Lessons learned in my battle with mites

[ladyearth]

I sure dont trust wood ashes anymore. two of my girls have breathing problems. I think it was from ash... I put it in a truck topper( In those concrete mixing plastic trays bins. also later mixed with peat then dirt. It still concerned me ...). In up on "pallets" also had it for them under our big shed....
I got scared when I remembered that stuff isnt supp to be vacuumed. It clogs the filters. So I stopped using it right away
they come out looking like ghosts. I called them ghost chickens.... then the lite bulb went off in my head.....no more ash
then did like chick chiken lady... sand instead coarse sand
Oh occ add a bit of food grade sulphur

 

[Sparkling]

OH I am SO VERY DISCOURAGED now!!!

I have had chickens for 3 years and we have never had mites. This week we just moved to a new house that already had 2 small chicken houses on the property. Today I just brought my chickens from my Mom's house and put them in the coop. The previous owners had left the house filthy, so we shoveled it out first and put fresh hay down. My daughter just found a mite crawling on her. I know this means we have just exposed our chickens to mites and by tomorrow morning they are going to be covered! I am SO UPSET!!!! What do I do now?

Tomorrow when the sun comes up I can scrub the house with pinesol. But what do I do for my birds?

I'm so sad for them. My poor birdies are going to be itchy with bugs now, disgusting, vile, bugs that cause infections and other ailments. I hate bugs!

I didn't want to have to put poisons on my birds. Is there no hope now? Am I going to have to poison my birds to kill the bugs? CAN they be killed? Reading this thread does not give me any hope. So sad now.

Sparkling in Idaho.

 

[ezlynx]

First, I would get a positive id on the mites. Find out exactly what they are. You could probably even go to your county local extension service for help (put some in a jar -- immobilize some on clear tape). And take good pictures. Clean up the chicken house completely.

I had a positive id on Northern fowl mites and topical ivermectin did kill them. In this thread, SPINOSAD has been suggested as an excellent antiparasitic (I haven't used it but it sounds extremely safe and effective).

 

[aart]

OH I am SO VERY DISCOURAGED now!!!

I have had chickens for 3 years and we have never had mites. This week we just moved to a new house that already had 2 small chicken houses on the property. Today I just brought my chickens from my Mom's house and put them in the coop. The previous owners had left the house filthy, so we shoveled it out first and put fresh hay down. My daughter just found a mite crawling on her. I know this means we have just exposed our chickens to mites and by tomorrow morning they are going to be covered! I am SO UPSET!!!! What do I do now?

Tomorrow when the sun comes up I can scrub the house with pinesol. But what do I do for my birds?

I'm so sad for them. My poor birdies are going to be itchy with bugs now, disgusting, vile, bugs that cause infections and other ailments. I hate bugs!

I didn't want to have to put poisons on my birds. Is there no hope now? Am I going to have to poison my birds to kill the bugs? CAN they be killed? Reading this thread does not give me any hope. So sad now.

Sparkling in Idaho.

Inspect the coop...especially where there are cracks and crevices, remove some boards where it meet flat up with another board and see what you find.
That's where the type of mite that lives in the structure of coops but only feeds on the birds at night will be living.
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).
Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.
Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Chances are pinesol is not going to get the job done, nor will herbs and spices nor DE.... you need an effective insecticide to eradicate an infestation.
I would suggest a liquid permethrin product to spray coop thoroughly, soaking all the cracks and crevices completely.

 

[Sparkling]

Has anyone tried cleaning the coop with boiling water and then treating the chickens? I'm considering trying that. Also considering just burning this coop and building a brand new one. But have to kill them on the birds now too I'm sure. So sad for my chickies.

 

[aart]

Has anyone tried cleaning the coop with boiling water and then treating the chickens? I'm considering trying that. Also considering just burning this coop and building a brand new one. But have to kill them on the birds now too I'm sure. So sad for my chickies.

