Mite Problem

[chickens87216]

Hello, my chicken coop has a mite infestation, and I have gotten rid of it at least 4 times this year, and they keep coming back. I have been using a powder. What can I do to stop the infestation from returning

 

[nuthatched]

Do you have a lot of little wild birds?
How are you cleaning and treating it? And with what?

 

[Lillith37]

If the mites are living in your chicken coop, you are probably dealing with red mites or bird mites.

You need to treat all your birds and the coop at the same time. Bag and throw out or burn all bedding. Then re-treat on a regular basis until they are gone completely. Mites can complete their life cycle in as little as 3 days under optimal conditions, so depending on how bad the infestation is depends on how frequently you re-treat.

You need to get the powder into all the cracks and crevices of the coop.

Use corrugated cardboard pieces under nesting material and under roost bars. Tap the cardboard out on a white plate or white piece of paper. If you see mites, you still have a problem and need to keep retreating.

 

[chickens87216]

Ok thank you. I am not sure what it is called but it is a powder that gets rid of mites

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello, my chicken coop has a mite infestation, and I have gotten rid of it at least 4 times this year, and they keep coming back. I have been using a powder. What can I do to stop the infestation from returning

Ok thank you. I am not sure what it is called but it is a powder that gets rid of mites

You may want to use a Permethrin based spray to really get into the nooks/crannies of the coop, including roosting bars, nesting boxes, etc.

You can find the concentrate at stores like TSC, just mix according to the directions on the bottle.

A full clean out as suggested is a very good idea. Repeat treatment of the coop every 5 days, so I'd limit the amount of bedding that goes back into the coop until you have the mites eradicated.