How often to treat to rid of lice?

[rascal66]

Just a quick question, but how often would I need to repeat dusting to rid of lice? I have a bunch of chickens, and not all seem to have lice, but some definitely do. I've seen eggs as well...
So if I dust them today for example, when would I need to redust them to get rid of any that hatched?

(I'm using permethrin dust, and love it. But I would like to make a plan to *attempt* to more thoroughly get rid of the lice. They are never ending and a hard battle.)

 

[Sally PB]

So if I dust them today for example, when would I need to redust them to get rid of any that hatched?

Do it again in 7 days, and then again 7 days after that. You might need a 4th treatment.

Get rid of all the bedding in the coop, and spray everything with permethrin. TSC has pre-mixed liquid, but it's cheaper to get the concentrate and mix your own.

Really spray everything thoroughly, and haul the bedding out and throw it away or burn it. Clean out and treat the nest boxes too.

 

[rascal66]

Do it again in 7 days, and then again 7 days after that. You might need a 4th treatment.

Get rid of all the bedding in the coop, and spray everything with permethrin. TSC has pre-mixed liquid, but it's cheaper to get the concentrate and mix your own.

Really spray everything thoroughly, and haul the bedding out and throw it away or burn it. Clean out and treat the nest boxes too.

Goodness, 4 treatments??? boy do I have a project ahead of me. That means I gotta dust 150+ chickens, and while their coop will be easy, just not looking forward to dusting every individual. But its gotta be done! I'm sick of the buggers.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Go to TSC (as recommended) get the Permethrin 10 Spray Concentrate ... Economical and much easier. Get a gallon garden sprayer for your mix, at night/dark go into the coop and spray/mist your chickens that will be up on the roost. Catch the roost & their undersides. Prior (daylight) remove all bedding and burn ... Spray the coop and dust the nest boxes with the Permethrin dust. Repeat in 7 days and then maybe another treatment after that. Lice are more difficult than mites.

 

[cmom]

Goodness, 4 treatments??? boy do I have a project ahead of me. That means I gotta dust 150+ chickens, and while their coop will be easy, just not looking forward to dusting every individual. But its gotta be done! I'm sick of the buggers.

I have around 400 birds. I's neatly impossible to treat them all. I do spray the coop well, everywhere for 3 or 4 weekly treatments because as previously mentioned it does not kill the pests eggs so repeat treatments are necessary. I use a backpack sprayer because I have several coops. Because it would be quite heavy I only mix up a couple of gallons at a time but it is enough to treat all of the coops. I have used a gallon sprayer with a nice long wand to treat the hard to reach areas. I also put the poultry dust in the nest boxes. Also some people use the o.25% which is what most poultry dust is but I use the concentrate and mix it 0.50% which has worked well for me for both lice and mites. Good luck...

 

[rascal66]

I have around 400 birds. I's neatly impossible to treat them all. I do spray the coop well, everywhere for 3 or 4 weekly treatments because as previously mentioned it does not kill the pests eggs so repeat treatments are necessary. I use a backpack sprayer because I have several coops. Because it would be quite heavy I only mix up a couple of gallons at a time but it is enough to treat all of the coops. I have used a gallon sprayer with a nice long wand to treat the hard to reach areas. I also put the poultry dust in the nest boxes. Also some people use the o.25% which is what most poultry dust is but I use the concentrate and mix it 0.50% which has worked well for me for both lice and mites. Good luck...
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Thank you for your input!! do you also spray any birds at all though? I was thinking about doing a deep cleaning soon, especially since down the road we will be moving the flock and they will be getting a new coop. I'd love to kill off as many lice as I can before then.
If its okay to ask, what do you do with the lot of your chickens? We do just about everything, from selling eggs, meat, chicks and older birds.

 

[Al Gerhart]

One thing that I do not believe was mentioned; how the mites are getting into your flock in the first place. Usually wild birds, rodents, squirrels (also a rodent), or new birds brought in without treatment and quarantine.

Treat the flock but also figure out the vector bringing in the vermin or there is no end to it.

 

[rascal66]

One thing that I do not believe was mentioned; how the mites are getting into your flock in the first place. Usually wild birds, rodents, squirrels (also a rodent), or new birds brought in without treatment and quarantine.

Treat the flock but also figure out the vector bringing in the vermin or there is no end to it.

My flock has been free ranging for closer to 4 years now. I'd suspect it from wild birds, but I'll never truly know. It became more of an issue about 2 years ago. Some get it bad, some don't get any at all. It's a constant battle