Lice and Mite treatment

[BeccaSmith]

So I have been using a Prozap Poultry & Garden Dust (http://www.jefferslivestock.com/prozap-poultry-garden-dust/camid/liv/cp/LE-S1/) but I have not been able to get rid of the lice, and I even dusted twice about 7 days apart. I still see lice eggs at the base of the feathers. Now I checked one of my hens and thought I saw little red specks running around on her vent, about the size of a pin or needle tip. I always thought mites were a night time pest so I was surprised to see them during the daytime. At first the Poultry and Garden Dust worked, but now it doesn't seem to be doing anything. Am I doing something wrong? My next plan of action is to get some Sevin dust and use that, but I know will not kill lice eggs as well. Is there anything that will? I have read on Adams Flea and Tick shampoo, but I wasn't sure if that would work on mites, and will it kill lice eggs as well? Just trying to figure out what the best plan of action is and hoping to get some advice! When I dust I put the powder in pantyhose and tie a knot and use it as a poofer to get under their wings and near the vents and throughout their feathers, is there a different meathod that would provide more coverage? I'm getting really frustrated. Also I use the deep litter method as well for bedding in the coop, I'm sure that needs to be cleaned out as well.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I recently had a red mites problem as well. One of the things that I read was that those mites really like to live IN your coop - in the pine shaving or straw or wood. So, no matter how much you clean your birds they will just keep coming back unless you get the coop too.

I cleaned out everything super well and spray bottle bleached the wood. Then, when I replaced all of the pine I mixed everything with diatomaceous earth and sprinkled it all over the floor and along all of the edges and cracks and what-nots.

I dusted the birds with seven (wear a mask!) twice a few days apart then dusted them with diatomaceous earth after that because it's less scary than the seven. I also made sure to always have a dust bath for them with the diatomaceous earth in. You can even put all little in their food if you want, it's not toxic. (make sure you have food grade and not the pool kind)

Good luck. Those little guys give me the creeps!