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

[Trishkabob]

thanks. I'm not trying to ignore or get out of treating. Just looking for a sense of when it's necessary to intervene, how, and with what, given our circumstances (bees) and preferences. I agree that everyone has a different sense of what constitutes a problem. Appreciate your input.

 

[casportpony]

thanks. I'm not trying to ignore or get out of treating. Just looking for a sense of when it's necessary to intervene, how, and with what, given our circumstances (bees) and preferences. I agree that everyone has a different sense of what constitutes a problem. Appreciate your input.

If you're seeing them on eggs there are probably thousands in the nesting boxes.

 

[Trishkabob]

casportpony, what would you spray with? Spray the girls? henhouse? both? how often?

 

[Kiki]

Permethrin spray.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

thanks. I'm not trying to ignore or get out of treating. Just looking for a sense of when it's necessary to intervene, how, and with what, given our circumstances (bees) and preferences. I agree that everyone has a different sense of what constitutes a problem. Appreciate your input.

I agree that 20 mites on eggs IS a problem indicating a MUCH bigger problem. Permethrin is the synthetic version of the chrysanthemum extract. It is toxic to insects and raising bees puts you in a little special circumstance.

I would treat my birds, under my roost, walls if they are wood with the permethrin because in the evening after roost time (when the bees are not active, best to use a liquid not powder)... once it's dry the insect HAS to crawl across the dried spray for it to effect them. Beings you have a pretty good amount of them, I would probably make sure to treat again IF the residual effect does not outlast the life cycle of said mites. I have never seen a bee inside my coop, but I also don't raise them.

Also, those are only the mites you see. Feather mites and scaly leg mites are not visible to the naked eye (just saying). And you get the side bonus of it getting mosquitoes.

Spinosad is another product which is considered organic with a lower residual, but just as toxic to bees.

With that amount of bugs, I bet your girls will be much happier and healthier/more productive once they are treated. Good luck!

 

[PennyM]

I just bought a large bottle of Permethrin liquid that you can hook to a garden hose. When you say spray, do you use a spray bottle?

 

[Kiki]

I just bought a large bottle of Permethrin liquid that you can hook to a garden hose. When you say spray, do you use a spray bottle?

That will work!
When I say spray I mean a liquid, not powder.

 

[casportpony]

I just bought a large bottle of Permethrin liquid that you can hook to a garden hose. When you say spray, do you use a spray bottle?

Does it say it can be used to treat poultry?

 

[PennyM]

Yes

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I just bought a large bottle of Permethrin liquid that you can hook to a garden hose. When you say spray, do you use a spray bottle?

I would NEVER do the garden hose method (for chickens or my property, not my style).

The one I bought was labeled horse fly spray and used to treat against mosquitoes, so it came in one of those spray bottle with a trigger (similar to window cleaner). Of course it gets stuck down on every spray now so I have to wait for the spring to come back out so I can do another spritz.

Many people I have seen use those small garden type sprayers that you pump up and it will put out a constant spray.

I don't know which will work better, seems like the long handled one so you don't have to worry about it not spraying when you tip the bottle. And it's actually cheaper, $10 on amazon, I searched garden sprayer.