Fowl mites under control ?

[SpooknBumper]

Update on mites: after one WILD day on the farm I am happy to report that our flock still remains mite free. We have long since stopped all DE application (would have to read back in thread to remember exactly how long ago the application stopped).

I would consider this medium term reporting, I think the real test will come once the weather warms up. Again, I’m keeping this thread updated for informational purposes only, if our way of ridding the birds of mites works, we will have data, if it doesn’t work, we will still have data.

While treating your birds please tell me how you keep the mites from totally infesting your clothes, hair and bodies and the inside of your home?? I just discovered my flock of 30 chickens are covered with these mites. Prior to my discovery I thought I had head lice that wouldn't go away. Now I know it was the mites. I dont want to go near their coop or them. Those things swarm my arms after just a quick pet or collecting the eggs. I'm ready to cull them all and burn down the Coop. As I am writing this I feel like I'm covered in bugs

 

[Stablecoop]

While treating your birds please tell me how you keep the mites from totally infesting your clothes, hair and bodies and the inside of your home?? I just discovered my flock of 30 chickens are covered with these mites. Prior to my discovery I thought I had head lice that wouldn't go away. Now I know it was the mites. I dont want to go near their coop or them. Those things swarm my arms after just a quick pet or collecting the eggs. I'm ready to cull them all and burn down the Coop. As I am writing this I feel like I'm covered in bugs.

@Wyorp Rock @aart

If your infestation is as bad as that I would defer to the folks above. They have experience in more traditional treatments and I trust their advice.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

While treating your birds please tell me how you keep the mites from totally infesting your clothes, hair and bodies and the inside of your home?? I just discovered my flock of 30 chickens are covered with these mites. Prior to my discovery I thought I had head lice that wouldn't go away. Now I know it was the mites. I dont want to go near their coop or them. Those things swarm my arms after just a quick pet or collecting the eggs. I'm ready to cull them all and burn down the Coop. As I am writing this I feel like I'm covered in bugs

@Wyorp Rock @aart

If your infestation is as bad as that I would defer to the folks above. They have experience in more traditional treatments and I trust their advice.

@SpooknBumper if you are in the U.S. you can get Permethrin based poultry dust or spray at stores like TSC.
I would get the concentrate, a garden sprayer and the dusting powder.
Put the powder in a sock or pair of pantyhose, dust each hen with the dust. Putting the dust in the sock allows you to control dust more (ime) and you can work the dust down into the feathers to the skin.
Clean out your coop, burn the bedding or bag it and take it directly to the trash, don't compost it. Treat the coop with your spray.
Repeat treatment in 7 day intervals.
As for them getting on you, they will and can cause irritation. I would plan on wearing some old clothes, have a bucket of warm soapy water outside. Once you get done treating the hens and coop, take off the clothes and submerge them in the soapy water, leave them there and go shower really well. "Pre-wash" those clothes outside in the bucket by giving them a bit of a scrub outside. Wring out, then bring inside and launder as usual.
@rosemarythyme posted this a while back how she dealt with mites on clothes and biting her, you may want to check that out too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/spinosad-for-mites.1437217/post-23795797

I sure hope you are able to get them under control. The hens must be miserable as well, so they will be happier (and healthier) once you start working on this. It's not all going to be fixed in a day, it takes time and dedication to get rid of the bugs.

Good luck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

@rosemarythyme posted this a while back how she dealt with mites on clothes and biting her, you may want to check that out too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/spinosad-for-mites.1437217/post-23795797

I sure hope you are able to get them under control. The hens must be miserable as well, so they will be happier (and healthier) once you start working on this. It's not all going to be fixed in a day, it takes time and dedication to get rid of the bugs.

The good news is they don't live very long inside your house, without chickens to feed off of, so as long as you're not bringing more inside each day they can be kept under control indoors in a pretty short period of time.

Since that previous post I've learned that other folks have confirmed that rubbing alcohol works really well, so that's pretty safe to spray around on soft furniture like your mattress and sofa (anywhere you've frequented the last few days after interacting with chickens). For me they were mostly biting me in bed, so getting the bed and sheets treated and then NOT letting hubby bring more bugs inside (he was banned from the coop for about 2 weeks) went a long way to give me relief from bites.

 

[WindyRoost]

Since that previous post I've learned that other folks have confirmed that rubbing alcohol works really well, so that's pretty safe to spray around on soft furniture like your mattress and sofa (anywhere you've frequented the last few days after interacting with chickens). For me they were mostly biting me in bed, so getting the bed and sheets treated and then NOT letting hubby bring more bugs inside (he was banned from the coop for about 2 weeks) went a long way to give me relief from bites.

Thank you for this!!! Have a mite situation going on and cleaned the coop today. Despite a hot shower and immediately washing my clothes I’ve been awake since 3 from itching, trying to figure out what I’m dealing with and how to keep it out if my house. Fingers crossed for no more night time itching!!