Looking for a organic way to kill mites

[Bluebee]

Hello all! Sadly, my coop has been infected with mites

. I am looking for a way to kill them, but heard that Poultry Dust is very toxic. Can't find any other way to kill them a natural way, and was wondering if you had any suggestions. Please help if you can!

Bluebee

 

[Kevin565]

What about Sevin?

 

[gjensen]

Not that I am discouraging caution, but anything strong enough to kill the mites is "toxic". Not to mention that the mites are not particularly good for the birds either. You want effective, and to follow the proper procedures.

 

[marianne7]

Hello all! Sadly, my coop has been infected with mites

. I am looking for a way to kill them, but heard that Poultry Dust is very toxic. Can't find any other way to kill them a natural way, and was wondering if you had any suggestions. Please help if you can!

Bluebee

We tried everything natural and organic, sadly nothing worked, mites become hardened to a lot of stuff out there now, we lost two bird to a bad mite infestation, so if you are asking me...sorry dont know anything that works long term...they all came back within days....You are probably not interested in anything other than 'natural; but if you are we use Frontline (yea the stuff you use on cats) just two drops from a dropper syringe,on the back of their necks, lasts for 3 - 4 months, that and Ardap spray in the coop, is the only thing that worked for us....we are mite free now....you probably need to think of your chucks...Mites are killers, they literally eat your chickens alive, and their death is awful, I know....we went through it. - we also got a plastic coop, harder for the little monsters to hide....

 

[seminolewind]

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and get some bug killer.

HOwever, if you search around, I ended up a Petsmart online, there is a spray for mites on cage birds, and the ingredient is Pyrethrin (not permethrin). Pythrethrin is made from marigold flowers. Or just type in Pyrethrin and you will probably get alot of hits on where to buy it.

 

[Bluebee]

Thank you for all the answers and advice! seminolewind, do you spray the birds or the coop with the Pyrethrin? And also, how often?

 

[seminolewind]

Well, the mite spray for cage birds is too pricey to spray the coop. You may have to use chemical for that . Mites sleep in the coop, but get on your birds at night, most of them.

Everyone has their own timetable for mites/lice/worms. Most of the time I wait till I see one, then powder everyone. I worm maybe 3 times a year. I do use Sevin dust, but my canary gets the mite spray with pyrethrins.

I would think if you treat everyone and the coop, since you prefer using less or no chemicals, I think after treating x2 about 2 weeks apart, then only if you see bugs.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I vote chemicals too for an active infestation.

Permethrin spray and dust
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/pesticides.html

Don't forget to treat again every week (coop and birds) tossing all bedding until bugs are gone to get hatching eggs.

 

[ponyup]

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth ​

I keep a bowl for them to eat and they also take dust baths.

 

[seminolewind]

Diatomaceous earth is a great preventative, but it's been documented to say it does nothing for an already active problem.