Help White Dust looking bugs in the chick feed

[Pidgey104]

Opened a bag of chick starter (Nature wise brand)
When I scooped up the feed I had buggs all over my arms. Their sooo small they looked like dust. Then I found out their all over the out side of the bag too. I have sprayed them with rid a bug next moring their back on the out side of the bag. also have tried the dog flea spray. Is it safe to feed to the birds?

What are they and how do I kill them. There alll over the place now.
Havent feed any to the chicks. I'm taking a hand full i a zip lock bag to show the feed store that I got the bag from.

 

[dinahmoe]

they are grain mites.i had a problem with them one year when i was raising mealworms.they get every where and the only way i got rid of them was to spread DE everywhere.the next morning they were gone.i did ,however ,lose all of my mealies.
alot of people freeze or microwave their mealie mediums so there will not be an explosion of mites.
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef629.asp

 

[sheila3935]

Those are grain mites. I would take the feed back to the store. They eat all the good stuff out of the food and leave basically dust. If you are seeing them on the outside of the bag then the inside is full of them. They bite and in some cases people can have an allergic reaction to them. I worked at a feed store so I know about grain mites. They made me itch and caused a bad rash. I wouldnt feed it to my chickens. I wouldnt give it to them after you sprayed chemicals on it. Take it back then clean your container with hot soapy water and let air dry. The heat and humidity plus older feed causes this. Also the feed stores get their shipment in wrapped in plastic and usually leaves it that way til it goes to the floor which exasperates the problem.

 

[Pidgey104]

Okay thanks. I'm going to toss that bag of feed then I really don't want to put it in my car. I'll also spend some DE around since before I found out there was mites in the bag I feed some food to my little finchs and doves. Why are these bug attacted to water so much? I droped a few drops on top of the zip lock bag there in and they flock to it. Werid

 

[dinahmoe]

unfortunately for us,they like hot and humid weather.
i may give up on raising mealies here in GA unless i keep them in the house but then again after this thread,i am not sure.
check out superchemicalgirl a couple of years ago.they got in the house.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...over-my-house-now-new-question-55-grain-mites

i have an old barn where i keep a working freezer to put my dog food in(ants get in it) and i may star putting the chicken food in there.i picked it up at a yard sale for $30.but that means i have to buy less food at a time.

as far as your doves,i think they are an irritant more than a parasite.the mites just really like grains.

 

[Pidgey104]

Well I took that sample ziplock bag back to the feed store. and of course I must have killed the bugs (Left them out in the car for 5 hrs) Beacuse they didnt move. Feed store lady said that was just dust from the feed. Told her no they are all over the place inside the feeds and outside of the bag. she told me to bring the feed bag in. I was not going to bring the bag in my car.She told oh its just weaver bettles. Told her no they were Grain mites. She check her other bags all looked good on the out side. shes ened up refunding me the $15 for the bag.