Frontline Spray for Mites/Lice?

[Christina.Rich]

Hi all,

I was curious to find out who of you use frontline spray on your birds.

I have done some research and found some conflicting opinions/answers to weather or not it works and if it is safe to use. I brought some birds home with mites and have purchased Martin's Horse & Stable Permethrin Spray that is .50% and diluted it to 1/2 water, 1/2 Permethrin. I feel like I am still trying to get the mites/lice under complete control (they aren't out of control and the birds aren't "infested" with them, but I want them to be completely GONE)

Let me know your opinions. This is a link to the Frontline Spray that I'm inquiring about : https://www.chewy.com/frontline-spray-dogs-cats/dp/119351

Also I do NOT sell eggs, nor do I plan to sell eggs. I also do not eat or process my birds, they are just pets and at some point I'd like to show some birds in the future.

Thanks!

 

[apryl29]

I've never used that spray so I cannot give you an suggestions about that, maybe someone else will have, but this I have treated my birds for mites. I encountered them last fall and haven't have a reinfestation following the suggestions I was given. There's lots of info about identification and treatments here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/mites.1197698/#post-18953063

This is basically what I did, I used the Gordon's Permethrin 10% spray https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...ivestock-and-premise-spray-32-oz?cm_vc=-10005 diluted as per the directions for use on Animal Premises — Surface Spray. This is a stronger concentrate that you'd use on an animal. You should see the mites die immediately after being sprayed. First, you need to find a place to secure your birds while you're cleaning. I locked mine into their run while I worked on the coop, it makes it easier to catch them later for treatment. Then completely remove all bedding from your coop and burn it if possible. If not, then put it in trash bags and throw it out. You don't want your birds to have the chance of getting into it again. Then remove anything that isn't nailed down from the coop. Sweep it out as well as you can. Then use the Permethrin spray solution to spray EVERYTHING in your coop. Pay special attention to corners, where boards meet, ends and bottoms. Make sure you get all around the roosts and in the corners and backs of nesting boxes. I used a pump sprayer like this that make it really easy compared to a squeeze bottle sprayer: https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/groundwork-pump-sprayer-15-gal?cm_vc=-10005
Let it dry completely. Once it was dry I spread some bedding on the floor (not much b/c you'll need to repeat all of this in a week). Then one by one I retrieved my chickens and treated them with Garden/ Poultry dust https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/y-tex-gardstar-garden-poultry-dust?cm_vc=-10005
I made a dust ball by cutting off the foot of a pantyhose and filling it with the garden dust and tying off the end. I took my chicken to a space away from the coop and used the dust ball to puff on their breast, back and under the tail area. Just one pat with the ball, then I used my fingers a little to wiggle the dust down to their skin. Don't get it by their face b/c they can breathe it in and hurt them. Also, you should wear a face mask. I also put bag balm on the legs in case they also had leg mites.
After each bird was treated I released them into the coop. When they were all done I raked out the run and made sure to get every feather I could find.
The most important part is that you repeat ALL of this 5-7 days later. Any mite eggs that might have hatched during that time will have not yet been able to reproduce. If you wait the cycle will start again.
Check your birds again about 5-7 days later and see if anyone still have mites, if so, repeat. Mine were clean after the 2nd treatment, even my rooster who was so covered in mites they were crawling all over his legs.
Make sure you treat all your birds as the new ones will have passed them onto your old birds if they're living in the same coop.

I hope this helps & you're able to completely get rid of the mites.

 

[Folly's place]

Many products will kill parasites, but are only to be used on non-food animals, not livestock. ALL chickens are livestock, regardless of your intentions for them. Frontline lingers a long time in tissues, and especially eggs, and is not approved for any livestock species in the USA, or in most other countries.
Permethrin is approved, and the spray concentrate is very inexpensive and easy to use. Spinosad is also approved, but is very expensive, and difficult to find.
It's best to do the legal thing and stick with approved and effective products for your chickens!
Mary