Mite infestation in bathroom, how to eradicate and how to treat chickens

[Maine_chic]

Ginmary, Coach723 and DellaMyDarling THANK YOU very much for the advice given. I think this is being caught at the outset fortunately and I will use permethrin...we are big fans of it here for tick control!! Im glad to know there are livestock specific ones on the market. I have scrubbed my bathroom...shut the door...and hope for the best. I will post an update in the coming days. I appreciate any and all advice based on what has worked for you so, again, thank you!!!

 

[Maine_chic]

You can simply soak the toothbrushes in bleach water for about 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse, until you can replace them. The prevailing opinion of many on the threads on this site discount the effectiveness of DE . I will bet that the more expert folks are going to suggest pyrethrin. If you search the forums for mites there will be many instructions on how to use it best. It is a natural insecticide but also comes in a synthetic form. Good luck! (I believe it can also be used on the chickens)

Thank you Ginmary, I agree Permethrin will be the way to go!! Thanks so much!

 

[Maine_chic]

I think you have probably solved the problem in the bathroom. They need the birds to survive. A permethrin product is most commonly used. It comes in powder or spray. You need to treat the birds and the coop. Some mites live in the coop and only come out at night to feed on the birds, so check them after dark. This link may be helpful:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
Here are some common products, The liquid works best in the coop to get in the nooks and crannies, you can use either on the chickens as well, directions for mixing the liquid are on the label, some products come ready to spray.
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Thank you greatly, this is super helpful!!! I will order some of this, I cant find it near me. I've heard that I can add the powder to a D. Earth and wood ash dust bath and I am going to give it a try! Thanks so much for the advice!

 

[Maine_chic]

Unfortunately, I throw organic to the wind in these scenarios. I have one hen suffering terribly. It took me a long time to figure out the problem. All my older flock has them now and I'm scared the babies will get them. I began an attack with Permethrin (spelling?)
Uck...so icky. I feel for you!

They can be very elusive on the birds themselves. I think I'd treat the birds regardless. My older hen is really suffering health wise now, so I imagine chicks will have an even harder time. The mites make them anemic, besides terribly uncomfortable.

Thank you!!

 

[Maine_chic]

UPDATE: Hi everyone! I sprayed my bathroom with the permethrin spray I had on hand. There were no survivors!! I hate using anything like this, esp INSIDE my home...but it was definitly effective. As for the chickens...I used an eye loupe and examined some shed feathers in their coop. I have also looked closely at their feathers, ep near the vent area. I see NO SIGN of mites!!! I assume its hard to see them but I could certainly see them in my bathroom...so I imagine I would see SOMETHING upon such close exam of my chickies. Then again, being new to this, Ive never seen chicken mites on chickens before, so maybe its not as easy as I imagine....?!?! Lacking signs of mites in our flock, we have held off on spraying permethrin into the coop, run or on the birds. (NOTE: I *DO* notice quite a bit of feathers in the cop and run...they are 10 weeks, so I assume this is normal molting as they get in new feathers? Otherwise, they look fluffy and healthy with no bare spots, etc.) I am going to get some powder this week, Pestene or similar and use it to dust them. I need to create a dust bath area for them as well. I hope Im going the right route and, as always, if anyone has any input on this, Im happy to hear it Thanks again to all who helped me through this incident!