Heavy Mite Infestation

[Mr Beaks]

Not sure if it is available where you are but we use Elector PSP - spinosad 44.2% spinosyn. It works wonders and is said to be safe around humans and animals.

 

[cmom]

True, but it's quite expensive and permethrin works as well and much less expensive, and it is safe with no egg withdrawal period.

 

[CoopintheWoods]

I have never dealt with a bad infestation but I have one hen who is a mite magnet. I know that dog shampoo is bad for their feathers, but I have found that it is better for them than mites. I also wash things with it that could be housing mites.
Also, dog shampoo might be more widely available, but cat products are sometimes less toxic, and I've used that too. Good luck!

 

[termeerchick]

Oh no! I am dealing with a mite/lice problem as well. How did you go about burning the coop area? I have permethrin spray and I had NO idea it didn’t kill the eggs. Definitely going to be repeating it. Would you say treating two times is enough? Or would you recommend doing it more then that?

 

[Folly's place]

Spray at least twice, and do that 'mite check' at night on at least some of your birds, at least weekly. Then treat, with one mite on one bird.
I have a problem here, with house wrens invading my coop every day as the door opens so the flock can free range. I hate keeping them in while there's no snow yet, but it's infuriating!
Here at least, my roosters seem to carry more mites than many of the hens, maybe because of their behavior?!?
Anyway, it's been a pain all summer this year.
Mary

 

[termeerchick]

Spray at least twice, and do that 'mite check' at night on at least some of your birds, at least weekly. Then treat, with one mite on one bird.
I have a problem here, with house wrens invading my coop every day as the door opens so the flock can free range. I hate keeping them in while there's no snow yet, but it's infuriating!
Here at least, my roosters seem to carry more mites than many of the hens, maybe because of their behavior?!?
Anyway, it's been a pain all summer this year.
Mary

Thank you!! Oh gosh do you think the chickens are getting the mites and lice from the birds? I have birds come down and eat the chicken food. Also one morning we found a dead baby house floating the their water. We have had bad problems with mice. Today I was researching how to get rid of them but since the coop is on the tree line of the railroad tracks and acres of land, would it just be pointless to try to get rid of them? They have their holes right under the hanging feeder and eat the food that falls on the ground. There are probably hundreds of mice.

 

[Folly's place]

I think mice are cute, but not in numbers, and not in the house or coop!
A barn cat would help the mouse situation, if you have one. chickens will kill and eat mice during the day, but not overnight, so the mice are free to 'play' all night, pee and poo over everything, and they do carry diseases.
For a few mice, the snap traps will work pretty well. You need to have them unavailable to the chickens though!
Poison bait in bait stations may be necessary if you really have a flourishing colony, and of course try to rodent proof your coop!
Mary

 

[Shezadandy]

True, but it's quite expensive and permethrin works as well and much less expensive, and it is safe with no egg withdrawal period.

Elector PSP is definitely expensive, but it's a concentrate meant to be sprayed on entire premises- the dilution is like 9ml per 1 gallon of water or something like that. There is no egg withdrawal with Elector PSP either. A friend had a mite infestation in her (very large) barn - multiple dustings with permethrin didn't do it- their stalls (where broody hens go to brood and hatch) are those tongue and groove wood panels - a dream mansion for the mites. It takes 2-3 days before the Elector will kill them, but since (2 years now) spraying - no more mites. So, if they're still getting infested despite other treatments, it's the next thing in the arsenal. And by spraying - I mean the kind that you wear on your back-- and hose every nook, corner, roost down.

 

[aart]

dog shampoo

@CoopintheWoods Exactly which dog shampoo?......there'a about 100 of them.

 

[Folly's place]

The permethrin spray concentrate is very very inexpensive, and is also meant to be sprayed all over the interior of the coop/ building. There's no reason to buy spinosad for $$$ as long as permethrin spray works fine. Whenever that changes, it may be necessary to move to the spinosad, but later. Meanwhile, maybe it's cost will come down, or approvals will change, who knows?
Pet shampoos may include products not actually approved for use on poultry, and for those of use with more than a very few birds, bathing everyone is totally impractical. Their coop must still be treated anyway, and treating the birds with spray is MUCH easier!
Mary