Help! We are being over run with mites

[clickncluck]

The girls have had mites since the end of July. I'm covered with bites that itch like crazy. And I know that chicken mites aren't supposed to bother people, but something is eating me. I've sprayed the coop and nest box out, used neem oil on everything , bathed the girls, then dusted them and the coop and nest box and their favorite dust bath spots with DE. And still the floor of the coop is moving it has so many mites. I've really hesitated to use an insecticide but this is crazy. They are 2 1/2 years old. They seem to be starting a light molt now. Egg production has been at 50% since all of this started. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Pyxis]

Well, DE doesn't really kill mites, it's more of a preventative. At this point, you're so overrun, you're gonna have to use something stronger, especially since mites can kill your birds. What you need to do is go to Tractor Supply or another farm/feed/garden store and pick up some Sevin 5% Dust. It's in a red container. Dust the birds with it, either by putting some in old nylons and using the nylons as a powder puff all over their body, or by filling a small bag with Sevin, putting the bird in leaving just its head out, and gently shaking the bag so the dust goes all around the bird. I like the nylon method, lol.

Then, clean out the coop. Clean it well. Use a gentle soap and water. Dust everything with the Sevin (the walls, floor, roosts, literally everything), put bedding in and mix the bedding with Sevin. Wait a week, and do it all over to kill any that might have hatched in the meantime, since Sevin does not kill eggs, just adults.

 

[clickncluck]

Do I throw the eggs out? For how long?
Thank you I am totally over run

 

[Pyxis]

You could toss them if you want to be safe, I would say for about a week. It's not strickly necessary though. Sevin's obviously not good for you to eat, but since it's a garden dust it does frequently go on food and you can eat small quantities with no obvious negative effects.