Mites! Everywhere!

[Taylermartin]

I have been battling mites for some time now. I have tried DE, ivermectin, permethrin, and a shampoo called cypermethrin. I finally caved in to buy elector psp but it hasn't arrived yet.
I am finding mites everywhere not only on my chickens but a few crawling on my phone this past week. I have two cats and a dog that I suspect might have them as well.
How can I treat everyone and everything? I feel like this won't ever get under control.

 

[nuthatched]

Yikes, that's awful.
How have you been treating the mites? Have you completely cleaned the coop out, treated the coop and put new bedding and litter in?

 

[Taylermartin]

Yikes, that's awful.
How have you been treating the mites? Have you completely cleaned the coop out, treated the coop and put new bedding and litter in?

Yes, I've done it all

 

[nuthatched]

Yes, I've done it all

Do you have a wood pile, or under the coop, piled of leaves, anyplace dark and damp where they could breed? Any large flocks of wild birds.

 

[Rurumo]

Chicken mites/lice don't live on people or dogs, but if you have a bad enough infestation they are probably hitching rides on you and your dogs. Permethrin resistance is a growing problem in some areas, you might just have bad luck with regards to it. I would give sulfur a try-there is no resistance to it and elemental sulfur is harmless. You can add it to their dust bath for prevention or try hanging bags of it where they will bump into them, like right at the entrance to their coop https://entomologytoday.org/2016/07/18/battling-chicken-mites-with-bags-of-brimstone/. Good luck!

 

[Taylermartin]

Do you have a wood pile, or under the coop, piled of leaves, anyplace dark and damp where they could breed? Any large flocks of wild birds.

Initially I used staw for bedding and realized that could be the issue so that's gone. Wild birds do come into my yard and eat my chicken feed and drink from their waterer.

 

[Taylermartin]

Chicken mites/lice don't live on people or dogs, but if you have a bad enough infestation they are probably hitching rides on you and your dogs. Permethrin resistance is a growing problem in some areas, you might just have bad luck with regards to it. I would give sulfur a try-there is no resistance to it and elemental sulfur is harmless. You can add it to their dust bath for prevention or try hanging bags of it where they will bump into them, like right at the entrance to their coop https://entomologytoday.org/2016/07/18/battling-chicken-mites-with-bags-of-brimstone/. Good luck!

I had read about sulfur powder but have been skeptical to use it. Is there one that is better than the other?

 

[McChooky]

I stripped and cleaned/treated my coop and run multiple times using permethrin before white washing the coop .Then coated all their interior and exterior roosting bars and nest boxes with neem oil.I tried dips and sulfur dust on the chickens between treatments with permethrin but had to use ivermectin in the end to get rod of them (per the instructions in an online veterinary manual) Good luck!

 

[Taylermartin]

I stripped and cleaned/treated my coop and run multiple times using permethrin before white washing the coop .Then coated all their interior and exterior roosting bars and nest boxes with neem oil.I tried dips and sulfur dust on the chickens between treatments with permethrin but had to use ivermectin in the end to get rod of them (per the instructions in an online veterinary manual) Good luck!

Thank you! Are you white washing with regular paint? Does the neem oil suffocate mites, is that what it's for?

 

[McChooky]

Thank you! Are you white washing with regular paint? Does the neem oil suffocate mites, is that what it's for?

I make lime wash with calcium hydroxide from Amazon.Neem oil interferes with reproduction and prevents them hiding in crevices & feeding on the chickens.

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