How to best treat mites in your coop and on the birds?

[Show Sebright]

I have mites and can’t get rid of them. I have dusted my birds and coop down with diatomaceous earth. I have used mite spray specifically for chickens. I have sprayed soapy water in the coop. And I have given all birds baths with flea and tic shampoo. What else can I do? I have herd of garlic spray, should I try that? What is your best ways to get ride of mites?

 

[cmom]

The birds can get mites from wild birds and rodents. I have posted this before but maybe it will help. I had some birds that were severely infested. I thought they were molting but weren't getting their feathers back in when I discovered they were loaded with mites. The first thing I tried was DE. The birds weren't improving and still had mites. I first discovered them in only one coop but eventually found them on birds in another coop. I dusted the birds and the coops with the DE and no improvement for a couple of weeks. I did use some sevin dust that I had but it was almost gone but it did help. I did some research and came up with permethrin. I'm pretty sure the wild birds brought them into their coop. I used the dust on the birds and in their nest boxes and sprayed inside of the coops, every crack and crevice, on and under the roosts, ceiling, walls, floors, anywhere the mites can hide. It's best to clean out the coop before you spray. I use pine shavings in my coops. I did a weekly spraying for awhile and put permethrin dust in the nest boxes, originally sprayed the birds getting under the wings and worked it through their feathers with gloves which you can also do with the dust. Slowly the birds began to recover and get their feathers back in. I think if I hadn't treated with the permethrin when I did I probably would have lost some birds to the mites. The birds were in bad condition. Permethrin only kill live pests, not the pests eggs. TSC carries the permethrin poultry dust, premixed spray bottles and the concentrate. I use the concentrate. For my initial application I mixed it a little heavy. It did not affect the birds but I did keep them out of the coops while it dried. I spray my coops as needed and when I spray I do weekly spraying for a month then stop as I don't want the pests to develop a resistance to the permethrin. Repeated weekly spraying is necessary because again, it does not kill the mite eggs and as an added benefit is there is no egg withdrawal period. The birds are beautiful again. There are other products available but much more expensive and in my opinion the permethrin works great. Every over-the-counter (OTC) treatment of head lice contains either pyrethrins (Rid or Triple X) or permethrin (Nix). Both are effective treatment. Both only kill live pests, not eggs. Good luck...

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ok, I get everything from tractor supply. What permethrin should I get? And am I supposed to mix it into water or something?

You can get prediluted liquid (which comes in small spray bottles), aerosols, liquid concentrate (which you need to dilute with water), or powder. For treating coop or hard surfaces, liquid concentrate is the most sensible since even a tiny bottle can make a large amount. For treating birds directly, any liquid form or powder can be used. I got powder for the birds since I was treating during winter and didn't want to get the birds damp, and liquid concentrate for the coop.

 

[cmom]

I show my birds at poultry shows too.

 

[aart]

well my birds don"t have any yet and i am going to make sure thy don"t by preventive measures thanks to you all. Dam i love this site.

Be careful, using chemicals preventatively can create resistance, then they won't work if/when you do need them.
Have permethrin on hand and check your birds regularly:

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008



Oh, and.... Welcome to BYC! @paddyk22
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[cmom]

I agree with @aart. You could have some permethrin on hand but don't use it if you don't have any pests.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is there a difference... there is 13.3% permethrin and like 1% permethrin?

13.3 is undiluted, you need to dilute it down to use.

 

[David61]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/control-solutions-permethrin-133-32-oz?cm_vc=-10005
Non-toxic mix as directed. Permethrin 13.3
I think 1/4oz to gallon if water? Anyway, spray the birds, coop, roost, nest box, dog, yard... Kills flies, mites, fleas, lice.... Just read and mix to the right thing you want to treat. No need to with hold eggs.
It has worked for me.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I also used permethrin. I found dust to be easier on the birds (but you can also use liquid) and liquid concentrate for the coop (dilution directions should be on the bottle itself).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/permethrin.1368630/#post-22531811

 

[David61]

I have read a bad review on one brand of the permethrin 10 but the 13.3 is mixed for cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, flies in stalls, stock yards.... Abf good reviews. I was shock at the way it dropped my fly problem. No flies for weeks after one application. You mix this stuff 1 1/2 oz per gallon of water it will kill every bug in the coop. Just spray everything. Under roost boards, under poop boards... Every stick of wood. Clean the best box, spray the nest box, fill the nest box and spray the new bedding as it may be how its coming in. mix 1/2 oz per gallon and spray under birds wing and her back as she runs away. Spray coop and birds once a week for two weeks. Then birds ever other week. After spraying the coop, nest box and bedding once a week for eight weeks and birds five times you still have mites. Burn it down and move. I spray my coop once a month (when I add pine shavings and clean the nest boxes) and birds once every other month. No bugs, no flies. The only fly problem I have had was the out side run, around the compost pile and grass around the coop. I spray that every other month now.