How do you prevent lice and mites?

[Machoman6666]

What can I spread all over the coop to prevent mites and lice? I sprayed my birds with scalex and they no longer have parasites on them, but what can I spread all over their environment to prevent parasites? Would DE work?

 

[aart]

Not sure scalex is good for egg laying birds...or that it would work as a preventative.
DE will not prevent nor eradicate a poultry pest problem.
Did they have lice or mites...if so, which ones?

There's is no chemical that would really prevent mites or lice, using an insecticide can create resistance which then will be useless if you do get an infestation.
Keeping rodents and wild birds away from your birds is the best preventative.

 

[nuthatched]

DE is respiratory irritant, a carcinogen for you and your birds and is only mildly effective in dry conditions.
Best way to prevent them is to avoid straw as a coop material and do checks and keep other birds out.
Remember to clean out your coop completely, treat it with permethrine based powder or spray for livestock and get entirely new litter and nesting material.
You'll likely have to treat your birds again in 10 days to get any new hatched bugs.

 

[Machoman6666]

DE is respiratory irritant, a carcinogen for you and your birds and is only mildly effective in dry conditions.
Best way to prevent them is to avoid straw as a coop material and do checks and keep other birds out.
Remember to clean out your coop completely, treat it with permethrine based powder or spray for livestock and get entirely new litter and nesting material.
You'll likely have to treat your birds again in 10 days to get any new hatched bugs.

Would this be sufficient enough to spread in the corners and crevices of the coop?

 

[nuthatched]

What's the active ingredient?
It's best not to treat things that aren't a problem or resistances can happen. What bugs where you treating?

 

[Machoman6666]

What's the active ingredient?
It's best not to treat things that aren't a problem or resistances can happen. What bugs were you treating?

I spotted tiny red mites in the walls and roost bars. And I recently sprayed one of my new birds with scalex to treat feather lice.