Mites appearing AFTER hens sprayed?

[HollyWoozle]

After much research, I finally bought some Avian Insect Liquidator to spray the rescue hens and their coop, nest boxes etc. I sprayed each hen and the coop on Sunday evening, although I didn't do the most efficient job perhaps as was doing it by myself. It says to apply 4 - 5 sprays from a distance of 30 - 40cm, but I know it's primarily designed for ornamental birds so I wasn't sure if I should use a lot more on the hens (but I played it safe and stuck with that). I sprayed the coop and everything inside quite thoroughly. I am in the UK and this was the only real insecticidal stuff I could find that I am able to use directly on the chickens.

Up to spraying them I hadn't seen any mites on them, but I did find some mites in one of the nesting boxes so knew they are definitely around.

It's now Tuesday morning and suddenly the weakest hen is absolutely crawling in red mite! I'm so confused, they were definitely not present on her like that before. She has far fewer feathers than the others and is the weakest of the lot... I can only think that maybe I didn't spray her so well and now the mites are targeting her because they can't get on the others? But I thought the spray just killed them on contact...

I've given her a thorough spraying this morning, this time with help, and hope for the best. Some pics attached - hard to document but you can see them.

 

[CCUK]

I'm having a battle withered mites at the moment. I think the warmer weather we're having has been causing them to thrive. I have used 'nettex total mite' in the coops along with regular cleaning and disinfecting. I spray it everywhere. You can see where they are as they seem to leave s white residue. The red mites normally stay in the coop. If your seeing them on the hens then you may want to use ivermectin. It does have a withdrawal period of about 7-10 days on the eggs though. Wilkos sell it for a couple of pounds for 3 or for pipettes. I figured that my rescue hens needed something that would work and I wasn't all that bothered about the eggs. I got them to live better lives. Makes sure they have a dust bath as well. They should be able to preen most of the mites out themselves. Give them some electrolytes in the water. This will help replenish them. Especially with the hot weather.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Thank you for your thoughts. The coop had already been well sprayed with Dergall twice right before the hens arrived (about 5 weeks ago) and then I cleaned and sprayed again with Nettex perhaps a week or so ago, but I had not yet treated the chickens themselves. They have a dust bath with some DE powder included and I have been adding electrolytes and vitamins to their water sometimes, also giving them ice water several times a day which they really enjoy.

I am happy to go with a withdrawal period on the eggs and so to go down the ivermectin route if needed, but I was hoping the Avian Insect Liquidator route would solve the problem. Just feeling frustrated that this hen in particular, Ragnhild, didn't seem to have any on her at all and is now totally crawling in them two days after being sprayed!

 

[CCUK]

I'm not sure what the active ingredient in avian insect liquidator is. I think you will find that the best products for killing mites have permethrin in them. Alot of people don't think that DE is any good for killing mites. I would tend to agree. Maybe for light infestations over a period of time but for quicker results definitely permethrin.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Avian Insect Liquidator contains permethrin. I have read lots of opinions on here that DE isn't really sufficient, I just added it to the dust bath as an extra really.

I didn't realise until the AIL arrived that it is so poisonous to cats. We have 4 cats here but they can't get into where the new hens are so hoping it will be OK - have washed self and clothes thoroughly after use too.

 

[HollyWoozle]

As an update Ragnhild looks pretty mite-free today after having a second, more thorough spraying with AIL yesterday morning. Now to try and keep on top of it!

 

[perchie.girl]

mites are insidious.... Toss all bedding spray any nook and cranny.... because during the day they hide in the gaps betweeen the wood then they come oout at night. If you can pull the nest boxes down and spray all surfaces...

Then you will need to spray again in ten days or what ever the instructions say.... thats how long the eggs take to hatch.

good luck. I have only had issues with leg mites....

deb

 

[aart]

I'm not sure what the active ingredient in avian insect liquidator is.

There are 3 ingredients.....not sure what the other 2 are and if there's any withdrawal for them.

Piperonyl butoxide, Permethrin, Methoprene.
https://vetafarm.com/product/avian-insect-liquidator/

How often and where to spray depend on the type of mite,
some live only on the bird,
and some live in the coop structure only coming out at night to feed.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

There are 3 ingredients.....not sure what the other 2 are and if there's any withdrawal for them.

Piperonyl butoxide, Permethrin, Methoprene.
https://vetafarm.com/product/avian-insect-liquidator/

How often and where to spray depend on the type of mite,
some live only on the bird,
and some live in the coop structure only coming out at night to feed.

The big two mites are Grey Mite or Northern Fowl Mite and Red Mite or Roost Mite. The first mite named lives on and gnaws on the skin of you chickens in hopes of getting a drink of Lymph fluid while the Red or Roost mite hides in the body of the coop, pen, or nest and sallies forth after dark to suck the blood from your flock.

 

[CCUK]

They should call red mites 'vampire mites'. Horrible little bloodsuckers!