Mites in the chicken feed

[meowteri2]

Anyone seeing mites in their chicken feed bags? Just noticed this last week. Is this from the warm and humid weather? They showed up in the rubbermaid container
in the garage with layena in it and in the purina start and grow I had in the house. The sstart and grow has been in the house since april. I s this the same kinda mites
that bother chickens or is this just a grain mite?

 

[kidcody]

You didn't say what these mites/bugs looked like but most likely they are the Indian meal moth or the sawtoothed grain beetle both are fairly common in feed for livestock and even found in some grocery store items. Warm weather gets them going

certainly will do no harm to your chickens, just some extra protein for them

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Putting the feed in a freezer for a couple of days will kill them

They will eat the grain and ruin it

 

[meowteri2]

Quote:
On the rubbermaid container with layena they look like grey dust. They are very small. If you look closely you can tell its moving. The chick feed in the house has the same thing
but is a orange color.

 

[jakell2010]

The orange one I likely a bird mite,,,,,first of all get it out of the house, they are generally a sign of a need for change in sanitation, bird mites can get really out of hand,,,clean and wash all areas where you are seeing these guys, wash with a capfulmof bleach per gal of water, you can use a registered insecticide in areas that don't actually contact the food, like the outside of the can you keep the feed in and the top,,,,,alsoyesyou can freeze the feed to kill the mite, but the time of freezing required would vary with the species of mite, if you live in a cold climate and the mite is indigenous , then the freezing time may be weeks,,,,you can take a sample of the insect to your local co-operative extension and they will I'd the bug,,,,I am in NY, and we have cornel that has co-op extensions designed to help farmers and gardeners in every county,,,,,good luck

 

[Elphaba2140]

I am so glad someone posted this. I went out to feed yesterday and my tubs were covered in the grey dust of moving specks. How on earth can you put 100 pounds of feed in your freezer? any other ideas?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

This is the time of year that weevils really begin to show up in feed. I had to take back a couple of bags of feed wheat two weeks ago because it was so weevily they'd eaten holes through the bag. Same thing happened last summer as well.

If you just bought the feed and it's in its original bags I'd take it back. If not and it's not too far gone I'd feed it out quickly then thoroughly clean your feed cans and feed storage areas. You may want to spray the area (not inside the feed cans or on the feed) with a pesticide to get anything you did not sweep up. This is one of the few uses I have for diatomaceous earth. I powder the floor of my feed room with it to keep keep ants out of my feed storage and deter roaches and weevils from getting in. Of course if they were already in the feed when you brought it home it won't do any good, but it can help keep them out if the feed was clean.

 

[TessK]

I assume you are talking about the food grade diatomaceous earth?

 

[MarthaWindle]

I understand Neem oil is a good mite preventive/killer - I love my D.E.