Lice on chickens and I pregnant

[Folly's place]

For lice, there's no reason to go that route.
Mary

 

[cmom]

Any idea what the egg withdrawal time is? Just picked some up today.

As the others posts have said there is no withdrawal period. I use permethrin and it works. It doesn't kill the pests eggs so repeat thorough sprayings are necessary.

 

[cmom]

I had a severe infestation of mites last year. I tried DE and it didn't do anything. I had to do something so I used permethrin. The birds were in terrible shape and I thought they were molting but they didn't seem to be getting their feathers back. That is when I discovered the mites. I started to spray their coops thoroughly weekly and eventually they got their feathers back and became beautiful again. Permethrin does not kill the pests eggs, so repeated weekly sprayings were necessary.

 

[ShannonR]

I had a severe infestation of mites last year. I tried DE and it didn't do anything. I had to do something so I used permethrin. The birds were in terrible shape and I thought they were molting but they didn't seem to be getting their feathers back. That is when I discovered the mites. I started to spray their coops thoroughly weekly and eventually they got their feathers back and became beautiful again. Permethrin does not kill the pests eggs, so repeated weekly sprayings were necessary.

Yes. But, the OP is pregnant and coming in skin contact with, or inhaling the permetherin could be detrimental to the baby...... especially doing so repeatedly as per permetherin treatments. Which is why I suggested a more hands off solution that the OP would not end up inhaling treating her birds. I was looking at the whole picture, not just the standard treatment.

 

[Folly's place]

I'll stand by my first post.
Mary

 

[ShannonR]

I'll stand by my first post.
Mary

And I'll stand by mine. A human baby is not less important than a poultry lice problem.

 

[ValerieJ]

Permethrin spray concentrate, and permethrin dust, work very well. I'd have someone else doing the treatment if possible though.
Wearing long sleeves, gloves, and a N95 face mask, is safest for anyone treating the birds. It's easiest at night while they are roosting, with a flashlight or headlamp.
Also spray the coop, and dust the bedding. Lice are mostly on the birds, but still...
I found cheap disposable 'hazmat' suits at Home Depot, $10 each, which I've bought for pulling out my poison ivy overgrowth here this year. Consider something like that.
Mary

Ditto!!! I agree with having someone else do it for you, or getting a hazmat suit and face mask if you have to do it. You and your baby are more important than the chickens, even though I'm sure you love them. We all do.

 

[Folly's place]

Did you read it? My first recommendation was to have someone else treat them! Of course the baby is important! And having Ivermectin in those eggs isn't so good either.
Enough here.
Mary

 

[ValerieJ]

Diatamatouce Earth works good as long as the invasion isn't major. I have heard you can clean the coop with bleach if it gets really bad.

I use FGDE as a preventative, but if I ever actually get lice or mites on my chickens, I'll be using Pyrethrin. I wouldn't trust it to kill off an infestation of any kind. Too many people here have found it to be ineffective. I've not had mites or lice yet, but I'd go for the big guns if I did.

 

[ValerieJ]

Did you read it? My first recommendation was to have someone else treat them! Of course the baby is important! And having Ivermectin in those eggs isn't so good either.
Enough here.
Mary

I'm confused. Who are you talking to?