Lessons learned in my battle with mites

[wantedman66]

Here's what I did and it worked for me I haven't had mites in a year,first I cleaned the coop sprayed a mix of pure orange oil and water in the nest boxes and on the Roost's then sprayed the chickens and roosters with permethrin under wings on neck,legs and vent area. Then what I did and do daily is mix cayenne pepper in with there food and snack's which has raisins in it so the pepper sticks too them,and I also use ACV in there water with the mother in it every time I put new water in the coop. I have over 40 chickens and sell and eat the eggs so I will not put any chemical's in them and cannot dip them in anything toxic,I had a pretty bad infestation last winter and actually had a worm problem also and it took care of both. It did take a couple weeks but haven't had a problem or lost a bird,I also breed and hatched 100's of chicks and start giving them the pepper at 8weeks so far so good.

 

[confetticrafts]

I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing the "top line" is the line down the center of the back, pretty much the spine, since that is on top and goes in a line down the body. Keep in mind that the article was taking about sheep, not chickens, too. But I saw another poster said he sprayed tea tree oil around the coop, so it seems to be safe for chickens, too.

 

[lhamid]

Mites are an ongoing problem. I use a multi-prong approach but the main tool in my arsenal is IVERMECTIN.It controls worms and mites/lice. This is from my web page:

http://sweeth2o.us/Parasites.html


LICE and MITES
Lice and mites can be a serious problem. By the time you see them, you may have a massive infestation. If you see mites on your birds, you need to
clean your coops thoroughly. Lice live only on the birds, but mites live off the birds and climb back on at night. Scoop all shavings out of the coop,
bag it and dispose of it in the trash (not the compost pile). Spray the entire inside with the Adam's Flea and Tick Spray (active ingredient 0.15%
Pyrethrins), or poultry spray from the feed store, especially under and on top of the roosts. Then apply Poultry Dust all over the floor and in the
nest boxes. Add clean shavings and some poultry dust to the nest boxes. Follow directions BELOW for Ivomec treatment for worms, then re-treat 10-
14 days after initial worming to break mite/lice life cycle.

Ivomec is a brand name of ivermectin and yes, it is a cattle de-wormer in that form. You may be able to find generic ivermectin at your local feed
store. I use 1% injectable cattle ivermectin mixed in water. You can purchases a syringe at the feed store to measure with.

1cc IVOMEC per quart of water/ or 4cc per gallon.

NOTE: If your syringe has measurements in ml instead of cc, they are the same thing

The mixture is the only water the birds get for 2 days. Mix small batches (a gallon) to retain freshness as more of the solution is needed. I did give
the meds for 3 days, but decided the birds were doing ok with only 2 days.I don't toss the eggs. Ivermectin is used for a de-wormer for people and
has not caused any problems as far as I know from my extensive reading. For those that want to jump on the previous statement -- Yes, once in a
while there will be someone with a rare sensitivity to the drug.

POUR ON IVOMEC
I have heard that you can also use pour on Ivomec. If you don't have a lot of birds, this is practical. Each bird is given 2-3 drops (bantams) of the
Ivermectin Pour-On (for cattle, the blue stuff) on the back of the neck. Standards get 4-5 drops.


Heavily infested birds and birds with or near the remainder of the flock (even if you don't detect mites):
A. Frontline (I buy generic Fipronil, Sentry Fiproguard 9.70%) drops for small dogs - placed at the base of the back of the neck
a. 1-2 drops for small birds
b. 3-4 drops for large birds

 

[Duckie48]

I have not used enough garlic to leave any taste in the eggs. I wouldn't worry too much as it would probably cut the amount used in cooking.
Honestly, I am going to source the left over matter from a garlic grower if I can find one, or grow my own. I just know it worked.

Pestene is a powder especially for the treatment of lice. You sprinkle it in the cleaned out nesting boxes. Plus on the infected adult birds. Also on the coup floor. Not a long term thing though as it wears off.
I had a hen with a chick and she was lousy, so I dusted her and the chick died from the powder, so I learnt from that.

 

[Michael Apple]

Mites are an ongoing problem. I use a multi-prong approach but the main tool in my arsenal is IVERMECTIN.It controls worms and mites/lice. This is from my web page:

http://sweeth2o.us/Parasites.html


LICE and MITES
Lice and mites can be a serious problem. By the time you see them, you may have a massive infestation. If you see mites on your birds, you need to
clean your coops thoroughly. Lice live only on the birds, but mites live off the birds and climb back on at night. Scoop all shavings out of the coop,
bag it and dispose of it in the trash (not the compost pile). Spray the entire inside with the Adam's Flea and Tick Spray (active ingredient 0.15%
Pyrethrins), or poultry spray from the feed store, especially under and on top of the roosts. Then apply Poultry Dust all over the floor and in the
nest boxes. Add clean shavings and some poultry dust to the nest boxes. Follow directions BELOW for Ivomec treatment for worms, then re-treat 10-
14 days after initial worming to break mite/lice life cycle.

Ivomec is a brand name of ivermectin and yes, it is a cattle de-wormer in that form. You may be able to find generic ivermectin at your local feed
store. I use 1% injectable cattle ivermectin mixed in water. You can purchases a syringe at the feed store to measure with.

