How clean do I have to make the coop before spraying it down for lice?

[BesideStillWaters]

I'm not asking because I'm lazy - just wondered do I have to clean between every board, get in every crack, scrub the walls with soap, etc? Because I'm finding it impossible to spray down the chickens and clean / spray down the coop on the same day. By the time I finish with the chickens themselves, I'm too exhausted from handing the chickens to clean and treat the coop. If I clean the house and spray it down first, I'm too exhausted to handle the chickens. I've tried for three weeks straight with permethrin spray, and I'm afraid to use it again for fear of making lice resistant, so I spent the money and got Elector PSP. I don't want to chance the lice getting resistant to it. Can I simply soak the cracks and such with the Elector PSP? Will it still get rid of the lice and eggs even if it's not all squeaky clean? I cleaned out the poo off the roosting bars and got most of it off the floor yesterday to try to give me a head start today but I still have a ways to go and I'm running out of daylight and energy here.

 

[Folly's place]

'Squeaky clean" has never happened here in the coop! Just shovel it out, scrape off the big hunks, and spray everything. Lice spend their time on the birds, not so much in their environment, but it's enough for mites too.
We add some permethrin dust under the new bedding, and in the nest boxes under their bedding, which also helps. And spinosad will arrive here after permethrin fails, which hasn't happened.
Retreat the birds at least one more time, maybe twice, about a week apart, so the newly hatched lice or mites die too.
And realize that when your birds have any outside time or other wild bird contact, these rotten critters will reappear at times.
Mary

 

[BesideStillWaters]

'Squeaky clean" has never happened here in the coop! Just shovel it out, scrape off the big hunks, and spray everything.

That is a huge relief, thank you!

Lice spend their time on the birds, not so much in their environment, but it's enough for mites too.

I'm actually not 100% sure if they are mites or lice. All these little white dots on my boy Wild Thang are whatever I'm dealing with.

I asked months ago on here but I could never tell which it is. Thankfully, I'm only seeing a few now and not an infestation like a few months back. Now I know to look periodically to check for appearances.

We add some permethrin dust under the new bedding, and in the nest boxes under their bedding, which also helps. And spinosad will arrive here after permethrin fails, which hasn't happened.

Thank you! I'll do that too - I always forget the nest boxes. Ugh! My poultry dust says don't put in nest boxes, so this is something I didn't know how to treat. I'll definitely add this to the nest box!

Retreat the birds at least one more time, maybe twice, about a week apart, so the newly hatched lice or mites die too.

Even with Elector PSP? I was told that one spray kills the adults and eggs, so I won't have to stress out about it again for a while.

And realize that when your birds have any outside time or other wild bird contact, these rotten critters will reappear at times.
Mary

Oh yeah I figure that. We have a lot of songbirds around. Thing is, I really REALLY need to rehome seven roosters, and I'm not going to do it until I'm 100% sure I've knocked out the mites / lice. These new roosters aren't with the hens and the rooster who had them the worst is in a bachelor situation, so I'm not sure that these roosters even have anything on them. I'm treating everyone just to be safe. But I expected the mites / lice to reappear. I hoped I could get rid of them after two more treatments, but this is really wearing me out.

Also, I can't seem to get them all off one rooster. I dipped him three weeks running, and then used my hands to get it in his neck feathers, on his comb, on the outside of his ears (careful not to get any inside ) and the mites / lice come right back. They hang out on his face (that I can't dip) and don't get into the permethrin. I did the best I could getting it on his face. I didn't want to get it in his eyes, nostrils, ears, beak...

 

[BesideStillWaters]

Also, how crucial is it to spray the run they stay in? Not the whole yard they sometimes free range in, but the run attached to their coop? Should I also soak that with the Elector? And will it get rid of ants?

And can I spray Elector around cats?

 

[Folly's place]

My run is actually part of the roofed coop, and gets treated the same way. An outside run is outside, available to bees and other beneficials, and there's no way I'd spray it with anything. Treating the coop and chickens will be fine.
There will be mites or lice again, as long as the birds can be outside with wild birds. Maybe much later, maybe sooner.
Mary

 

[BesideStillWaters]

My run is actually part of the roofed coop, and gets treated the same way. An outside run is outside, available to bees and other beneficials, and there's no way I'd spray it with anything. Treating the coop and chickens will be fine.

Oh definitely, I wouldn't want to harm the bees and pollinators, which is why I don't dust my vegetables. I don't want bees to come for flowers and find poison.

There will be mites or lice again, as long as the birds can be outside with wild birds. Maybe much later, maybe sooner.
Mary

Makes sense. Will the mites and lice die down in the winter as ticks do?

 

[BesideStillWaters]

And can I spray Elector around cats?

I ask this because there is a feral cat population nearby and I don't want to spray the chicken's run and accidentally poison them. The cat's run runs alongside the chicken's run.

 

[Folly's place]

Permethrin is toxic to cats at lower doses than are dangerous to most other species, so having it wet when a cat contacts it would be bad. When the coop is dry it's okay, the cats won't be eating the shavings!
ANY insecticide is toxic to bees or almost all other insects, also fish, frogs, and others often.
Spinosad will kill those bees too!
Mary

 

[cmom]

I agree with Mary @Folly's place. I use permethrin and it works well for me. I use the concentrate but it is also available in premixed sprays. You will need to thoroughly treat inside the coop everywhere, every crack and crevice. If using the concentrate I use a gallon sprayer with a wand to reach the hard to reach areas. Also weekly treatments are needed for 3 or 4 weeks. No insecticide will kill the pests eggs so repeat treatments are necessary. I also put poultry dust in my nest boxes. There is no egg withdrawal period so the eggs are safe to eat. Good luck

 

[cmom]

Also with Elector PSP, which is quite expensive, their fact sheet also states that repeat treatments may be necessary.