It’s hard to say where they came from. The chickens free range, and we’re in the woods so it’s hard to keep wild birds away. There’s no food kept in the coop. Feeders are outside, but we secure them at night. Any scratch and food scraps that we give them are put far away from the coop. The coop is also secure at night with no way for rodents or other birds to get in when it’s closed up.
How and where all did you apply the neem oil?
Did you have bugs before using the DE?
Bugs yes, like tiny tiny ones in the PDZ on the poop board during hot summer, DE took care of them and next day they were all gone. I didn't check for mites before so no idea. DE in dust bath was a precaution others suggested.
We had the kind used in gardening and diluted it with water according to the instructions on the package, then sprayed that on the roosts, walls, floor, pretty much everywhere but the nest area, and let it dry before letting the birds back in. I did that once a week for a few weeks. Once I was sure the mites were gone I stopped spraying the neem. It’s been a year now and they haven’t been back.
Extremely helpful! I think those same bugs are bugging here, too! Ughhh!
But now I have a solid gameplan to tackle them.
