Fleas? Mites? Help!

[happyhens1972]

Sorry I meant red mite. Not red spider mites. My mistake. I do know what infestations of mites can do. There is a lot of different advice out there. I have heard of permethrin to treat lice or mites but didn't realise that it was in ant powder. That is why I asked was it safe. What would be the best thing to kill and deter red mites.

All the things being suggested here for the fowl mites will also kill red mite....permethrin in the coop, run and on the birds. Once you are happy that you have eradicated any existing mites, DE can be used as a preventative. As mentioned here, it's no good for an existing infestation. It works through causing microscopic damage to the exoskeleton of the bug (any bug!) which causes dehydration and eventual death. It DOES kill them but it takes several days for it to take affect and in an infestation situation, there are new hatches and new bugs at an alarming rate so the DE simply doesn't 'keep up' with the population. You can use it in the dustbath of 'clean' birds too xx

 

[casportpony]

All the things being suggested here for the fowl mites will also kill red mite....permethrin in the coop, run and on the birds. Once you are happy that you have eradicated any existing mites, DE can be used as a preventative. As mentioned here, it's no good for an existing infestation. It works through causing microscopic damage to the exoskeleton of the bug (any bug!) which causes dehydration and eventual death. It DOES kill them but it takes several days for it to take affect and in an infestation situation, there are new hatches and new bugs at an alarming rate so the DE simply doesn't 'keep up' with the population. You can use it in the dustbath of 'clean' birds too xx

I tried it as a preventative. I put it everywhere! Coop, nesting boxes, and all dust bathing spots. Then one day I say they had lice, so I covered them from head to toe in it and it did nothing.

 

[BlueJayFarm]

Sounds like northern fowl mite, a real pain and very important to eradicate from every one of your birds whether you see the mites on them or not. You have an infestation. Roosters and broodies usually get it the worst because they don't dust bathe as often. I've used permethrin, pyrethrum, carbaryl, frontline, "natural" flea spray, ivermectin, and probably a couple other things I'm forgetting (not DE though, I prefer fast and effective).

The permethrin/pyrethrum route is cheap and effective but time consuming and my avian vet recommended doing it every week for FOUR weeks. I didn't like how much dust I and the birds inhaled. Ivermectin is effective, a bit more expensive, and worms the birds as well. Must be repeated and is a bit tough on their systems. Need to toss eggs as well.

Not sure what your budget is but the BEST and most natural method (also by far the most expensive) is using Elector PSP. It is created from a fermented soil bacteria and is completely harmless to your birds and to you. It also kills the eggs. It works for NFM, red roost mites, and lice. No egg withdrawal time. I highly recommend it. Maybe you can go halvies on it with someone. Lasts a long time.

Good luck!

 

[janz70]

well each to their own as they say - you use your chicken permethrin and I will use ant permethrin at an 1/8 of the price and essentially the exact same product.

 

[happyhens1972]

I tried it as a preventative. I put it everywhere! Coop, nesting boxes, and all dust bathing spots. Then one day I say they had lice, so I covered them from head to toe in it and it did nothing.

I'm sorry to hear it wasn't effective. I have used DE as a preventative for years and only ever ended up with one SERIOUS infestation (serious enough to lose birds) This happened after I moved the henhouses into a wooded area for weather protection and also after I'd been given wood shavings by a friend who had given up chicken keeping. I cleaned the houses out and moved them, used the bedding, then went away for ten days, leaving the chooks in the care of said friend. I'm not sure if the mites were in the wooded area or the shavings but the infestation was huge.....literally billions of them. When I got back, I found the shavings literally moving with them. I've never seen anything like it. I had to move the chickens to my garage (a mile away!!) burn all the bedding, shavings etc and treat the houses and the pen with high strength permethrin (woodworm treatment!) three times. I treated the birds with Ivermectin, three times and then DE'd everything before moving them back in six weeks later. It all did the trick and I've never had a serious problem since. Maybe it is the UK climate that helps? Maybe it is that my houses are cleaned out fully every week? I don't know. But DE does it for me xxx

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I've tried several options for Northern fowl Mites and Lice. IDK why. But the two pests seem to come at the same time for us.
We have migrating yellow woodpeckers in the fall that like to ground feed on my birds' territory and the Wild Eastern Turkey has taken residence with about 12 members in our neighborhood. I'm suspicious we've had my birds chasing or vice versa and despite being a closed flock and fresh straw/bedding we get them every once in a while.

So interestingly enough I had some non-layers/roosters last spring and then highly productive pullets. I didn't want to throw away eggs for 3+ weeks so I did a more natural approach on the pullets while I did meds on the non-producing. Knowing I was probably going regret and be creating more work for myself. I made a paste of Eucalyptus oil (a repellent--several drops) into Nu-Stock (Sulfa powder in Pine Tar Oil). Then I put Garlic Powder in the feed and Garlic cloves in the water. Sulfur. Sulfur. Sulfur. The results for the more natural remedy were surprising. The birds appeared clear after daily to every other day spot treatments to saddle, fluff, vent area at a 6 day recheck. The non-layers got Ivermectin drops (Cattle Pour-On) and cleared immediately. (I recommend this to the highest degree for ill birds) You must retreat in 8-9 days per the mite life cycle. Maybe another 8-9 days. While The summer went on I quit the productive layers more natural treatment I noted later on another infestation and I'm certain the natural treatment did not get them all albeit they reduced in good numbers initially with steady 3 weeks of applications. You have to keep on it. And it is not really a cure-all in my opinion. I had to retreat everybody the end of July (summer egg break anyways) with the Ivermectin.

There is some reports in different areas that lice and mites are building resistance to chemicals so it is important to do the follow ups for complete eradication. (Just like a person needs to complete antibiotic courses to prevent super bugs) Same scenario here to keep our meds viable for the future. I'm lucky that lice and mites in our area are dropping dead to ivermectin. And that it is so easy to use for me. I also keep the Poultry dust (permetherin) in an old panty hose sock with a knot. And will dust saddles and behinds when we're infested. It's super easy. USing care for inhalation and skin coverage is a must. It's not nice stuff to use. Just saying.

Follow through, follow through on the treatments.

 

[happyhens1972]

I should add, when I say I 'use' DE, I mean there is an inch thick blanket of it under the poop board in my hen house and in the nest boxes and at least 10mm thick layer of it on all horizontal surfaces in there, as well as 'puffed' into all cracks and crevices and under the ends of the perches. It isn't a light dusting by any means xx

 

[casportpony]

well each to their own as they say - you use your chicken permethrin and I will use ant permethrin at an 1/8 of the price and essentially the exact same product.

1/8 the price? Wow, I wish I could get two pounds for less than $1. Here a two pound can is $6.30.
@MissNutmeg , This is what I think you should get for your rooster:

And this for your coop:

 

[janz70]

ant powder in uk is £1 for 500g so as the uk ant powder is double the strength then it is !/8th of the price

notice that poultry powder is also for pigs dogs gardens and ANTS

 

[casportpony]

ant powder in uk is £1 for 500g so as the uk ant powder is double the strength then it is !/8th of the price

notice that poultry powder is also for pigs dogs gardens and ANTS

Do you have a link to the product you use so I can let other folks in the UK know what's available to them?