Lice and mites Ewww!

[miss_thenorth]

My dd came in yesterday with lice on her form the chickens. i dusted the chikens with dri-kill, and today she comes in with mites on her (dark brown tiny bugs crawling all over her arms). Apparently dri-kill doesn't work on mites, so what does?

and also, do the mites pose a problem for us humans? I realize the lice don't, but dd and I are itchy-(we both took a shower after exposure to the mites)

 

[k625]

When I had lice and mite issues all I used to was a product called Adams flea and tick spray, and also frontline used for dogs. I first put a dose of the frontline in the chickens crests since they were polish, and then I squirted the Adams under each wing and by the vetn area. This was almost a year ago, and I have not ever seen anything since then. I dont know how long you have to wait to eat the eggs after this but it did work for me.

Also people have used sevin dust. It is safe to dust your birds with, but you have to wait a little while to eat the eggs. I think it was about a week or 2 at least before its safe to eat the eggs. I hope this helps you out! It sure did help me

 

[d.k]

* I just dealt with sarcoptic mites on my animals-- dog had em BAD!!!! I used ivermectin in 3 doses 2 weeks apart. LEARNED also that animal mites can affect humans, but generally last less than 2 weeks feeding on people. BUT, YOU AND YOUR ANIMALS CAN KEEP RE-INFECTING ONE ANOTHER!!

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Dri-Kill is the best on mites but you have to use it for a few days to get the ones as they hatch out. Depending on the type of mites you have too you need to treat the coop. Red (Northern Fowl) mites stay on the bird for the whole lifespan so easy to kill with just dusting the birds but Common Mites only go to the bird to feed and spend the rest of their life in the bedding or inside wood of walls or perches. Cleaning your coop out, oiling the perches (which smothers the mites) and rebeding with about 10% cedar will be most effective in getting rid of Common Mites. Don't use full cedar bedding as it's too irritating to the birds.

Tea Tree Oil shampoo will take out the itch and kill any mites on you or your kids after cleaning or handling birds.

 

[miss_thenorth]

How do I know what kinda mites I have? These wer tiny (obviously) dark brown, and the moved quie fast.

Ds got suspended today, so I will make him clean the barn. I have to pick up my meat chcks today, so i can get more stuff to clean the barn.

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

There are some great pictures here.

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/2/2-5/Laura_E_John.html

But basically if you can find them on the chickens day and night they are Northern Fowl mites, and if you can find them in the barn in the day but not on the birds they are Common.

A good cleaning of the coop sounds like just the right medicine for your DS, and it sure will not hurt the birds!

As Sevin is now proven to be carcinogenic I don't use it at all. It's lost it's approval for use in poultry in Canada too. I just use rotenone (which is also Organic approved) Cedar bedding up to 10% for cure and DE for prevention.

Do you have starlings? I am sure now that they are the reason I get breakouts. I suspected it before and put up wire to prevent them from nesting in the barn. It was working till a wind storm tore a corner up and a pair took advantage of that. I fixed it but can't get to the nest, so they got brave and now fly in and out the barn door. Within a week I had Northern Fowl mites on my birds again. Just starting.

 

[jessupfamily]

DE has rid us of any problems we've encountered (lice and mites). We put a good thick dusting in the coop (floor, walls, ceiling, nest boxes, etc...). We also put quite a bit in the dust bathing areas and areas they prefer to sun bath. We do this about once every 3 months when it's warm out and 1-2 times in the winter.
Blessings,
Amy J.

 

[miss_thenorth]

We have starlings, but barns swallows seem to be the only thing nesting in my barn

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I agree with the frontline spray...works quickly and a friend of mine has show birds and that is all she will use...it kills everything on the chickens

Great stuff. I'm using it on my birds. ALong with putting DE In their nests and hen house

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
I am having an extremely hard time finding DE in large quantities. i do have stableboy for my horses--but I don't think it icontains DE.

WhenI go tot eh feed store to pick up my chicks, I will see what they have/reccommend. Regardless-the barn will be clean by this afternoon.