I have read SO many stories of folks trying to eradicate insect infestations with all sorts of things...and the only thing that effectively works quickly is a insecticide.
Most those other things work ...kinda...for awhile....maybe sorta even after multiple and/or constant applications.
Even the chemical products need to be reapplied a second and maybe even third time to get the new bugs that hatch from the insects eggs.

Permethrin is effective and no egg withdrawal....spray liquid saturating coop and a powder on birds.
Tho you can use a liquid on the birds if it's not too cold to get them wet...https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1134783/permethrin-spray

 

[coop410silkies]

OH I am SO VERY DISCOURAGED now!!!

I have had chickens for 3 years and we have never had mites. This week we just moved to a new house that already had 2 small chicken houses on the property. Today I just brought my chickens from my Mom's house and put them in the coop. The previous owners had left the house filthy, so we shoveled it out first and put fresh hay down. My daughter just found a mite crawling on her. I know this means we have just exposed our chickens to mites and by tomorrow morning they are going to be covered! I am SO UPSET!!!! What do I do now?

Tomorrow when the sun comes up I can scrub the house with pinesol. But what do I do for my birds?

I'm so sad for them. My poor birdies are going to be itchy with bugs now, disgusting, vile, bugs that cause infections and other ailments. I hate bugs!

I didn't want to have to put poisons on my birds. Is there no hope now? Am I going to have to poison my birds to kill the bugs? CAN they be killed? Reading this thread does not give me any hope. So sad now.

Sparkling in Idaho.

Do not despair, Sparkling; you can use Spinosad, either as a premise spray (its labeled use) or as an oral medication you add to your chick's feed (this is an off-label application I've used in my brooder pen for fleas, with unmitigated success and no discernible side effects). It is an organic, rapidly lethal to many insects, including mites and lice of all species - and bees - with little or no effect upon vertebrates. I used Conserve, highly diluted, and others here have used Elector, as a premise spray; both are expensive and can be bought on Amazon. Google Comfortis for dogs. You CAN spray your chicks with this - or dip them - with no harmful effect from the Spinosad. (I dipped a rescue box turtle in a Spinosad solution, then sprayed its substrate, and when it was eating again, I sprayed its food with it; this approach TOTALLY rid it of mites/lice and it did not get them again.). In my experience, I've found Spinosad to be the most effective safest miticide you can use for chickens. Good luck and happy husbandry.

 

[Sparkling]

Do not despair, Sparkling; you can use Spinosad, either as a premise spray (its labeled use) or as an oral medication you add to your chick's feed (this is an off-label application I've used in my brooder pen for fleas, with unmitigated success and no discernible side effects). It is an organic, rapidly lethal to many insects, including mites and lice of all species - and bees - with little or no effect upon vertebrates. I used Conserve, highly diluted, and others here have used Elector, as a premise spray; both are expensive and can be bought on Amazon. Google Comfortis for dogs. You CAN spray your chicks with this - or dip them - with no harmful effect from the Spinosad. (I dipped a rescue box turtle in a Spinosad solution, then sprayed its substrate, and when it was eating again, I sprayed its food with it; this approach TOTALLY rid it of mites/lice and it did not get them again.). In my experience, I've found Spinosad to be the most effective safest miticide you can use for chickens. Good luck and happy husbandry.

Is this safer than the permethrin powder? I just went and bought some at the feed store to prepare for our ambush against the mites.

 

[Folly's place]

Permethrin dust works great, but is nasty to inhale, as is all dust. Wear a N95 dust mask! Spinosad looks good but is much harder to find, so I've no experience with it in poultry. I talked to an expert poultry veterinarian recently, who said that it's fine but more costly than permethrin, not used much. The permethrin spray is terrific, as I've recently discovered. Mary

 

[coop410silkies]

Is this safer than the permethrin powder? I just went and bought some at the feed store to prepare for our ambush against the mites.

Yes, more effective, too.