Itsy Bitsy creepy crawlies - on me!

[GallusSapiens]

Thanks, everyone, for your helpful advice. Here's another question: I saw a bunch of mites crawling around the lips of the nest boxes, which are currently filled with cedar chips! I though cedar was supposed deter mites, which is why I have it there. (In fact, until reca few days ago, all of the litter was cedar, but I read it's bad for the respiratory system, so I limited it to the nest boxes.) How did I get such a mite problem with so much cedar? Any ideas.

 

[Sylvestor12]

It deters not makes a protective shield. If the mites have found a good food source they would be content dealing with the cedar smell. I'd check your chickens skin for any mite wounds and stuff. If there are, you might want to rub some Neosporin on it.

 

[Reurra]

I think it would depend on the grade of cedar. Since cedar is toxic, I think it might have to do with the fragrance level. If the fragrance is faint, then the detering chemical might be faint too and therefore tolerable. I guess sometimes some bugs are resistant. then again though, if it was on the lip, and not actually IN the box, it might be doing it job keeping them out, but not away from the lip.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I think it would depend on the grade of cedar. Since cedar is toxic, I think it might have to do with the fragrance level. If the fragrance is faint, then the detering chemical might be faint too and therefore tolerable. I guess sometimes some bugs are resistant. then again though, if it was on the lip, and not actually IN the box, it might be doing it job keeping them out, but not away from the lip.

X2

You can spray the nesting boxes with the Permethrin I was talking about as well, but I would recommend only using it while you are also spraying/dusting the chickens, then swap to DE.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Thank you. DE is something new to me, and it seems that it may be a natural preventative for fleas as well (4 cats and a dog!), so we'll definitely be investing in some of that!

It is pretty cheap if you know where to buy it. I get it at the local feed store in 50 (I think) pound bags. I forget how much it costs that way because it was awhile ago that I bought it. (because it last a long time.) It's a good investment. We had a stray cat adopt us and she ended up pregnant shortly after. She was covered in fleas and passed them to her babies. We had them in the laundry room and we used DE to powder our carpets periodically to keep fleas at bay. It helps, but it definitely doesn't work alone. For mites though, I've kept DE in the nesting boxes and given the chickens plenty of places to dust bathe. Not being bale to dust bathe is the number 1 cause of mite infestations I've found. If your chickens have a favorite place to dust bathe, add DE and/or ashes from you fire place into the dirt there. That also helps a lot.

 

[GallusSapiens]

Well, two days ago, we cleaned out the coop and raked out the run. While the chickens were free ranging, I poured Sevin in the run and blasted it with a leaf blower to make sure everything was dusted. When the dust settled, and sprinkled the floor and nesting boxes with DE, and then filled the coop with pine shavings and the nesting boxes with cedar shavings. Towards their bedtime, I dusted the chickens with Sevin (though I am not sure I did it right). That night and last night I checked with a flashlight and could not see any mites crawling around as I had before. The chickens also were not desparate for a dustbath as they were previously.

However, this morning while sitting at the computer, I felt a familiar itch on my arm, and sure enough, when I looked closely, I saw a tiny crawling bug, about the size of a period (full-stop for the non-North Americans) on my arm. And then I found two more. I haven't even handled the chickens today - I just went out to feed them this morning. Now my youngest said she thinks she saw some on the handle to the run. Is it possible? Would they be roaming all over the place. Do I need to go back and dust the outside? Or could they even be living in my house? (I can't believe my wife hasn't moved to a hotel over this!) We are probably going to bug-bomb the house anyway (something we do regularly anyway having 4 cats and a dog with fleas becoming resistant to Frontline and Program both).

I know some people reading this probably think we live in filth - we don't, really! I've never encountered mites before - I hope I am not starting to hallucinate.

Any thoughts?

 

[Reurra]

Pests can live for a looooong time without thier host. Ticks are a great example. Research shows they can live for YEARS in all kinds of weather and never die.

I would use tea tree oil in the house on your carpet and clothing. Some people cant take the smell though or the vapors so if you are sensitive to it, it might not be so great.

What i recommend personally for in the house is a bug bomb. Raid makes a great one, just one can in each room. Cover up the kitchen counters, cover your beds and cover any place where children play with sheets. Kennel your animals in the garage or somewhere where they wont breath the vapors. Pop the bomb in the middle of the room and leave for 4 hours. Come back and open the windows and let it air out for 4 hours. NO bugs will survive. Its an extreme method, but effective. I have used it for very serious flea infestations.

If you want more organic though, use tea tree oil. there are some other methods here on BYC that work wonders too. Just do a search