Looking for advice regarding mites and lice

[jolly wattles]

I use permethrin. Never have any problems with pests. If you use DE I suggest using a mask when spreading it as it is harmful to inhale. I never use it around my chickens or other animals.

 

[rebrascora]

How old are they? If they are over a year old they will be winding down to moult, but the mites definitely will reduce egg production. Are they penned or free range. If the coop is infested with mites there is also a good chance they have decided it is more comfortable and safer to lay their eggs elsewhere..... they can be quite inventive even in a pen sometimes.....check under the coop etc.

 

[HarryF1]

How old are they? If they are over a year old they will be winding down to moult, but the mites definitely will reduce egg production. Are they penned or free range. If the coop is infested with mites there is also a good chance they have decided it is more comfortable and safer to lay their eggs elsewhere..... they can be quite inventive even in a pen sometimes.....check under the coop etc.

Sadly, I don't know their age, the person I bought them from said they lay 2-3 eggs a week. They're free range, I highly doubt that they're laying eggs any where other than the coop as my garden isn't that big.

 

[Shadrach]

Hello HarryF1

I‘ve lost count of the number of posts I’ve seen like this. Anyone would think the posters had shares in the agro chemical industry.
Every time the OP gets recommended this product or that, non of which are good for the environment and some I doubt are good for the chickens and others just don’t work.
If you want to spend your money on a handful of chemicals, most of which are expensive if you treat your coop on a regular basis, then follow the advice above…..
If on the other hand you want to kill mites and their eggs and the mites you don’t know you’ve got yet, and the bacteria breeding on your coop surfaces then buy a blow torch and learn how to use it.
Bee keepers have been using blow torches to clean bee hives for years and bees wax coated wood makes great fire lighters!
The blue flame tip on the average blow torch is 400 degrees centigrade. Everything mite and egg that flame tip touches dies.
There are videos on the net showing how to do it.
It’s true you can’t use it on the chickens but only the scaly leg mite lives on the chicken and Vaseline will take care of that.
It’s true you can’t use it on plastic coops but as far as I know mites wont live on plastic.

 

[jolly wattles]

Hello HarryF1

I‘ve lost count of the number of posts I’ve seen like this. Anyone would think the posters had shares in the agro chemical industry.
Every time the OP gets recommended this product or that, non of which are good for the environment and some I doubt are good for the chickens and others just don’t work.
If you want to spend your money on a handful of chemicals, most of which are expensive if you treat your coop on a regular basis, then follow the advice above…..
If on the other hand you want to kill mites and their eggs and the mites you don’t know you’ve got yet, and the bacteria breeding on your coop surfaces then buy a blow torch and learn how to use it.
Bee keepers have been using blow torches to clean bee hives for years and bees wax coated wood makes great fire lighters!
The blue flame tip on the average blow torch is 400 degrees centigrade. Everything mite and egg that flame tip touches dies.
There are videos on the net showing how to do it.
It’s true you can’t use it on the chickens but only the scaly leg mite lives on the chicken and Vaseline will take care of that.
It’s true you can’t use it on plastic coops but as far as I know mites wont live on plastic.

I wouldn't advise the average backyard chicken keeper to put a torch to their wooden coops without the proper supervision.