HEAVY RAIN = MITES...... TREATMENT ADVICE/COMMENTARY???

[HortaChickenist]

You could try neem oil. In my country you can get organically produced neem. I've just repainted the inside of my coop with it diluted 50% with hot water.

I battled mites all summer and painting with neem was what finally worked. Mites love to hide on the bottom side of roosts so I've taken to running my hand under them every now and then to check for signs of re-infestation. I found evidence the other day so set about re-painting (it's been 4 months).

I too found mites happily lounging about in the deep layer of DE I had in the bottom of my nestboxes!

Neem doesn't smell half as good as your other concoction sounds like it would, but it's worked for me.

 

[HortaChickenist]

Another valid option... Neem Oil and I've also seen Spinosdad used although the Spinosdad has not proven itself so well in my garden trials .like the Neem, Permethrin and IC3 have. I guess there should be another thread of which I'm sure there is: DE waste of time or worth the effort?

I've used DE on my pepper plants and it does a good job on broad mites....just got keep on learning..

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hmm, how many times will I see people who use DE and it doesn't work? With others claiming it's the miracle cure for all things from chicken bugs to acne and chicken wormer.

Permethrin is a synthetic version of a chrysanthemum extract. I think elector PSP might be a brand name of the organic one, if that's important to you. The permethrin does work well (plus VERY cost effective and simple to apply with no egg withdrawal if used according to directions), but it is noted that resistance to it can also build so I never like to over use anything. Permethrin residual last long enough (IMHO) to get most infestations under control. Different lengths for different pests, so retreat within the correct time frame (per directions) and break the life cycle.

Weather has a huge impact on the bugs we battle. And learning if you have some season with heavy load may help you to get a foot up on it in the future. For us, according to my vet.. it's lice in the winter and fleas, ticks, mosquitoes in the summer. And so I also won't be treating in the seasons I don't need to. (Example cocci maybe in spring, but never in summer at my place)

Thing about the ic3 (I bet the gera oil is geranium).. sounds like more of a repellent than an eliminator? Which is what I think neem oil is also unless mixed with some dish soap water and sprayed directly on the bugs.

Chances are if you have it bad, it likely has to be a multifaceted attack.

Don't forget to make sure you aren't doing extra stuff to attract wild birds to your yard, though I think I remember they are confined to a run due to predator load. Maybe make sure you don't have rodent load that brings it back in to?

One thing I want to mention about the Permethrin... I bought it to control MOSQUITOES on my goats/dogs, labeled as "horse fly spray", but also labeled for my application! I didn't even know I would end up using it on my chickens. That's a bonus. It does NOT repel them, but after they bite they are no longer free to go breed many more generations. And they may only have to land (not bite). But either way, I hate mosquitoes! And I never dealt with fowl pox but that's a great reason to control them buggers. I even spray the inside walls of the barn (per directions), under my roost, and in my lay boxes. When needed, a light spritz on the birds themselves. And by needed I basically mean if I have any suspicion.

What concerns me about the neem oil and IC3 is... if chickens have sensitive respiratory systems I would worry about it being too strong of a smell. I wouldn't run my hand under the roost! But I do use a paper towel to run under there. Plus get a flashlight, IF it's those kind of mites you may be able to see them. But those are red mites, feather mites (I believe) are NOT visible to the naked eye. Also, the red mites do not live on the birds (maybe why you haven't seen them). They live in cracks of the wood and under roost and only come out to feed on the birds during the night. It is said if you go out well after dark and run a white paper towel under the roost if you see red smears, that is the blood in them from feeding on your birds. Also, I have girls that will hang out on my lap for hours, never saw anything on them despite really looking. However going in at night (keeping it dark), using a flashlight and hold the bird kinda on its back, feet bent towards chest, spread the feathers on the abdomen and near the vent. You might be surprised what reveals itself by rapidly trying to run away from the flash light. Also note if you see any "junk" near the base on the shaft of the feather. It is likely eggs (nits) of some sort, not dirt. And it may not effect all in your flock so check at least a few. For me though, if I treat one they all get it cuz I'm not gonna have the pests go consume an innocent bystander. I prefer to avoid chemicals as much as possible, we drink our ground water. It isn't perfect to me but it's the lesser of the evils!

Yep, I'm major anti DE for many reasons! Strip mining ineffective, dangerous snake oil (IMHO). Yes it works for SOME applications (such as keeping grain from caking and approved at a rate up to 2% in feed for that purpose by the feds (so unless you read your ingredients you might not even know you are feeding it to your birds and breathing it yourself). Funny even when I show people the scientific info in the links they use they still choose to believe the hear say that's included earlier on (even noted as "believed by many").. you can lead a horse to water, but you most certainly can NOT make them drink! To each their own, we all have different thought processes/experiences and like many other things.. even when presented with the exact same facts we will not all draw the exact same conclusion (even at the scene of a crime that we saw with our own eyes, different perspective). I get it.

I hope I bookmark this thread to reference later..

Best wishes... to get rid of the pests and no more pox, that must have been difficult.

 

[casportpony]

I think elector PSP might be a brand name of the organic one,

It's Spinosad, and it's very expensive!

 

[casportpony]

These are organic:

 

[ChihuahuaChick]

Well said, EggSighted4Life.
HortaChickenist, consider identifying the mite species first. As posted above, mites are microscopic, may not host on chickens, and more importantly may exclude need to expose your girls to potentially harmful chemicals. Not to mention wasteful expense on your part!
Any vet with a microscope can identify pathologic spp or at least rule them out.

 

[JaeG]

Neem is safe to use with delicate, expensive finches. Here's a good article written by someone who uses both neem oil and neem tea to treat her exotic birds for everything from air sac mites to fungal and bacterial infections. http://www.essentialbird.com/using-neem.html

 

[Trishkabob]

I am also looking for answers about mites. We've had lots of rain in NE NY this spring and it sounds like rain and mites go together?
We have bees as well and the permethrin label says it is extremely toxic to bees so that makes it hard to even consider (though we wonder if we spray the inside of henhouse where the bees don't go maybe we'd be ok). Same with DE and too many accounts of bad results.
I've never heard of IC3 but would try it if it isn't toxic (permethrin is allegedly flower derived-marigolds?-but obviously it must have other ingredients not so rosy, petroleum for one, though not sure what makes it toxic for bees).
Another question we can't find answers to have to do with what constitutes a mite "problem" (vs. the inevitable presence of some mites where there are chickens). We have heard they can get out of control quickly but what constitutes "out of control"? Our 6 hens are healthy and have bright combs and feathers; that said, we have been finding mites on eggs (from 2 to 20) and some on the outisde of the nest box. Am I wrong? are any mites too many? (my husband thinks so).
thanks

 

[Kiki]

I would say that 20 mites is a problem. I would also say that one mite is a problem, It may be a "who you ask" question.

 

[casportpony]

I would say that 20 mites is a problem. I would also say that one mite is a problem, It may be a "who you ask" question.

x2. I would spray.