1cc IVOMEC per quart of water/ or 4cc per gallon.

NOTE: If your syringe has measurements in ml instead of cc, they are the same thing

The mixture is the only water the birds get for 2 days. Mix small batches (a gallon) to retain freshness as more of the solution is needed. I did give
the meds for 3 days, but decided the birds were doing ok with only 2 days.I don't toss the eggs. Ivermectin is used for a de-wormer for people and
has not caused any problems as far as I know from my extensive reading. For those that want to jump on the previous statement -- Yes, once in a
while there will be someone with a rare sensitivity to the drug.

POUR ON IVOMEC
I have heard that you can also use pour on Ivomec. If you don't have a lot of birds, this is practical. Each bird is given 2-3 drops (bantams) of the
Ivermectin Pour-On (for cattle, the blue stuff) on the back of the neck. Standards get 4-5 drops.

Those methods for Ivermectin were taken from someone who had plenty of time on their hands but didn't want to accomplish much. Ivermectin won't eliminate or prevent mites, lice, intestinal worms on poultry. I've used a number of methods over many years to know what works and what doesn't. That includes Ivermectin, which has already been addressed on this thread, and many others. The tried and true methods work, and here's an example:
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/MF2387.pdf

And as much as I dislike repeating myself, I do it again for good measure:

"Macrocyclic lactones (e.g. ivermectin, moxidectin), whether for oral delivery or as injectables do not control northern fowl mites: the effective dose would be very close to the dose that is toxic for the birds. Moreover, in most countries macrocyclic lactones are not approved for use on poultry."
http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2540&Itemid=2816
This equally applies to Knemidocoptes mites since they are not blood suckers, but burrow into the skin.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Another insecticide to add to your rotation is SPINOSAD. This is an FDA approved insecticide and it is not chemically related to the other insecticides so there is lower risk of resistance. When I came across this type of insecticide, I was surprised that there was not more information on it so I started a thread:https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-mite-infestation-that-works/10#post_14170194

Certain forms of the insecticide are actually approved for organic gardening, but the active ingredient has been used in the poultry industry in nonorganic form.

I also think that powdered sulfur as a preventative in dust bath is a good idea, but it wont treat an infestation.

For those that are interested, Elector psp is concentrated Spinosad. You can find Spinosad in some garden sprays etc. but if you look at the label, the amount (%) is much lower than in the Elector. I have not used the lower dilutions, so can't say how effective they are, just that the Elector worked in my situation.

Yes, rotation is important. For some reason, my flock's mites were completely resistant to permethrin. I hadn't used it before, but there must be an overuse of it in the region. UCDavis also reported resistance to carbaryl (Sevin) in CA.The spinosad might be working so well because it is new and has not been over used. There is a warning on the label not to contribute to the resistance of pesticides by over use.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

For those that are interested, Elector psp is concentrated Spinosad. You can find Spinosad in some garden sprays etc. but if you look at the label, the amount (%) is much lower than in the Elector. I have not used the lower dilutions, so can't say how effective they are, just that the Elector worked in my situation.

Yes, rotation is important. For some reason, my flock's mites were completely resistant to permethrin. I hadn't used it before, but there must be an overuse of it in the region. UCDavis also reported resistance to carbaryl (Sevin) in CA.The spinosad might be working so well because it is new and has not been over used. There is a warning on the label not to contribute to the resistance of pesticides by over use.

It is good to read that someone else had success with Spinosad. I ended up ordering a concentrated organic garden spray From amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VJBYMC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Then I diluted it so the active ingredient would be consistent with the FDA approved human lice shampoo dosage of .09 % for application directly to the chickens (which was about 1 parts concentrate to 5 parts water, a higher concentration than recommended for just the garden.) Then I treated the coop at a somewhat higher concentration.

Do you remember where you purchased the Elector PSP? I have never seen it in the farm stores.

 

[Heme]

Interesting that you find pepper works for you? I personally have not used cyan, but it is a cure for joint distress; thus, your girls will not suffer from Arthritis.

 

[johnderosa1]

It is good to read that someone else had success with Spinosad.  I ended up ordering a concentrated organic garden spray From amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VJBYMC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  Then I diluted it so the active ingredient would be consistent with the FDA approved human lice shampoo dosage of .09 % for application directly to the chickens (which was about 1 parts concentrate to 5 parts water, a higher concentration than recommended for just the garden.)  Then I treated the coop at a somewhat higher concentration.  

Do you remember where you purchased the Elector PSP?  I have never seen it in the farm stores.  

I got mine from a link posted on this thread. Valley vet

 

[Attila the Hen]

Terrific! I've done every possible thing wrong.
Only the rooster appears to suffer from mites. I finally got tired of looking at his grubby self (an ornamental Sultan) and bathed him. That was interesting..... And he got blow dried..... All this brought him down a peg or two. Actually the crud from the infestation on his head had to be pulled out with a toothbrush. It was really built up.
I put DE in the coop, I put Ivermectin on the rooster 3 times recently including tonight.

Thank you for the interesting information. I will follow this thread to see how the new product Elector works for those who buy it. The Ivermecton was hardly cheap.,, Live and learn.