxes. It does take a few weekly thorough sprayings everywhere to completely eradicate them. Permethrin does not kill the mite eggs so repeat sprayings or dusting is necessary.

 

[Suedan]

So I didn't see the bugs last night. Can there appearance be off and on? The night I saw them was a warm day.
Many thanks! I'm trying to keep my eyes peeled for any problems as I learn. This is my first time owning birds.

 

[cmom]

If you saw them, I'm sure they are there somewhere. Did you do any treatments?

 

[cmom]

I was cleaning out my chicken coop this afternoon and found a ton of red bugs in the bedding. after some online searching, I have identified them as red mites but I have no idea what to do. I am leaving the country in a week, for a week and I am not sure what to do about the mites.

• what should I use to get rid of the mites?
• what will the mites do in the long run?
• what should I do with my chickens in the long run?

I also have a ton more questions but I'm unsure of what to do at the moment.
Thanks in advance for the help.

According to this post you saw the mites during the day.

So I didn't see the bugs last night. Can there appearance be off and on? The night I saw them was a warm day.
Many thanks! I'm trying to keep my eyes peeled for any problems as I learn. This is my first time owning birds.

I'm confused, did you see the mites during the day or night. Some mites only come out at night and feed on the birds. My suggestion is to go into the coop after dark and the birds have gone to roost. If you have a headlamp, that is what I use so I have both of my hands free, check the birds good then and see if you see anything,

 

[sorce]

Truth truth....

Red mites are predator mites.

Eradicating them means getting rid of the only thing that may be keeping your birds from a severe infestation.

Treat the birds for mites but don't kill the big red ones if you can avoid it.

Here's one eating a fungus gnat.

Surely don't ONLY kill the red ones, it's the little invisible ones that need killing.

An infestation of predators means the prey is already quite out of hand.

Sorce

 

[sourland]

Truth truth....

Red mites are predator mites.

Eradicating them means getting rid of the only thing that may be keeping your birds from a severe infestation.

Treat the birds for mites but don't kill the big red ones if you can avoid it.

Here's one eating a fungus gnat.View attachment 1946731

Surely don't ONLY kill the red ones, it's the little invisible ones that need killing.

An infestation of predators means the prey is already quite out of hand.

Sorce

You are thinking about a garden mite. Dermanyssus gallinae the poultry red mite hides in corners/cracks/crevices and only comes out to feed at night while birds are roosting. They are relatively large and quite visible.

 

[Suedan]

I'm so sorry, it was dark when I saw them, I can't say why I used the word afternoon vs evening. Maybe sleep deprivation. Whatever they were I'm not seeing them now. I will try a head lamp vs a bright light. They were very tiny reddish brown bugs that moved extremely fast. Only on bedding, none on birds that I could see.