How many time do I treat for leg mites

[TheTwoRoos]

My chickens have leg mites and I just started treating today.I soak them in soapy water and take a tooth brush and rub the legs with it.Then I rub Vaseline (Petroleum jelly),at the end.At night I will be rubbing Vaseline on as well.Treated coop twice with DE.

How long will have to do this treatment, have heard a week,and then at night for 2 or 3 more days after the full treatment has been done to rub Vaseline on.

 

[Kiki]

Which ever method you decide to use; remember the fact that the mite’s life cycle is completed in 14 to 21 days, so be sure to re-treat around 21 days to catch any of the mites you may have missed. Several follow up treatments with petrol jelly will help bring the legs back to a normal look. Scales that have been shed can still carry the mite, so consider cleaning your coop to remove any infected material. Just treating the birds may not be enough, so be sure to address the roost bars and nest boxes. Painting wooden surfaces are an effective way of sealing in and eliminating mites but odds are your birds will leave little white foot prints everywhere they go, so using an oil may be a better option for an active coop.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I have already got roosts etc with DE.I dont expect ever getting mites all killed,but I would like keeping things at bay.

 

[Kiki]

I have already got roosts etc with DE.I dont expect ever getting mites all killed,but I would like keeping things at bay.

I used to be a firm believer of DE.
I have read way more users complain where they use to swear by it and then used it themselves only to keep having the same problem.

 

[aart]

DE won't kill them.
Scaly leg mites are a different kind than the mites that live on the body,
and the kind that live in the coop structure and feed on blood only at night.

The vaseline packed up under the raised scales should kill the mites,
probably good to do 2 treatments a week or two apart.

Then you'll have to wait.....it can take weeks for the new scales to grow in.
You'll see some improvement right away, but the worse the infestation is the longer it will take for scales to recover....sometimes they won't scales won't recover and will remain deformed.

 

[JaeG]

DE doesn't work on mites. I had a bad infestation (red mite in the coop) and found thousands crawling around quite happily in the thick bed of DE that I had in the bottom of the nestboxes. It wasn't killing any and it certainly wasn't keeping numbers in check.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Can I soak and wash legs with flea and tick spray?

 

[aart]

Can I soak and wash legs with flea and tick spray?

I would stick with something that is approved for no meat/egg withdrawal in poultry like permethrin spray.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I was just wondering if there is some other method I could do besides washing their feet and Vaseline them at night and morning.I have about 25 birds so it gets tiring.I have heard of poultry protect for mites and fleas and lice,would that work for the legs?

 

[aart]

I was just wondering if there is some other method I could do besides washing their feet and Vaseline them at night and morning.I have about 25 birds so it gets tiring.I have heard of poultry protect for mites and fleas and lice,would that work for the legs?

I refer you back to my previous reply, repeated below. Leg mites are pretty innocuous, they don't spread fast like the other mites. Apply the vaseline, then give it time....no need to scrub their legs twice a day, too stressful for all concerned, IMO. You can do that if you want or use any other type of insecticide, but it's kind of overkill.

DE won't kill them.
Scaly leg mites are a different kind than the mites that live on the body,
and the kind that live in the coop structure and feed on blood only at night.

The vaseline packed up under the raised scales should kill the mites,
probably good to do 2 treatments a week or two apart.

Then you'll have to wait.....it can take weeks for the new scales to grow in.
You'll see some improvement right away, but the worse the infestation is the longer it will take for scales to recover....sometimes they won't scales won't recover and will remain deformed.