is this lice? (with photo)

[seminolewind]

Agoodegg, try looking for sevin powder in the garden section of like Lowe's or Home Depot.
Every few months, I sneak into the coop at dusk/dark and rub their feathers the wrong way as I sprinkle the sevin on them. I don't worry about covering every inch of the bird because it will spread itself as the chicken preens etc. Will even get on their face when they preen.
I also sprinkle some in their dust bath hole.

 

[Judy]

In my rather limited experience, permethrin or Adams (which is permethrin and pyrethrins) is just as effective as Sevin. With either, you must retreat in two weeks, when unkilled eggs hatch, and you must treat the coop. And you may have to retreat again; they are not easy to get rid of, and there are plenty of sources. Since Sevin is supposed to go off the market at the end of the year, I'm guessing it is more toxic than permethrins.

I think a good dust bath with sand and wood ash is a great way to limit their numbers. I also use DE in the dust bath -- but that's another discussion.

 

[threehorses]

Oh yeah, ddawn. I had forgotten about the DE angle.

I agree that using it in dust baths is wonderful! It won't treat an infestation, but it might prevent one from getting out of hand. Sand baths, all of that -so smart. The girls are smart about covering themselves with dirt to keep external parasites off them.

I didn't know about Sevin going off market. OOOooo. Well you know, I'd used it for years, but this year I have problems because I killed all of my geckos using it for fireants. Because I don't have geckos now, I have cockroaches outside (common for Houston but I never had them before.) Because I have cockroaches outside, now I have to worry more about eyeworm, etc. And I cringe to think about the damage I did to bees. I had wondered why I didn't see any this spring. /cry

Please don't use Sevin, folks. Use permethin. It's a synthetic version of a natural plant-based insecticide. It used to be made by grinding up flowers, but it made elsewise now. You don't want problems with an inbalanced environment in your yard.

 

[luvbiddies]

Oh my gosh, i used sevrin dust today for the lice on my hens. I am afraid now, I don't want them to die.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
THEY won't die. The bugs will. Just go permethrin next time (and you know you have to repeat treatment in 7 days).

I used to use Sevin all the time on my poultry. I wouldn't do it now, but I didn't lose any. It's what it does to everything else that is the problem.

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:
I love your idea about the old tire and wood ashes. I may have to try that myself with the wood ashes from our outdoor fire pit.

However, I'm a bit confused about the cedar, as I've always heard and read (for years) that cedar is toxic to birds and can cause severe respiratory problems...

 

[luvbiddies]

Quote:
THEY won't die. The bugs will. Just go permethrin next time (and you know you have to repeat treatment in 7 days).

I used to use Sevin all the time on my poultry. I wouldn't do it now, but I didn't lose any. It's what it does to everything else that is the problem.

Thanks threehorses, my birds are alive and well. I will get some of the adams. What about the eggs are they safe to eat or should I just throw them away? And for how long? Also what about the use of those mite and lice tags, I saw at randall burkley?
Lisa

 

[lorrir]

I sprinkle powdered garden lime in the coop. Not real heavy but a good dusting. Sevin dust is advertised to use on garden vegetables. I don't see the concern for dusting birds. The sevin dust I use is the cannister type sold at Lowes or Home Depot.

 

[agoodegg]

what about dusting on a rainy day? I dusted the girls last night while they were on the roost with permethrin, but of course today they're all standing in the rain. Should I re-apply?

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
My opinion is this:

Sevin is being taken off the market this year. That's the concern.

It's very bad for honeybees, kills just about any living creatures in the garden that aren't bugs, and had a very very long residual time. There are just safer, more responsible, but still very effective products *meant* for poultry use at the same price and easily found.

Why use something that kills beneficial animals, ones that DO impact your chickens beneficially and specifically.