MItes and Permethrin Powder

[Fruitful Eden]

I recently discovered that the chickens had mites...(itch itch). One of the broody hens had them on her, and then I checked the other chickens and found a few more. I looked all around the roosts and the nest boxes and couldn't find any of the mites but they were on the eggs! So I was very worried and lost some sleep over it before I decided to get the poultry powder for mites. This powder is a Permethrin product. I was going to get the Sevin dust but this was recommended by the clerk. So I burned all the bedding of the nest boxes and then I made a watery paste out of the powder and water. I used a sponge paint brush to paint the roosts (we have a very large open coop, like a shed). I completely covered them on every side. Then I painted the nest boxes with the mix. They dried and now have a white wash look. I put the chickens in a plastic feed sack with the powder and tried my best not to get it on their heads....didn't work very well. I think I got a lot of it too, but I'm still alive so I guess its not too toxic. Anyway I did all 14 chickens and then left them alone for the night.

Today when I checked on the girls they all looked good except for one. This poor girl was sitting by herself on a roost and by closer inspection I noticed she was covered on the surface of her feathers with mites! It was really gross, and very sad for her. So I dusted her again, very thoroughly. SO MY QUESTION is, how long does this permethrin powder need to work? Last I checked on her she was still crawling with these mites. They are not crawling off her onto the roost they are just on her surface feathers. And she seems to be the only one. ANYONE?

 

[RonP]

I am not fond of using pesticides, but…

My nesting boxes have a paper leaf bag protector which I cover with shredded bills and shredded junk mail. Once per year, I change out the litter completely and replace the bag.

As a preventive measure, I liberally coat the box with Permethrin powder 5% prior to covering it with the paper bag.

I cannot say for sure this is why, but I have not had issues with mites, now about 11 years using this setup, even though the powder never touches the birds.

Hope this helps.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I don't have a time line for it to work but permethrin does work as does seven. I have had to wash an individual with flea and tick shampoo to kill and remove the mites from the bird quickly.

 

[RedDrgn]

The heck with it, I'd go to your nearest garden/landscaping/etc. and get a container of Sevin dust. See how well they like that.

 

[liz72703]

Ditto on what the others have said about Poultry Protector spray.

It's already a spray so you can just apply to the bird as well as roosting bars, nesting boxes, etc. Wear latex gloves and spray some in your hand and then rub it on their heads so you don't spray it in their faces.

I also put a few drops of the pour on Ivermectin under the feathers on their backs a few times a year. Never hand any mites or lice.

 

[pjstar]

Please let me know if the DE worked because I heard it doesn’t kill anything and I’ve been using it as a preventative for just about everything. I let my chicks dust bathe in it. Thank you

 

[galanie]

Permethrin is supposed to work on contact. You shouldn't need to wait for it to work. If it's that bad on one bird, bathe her in flea and tick shampoo like the poster above suggested.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i have one little D'Anver hen who is super susceptible to mites. For some reason, she gets them worse than any other hen. i generally need to do multiple steps with her to get rid of them. Ivermectin drops on the back of her neck only work marginally. Dusting just pisses the mites off. And i have also seen her with the mites on the surface of her feathers after treatment. Only thing that really works is a bath with a few drops of flea and tick shampoo, then multiple rinsings. i just rinse and rinse until i don't see mites coming off in the water anymore. Then i also do the Ivermectin, and gently wipe her down with Poultry Protector after i dry her off. Of course, cleaning and treating bedding and coops is a must.

Poultry Protector is good to use on little babies and to gently wipe mites off eggs. i used to have a fairly wild hen, who i didn't handle much, hatch out two babies. Didn't realize she had mites. They killed one of the babies in one day. Afraid to use anything stronger, i saved the other baby by spraying the Poultry Protector on my hand then held that chick, many applications later, we finally got rid of the mites.

i hate mites.

 

[Fruitful Eden]

I'm thinking that the poultry powder didn't work. I went outside and saw that the permethrin can was covered in the mites! And even on the top where there is powder residue. So I'm going to try the Seven dust to see if that works better. I have 15 chickens, and I'm thinking giving them all a bath will have to be a last resort. What type of Seven dust should i get, are there different kinds?

 

[RedDrgn]

Was the poultry powder expired and/or had been exposed to moisture (including high humidity) or temperature extremes before use? If not, especially if you just recently purchased it, return it. I haven't used it myself, but I know folks who do and it does work on mites (and lice and other such pests), so maybe you've got a defunct batch?