Heavy Mite Infestation

[BigBlueHen53]

I once heard that a mixture of sugar and baking soda is effective against rodents, as they can't burp or fart. This is only hearsay as I didn't actually test it myself (that is to say, I didn't personally feed it to a mouse and watch the results, nor have I observed mice to determine whether they can perform said gaseous expulsions), but it was used on a horse ranch I worked at and there did not seem to be a rodent problem. Somebody wanta try it and report back? I have cats, so rodents aren't a problem here either, nor are lice or mites.

 

[cmom]

In all of the years I have raised chickens last year was my first experience with mites. I did have some earlier this year and started spraying permethrin right away. No more mites. I still put some permethrin dust in the nest boxes every now and then and when I put more pine shavings in them.

 

[termeerchick]

Well it looks like I’m going to be searching for a bait station. Maybe I’ll do the water bucket thing as well. I’m going to have to move the hanging feeder and put the bait station there because the mouse holes are right under the chickens feeder and they eat everything that is dropped. Thanks you guys!! I have been pondering what to do now for two weeks lol.

 

[cmom]

Maybe others have had luck with the water bucket but it didn't work for me. I had he buckets filled nearly 3/4 full so rats couldn't get a jump from he bottom of the bucket. I made a ramp for the rodents to climb to the top of the bucket with sunflower seeds floating on top of the water but never caught anything.

 

[termeerchick]

Maybe others have had luck with the water bucket but it didn't work for me. I had he buckets filled nearly 3/4 full so rats couldn't get a jump from he bottom of the bucket. I made a ramp for the rodents to climb to the top of the bucket with sunflower seeds floating on top of the water but never caught anything.

Yea I’ve seen a few YouTube videos and saw a few people using like styrofoam pellets floating on top of the water so it looks like there is something to walk on. They put something yummy in the middle of the styrofoam so the mice or rats would try to walk and get the food/bait and they sink. Maybe that would help. Lol idk. I just ordered a bait station from Amazon and some bait bard so we’ll see what happens. Hopefully I can get somewhat of a control on the mice. And then hopefully that will also help with the mites and lice.

 

[Chickinie]

I usually sprinkle the lice powder on the floor of the shed/coop when I clean it out because there is dirt in them: they have no base. So when the chicken are bored in the morning and rake around and dust bath they can powder themselves a bit. The dirt is very fine and sandy here though. It was just an idea that I had. It's the clucky chooks that are usually the main problem for me even though I don't let them hatch eggs yet. I let them sit on golf balls because they are so determined and lay so many eggs and I feel bad just taking them so they have nothing for it all... Then there's the mites and my own skin crawls for them... It's not everytime they go clucky, which is good, but the worst times have been when there's rodents around; they hitch rides everywhere.

 

[aart]

Maybe others have had luck with the water bucket but it didn't work for me. I had he buckets filled nearly 3/4 full so rats couldn't get a jump from he bottom of the bucket. I made a ramp for the rodents to climb to the top of the bucket with sunflower seeds floating on top of the water but never caught anything.

5 gal bucket works for mice, need a 30 gallon garbage can for rats.

 

[cmom]

OK

 

[Susie Seagrave]

Thank you everyone for all your advice! My biggest challenge was what I could get here in Greece... The answer is not much, and many companies won't send these products to Greece. I managed to get some Mite Kill spray, which I was able to use in the hen house and get it into all the nooks and crannies. I took everything apart, cleaning first with a coop cleaning spray. Then, I dusted the interior of the house and the nesting boxes with the mite kill powder, and dusted my Girls, too. The mites were stubborn to eradicate completely on the Girls, but what finally did the trick was a recipe I came across to make my own Hen-friendly spray: 1 oz fresh garlic juice, 1 teaspoon lavender oil, 10 oz water, mixed together. A few applications of that cleared the mites from the Girls.

I've just repeated the exercise again last week but it was much easier this year. Although there were mites in the nesting boxes and the hen house, only one of the Girls had an infestation, but I sprayed them all with my 'wonder juice' anyway. Job done!

Thanks again everyone

 

[aart]

Mite Kill spray.... mite kill powder

Curious what exactly these are....got links or the ingredients or pics of labels?