How can I completely get rid of mites?

[Folly's place]

Feather loss is pretty extreme, and may not happen at all. Years ago I had three nice hens die because of mites, and figured it out only with the third bird. Awful! Since then, I've learned, and watch for them.
Bears and cougars? How about electric fencing as security?!?
Mary

 

[ValerieJ]

Feather loss is pretty extreme, and may not happen at all. Years ago I had three nice hens die because of mites, and figured it out only with the third bird. Awful! Since then, I've learned, and watch for them.
Bears and cougars? How about electric fencing as security?!?
Mary

Yes, I've been talking to my husband about fencing for 5 years. But with five acres, 3 of which are full forest, and a riverfront to think about, it is a big job. Didn't consider electric fencing, maybe just around the cleared area. Wouldn't be very pretty. Well, it's an ongoing discussion around here. Thanks for all the great advice. Meantime I'm getting that spray and just treating as if they have mites.

 

[twendt]

I use permethrin spray and dust. It doesn't kill the pests eggs so repeat thorough spraying is necessary, ceiling ,walls, floor, inside and outside of the nest boxes, on and under the roosts, any cracks and crevices where the mites can hide, everywhere. This is what has worked best for me and I have tried a lot of different things. I initially used the premixed in the bottle but now use the concentrate and mix it with water in a gallon sprayer. I had some birds that looked terrible and at first I thought they were molting but upon further inspection found they were covered with mites. Luckily they were in only one coop but I sprayed all of the coops. I dusted the birds with permethrin dust. Now the birds are beautiful again.
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I used the same products when I found lice this spring, worked like a charm. Mites are a little tougher so you will have to treat longer. Inside the coop is crucial, that's were they hide and breed. I also dusted my girls with Diatomaceous Earth (food grade). Good Luck!

 

[ValerieJ]

You all have me running around trying to find out if my chickens have mites, what to do about them and how to prevent them.
I found this article very helpful and thought I'd share it here.
https://morningchores.com/chicken-mites/

 

[Folly's place]

DE is a real health risk to inhale, for us and for our birds. It's also pretty ineffective, and not worth using because it's not harmless. Permethrin is a better choice, being much more effective.
Mary

 

[Chickadee Salt]

Hi!
So, I have actually just dealt with mites. I was able to get rid of them by cleaning the coop everyday, mixing DE and wood ash in a bucket and sprinkling it everywhere in the run and coop, and dusting every chicken with permethrin. It just helped to have some perseverance.

 

[Folly's place]

If only mites were a one time event!
Mary

 

[KlinoClucks]

Wow thanks for all the info! It's encouraging to know that it can actually be controlled. I'll definitely try these ideas very soon and let you know how it goes!