Mites and more mites. . .

[SheaLoner]

This is my first flock so I wasnt quite expecting to have this much of a problem with mites. Scaly leg mites were noticed this evening and another type that is grey/brown and infests the coop and lawn around it. These ones will fall or climb on me eveytime I enter the coop or sit in the lawn.
I have been from the start dusting with DE to help with fly control, but its apparently not enough for mites? Or maybe the weather has played a factor. Hot and wet, with random hot and dry. Unusual for this area.

The plan is this weekend to pressure wash the coop, spray with permethirn %10 at 1 1/2 oz per gallon, then Lime wash all the wood. The chickens are going to be spending a day or 2 in my meat bird tractor 8'x8'. And spritzed with permethin 10 , at 1oz per gal, and vaseline on their legs for the scale mites.

Is it ok to mix a little permethrin into the vaseline? Or spritz first then slather?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This is my first flock so I wasnt quite expecting to have this much of a problem with mites. Scaly leg mites were noticed this evening and another type that is grey/brown and infests the coop and lawn around it. These ones will fall or climb on me eveytime I enter the coop or sit in the lawn.
I have been from the start dusting with DE to help with fly control, but its apparently not enough for mites? Or maybe the weather has played a factor. Hot and wet, with random hot and dry. Unusual for this area.

The plan is this weekend to pressure wash the coop, spray with permethirn %10 at 1 1/2 oz per gallon, then Lime wash all the wood. The chickens are going to be spending a day or 2 in my meat bird tractor 8'x8'. And spritzed with permethin 10 , at 1oz per gal, and vaseline on their legs for the scale mites.

Is it ok to mix a little permethrin into the vaseline? Or spritz first then slather?

Can you post some photos of their legs, possibly the bugs too?

For SLM I would slather on the vaseline or use Nu Stock cream a couple of times a week to smother them.
For mites/lice on the body and in the housing, use the Permethrin mixed according to the package instructions. Treat at 7 day intervals.

I see a lot of folks report that DE has not been an effective treatment for an active infestation. It would be nice if it were since it does seem to be quite a popular product. Added to dust bathing areas, it may have some benefits.

Here's some help with bug i.d. in case you need it. https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[SheaLoner]

No pictures of the mites unfortunately, coop has already been hosed sprayed and just waiting for the lime wash to dry. They did look like regular red mites only grey/brown. And here are a few pics of the suspected scale mites on 2 hens and my Roo,



They seem to mostly be on my large breed chickens. I have not treated the birds yet need to do a run to the store for vaseline, So most likely they will be treated tomorrow. They are in a "quarantine" pen and I did give them a sand/ash/DE dust bath with a spritz of the permethrin in it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No pictures of the mites unfortunately, coop has already been hosed sprayed and just waiting for the lime wash to dry. They did look like regular red mites only grey/brown. And here are a few pics of the suspected scale mites on 2 hens and my Roo,
They seem to mostly be on my large breed chickens. I have not treated the birds yet need to do a run to the store for vaseline, So most likely they will be treated tomorrow. They are in a "quarantine" pen and I did give them a sand/ash/DE dust bath with a spritz of the permethrin in it.

I would treat the coop/housing and birds for mites on the body with the Permethrin.

The legs look more dry than anything, so I would apply the vaseline at least once a week.

Just for kicks, take a look at the bottom of her foot and see if she has a lot of debris impacted into a pocket under her foot. Could just be debris that got stuck on and the angle of the photo.

 

[SheaLoner]

I would treat the coop/housing and birds for mites on the body with the Permethrin.

The legs look more dry than anything, so I would apply the vaseline at least once a week.

Just for kicks, take a look at the bottom of her foot and see if she has a lot of debris impacted into a pocket under her foot. Could just be debris that got stuck on and the angle of the photo.

No debris there just a bad angle, and chunk of hay trapped between the toes. None of my chickens are very pleased to be handled.
Coop has already been treated and the birds will be tomorrow after work.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No debris there just a bad angle, and chunk of hay trapped between the toes. None of my chickens are very pleased to be handled.
Coop has already been treated and the birds will be tomorrow after work.

Oh good, I'm glad it was just hay stuck on there. Sometimes debris can build up in the nooks/crannies of their feet and harden - of course as you can imagine, this can cause some difficulty walking and be painful over time.

A few of mine don't like to be handled a lot, so for those I wait until they are roosting to get a hold of them. Either after they have settled in for the night or early in the morning before they wake up. It's easier to take them from the roost and I don't have to try to corner/chase anyone which is stressful/frustrating for the both of us. LOL

 

[SheaLoner]

Mine have had the pleasure of my 3yr old niece wanting to "hug" them from the start. If I even look like I'm going to pick one up they scatter.

 

[JaeG]

Sulfur powder is much better for deterring and controlling mites (especially Northern Fowl Mite) than DE. I can tell you for a fact that DE is useless against red mites. I found thousands of them quite happily living in it at the bottom of my nestboxes under the bedding, all very much alive.

This is quite an interesting article about using sulfur:
https://entomologytoday.org/2016/07/18/battling-chicken-mites-with-bags-of-brimstone/

Sulfur powder has the same toxicity as table salt so it is very safe to use.

 

[SheaLoner]

Is sulfur powder generally available? Don't think Ive seen it at TSC but will have another look later.

 

[cmom]

DE among some other things are useless. I tried many different things when I had my first bout with mites and still had mites. I use permethrin. The bonus is there is no egg withdrawal period. Red poultry mites are actually a light grey in color before they feed. Once they've fed and they're full of blood they turn red. If you have a TSC they carry the permethrin dust, premixed spray bottles and the concentrate. Good luck...