Mites: I've tried EVERYTHING

[butterflypie]

Have you tried Sevin dust you can dust the chicken and their boxes with this powder

 

[cgmccary]

I cannot get rid of mites in my coop. Here's what I've tried:

At the first appearance of mites, I used a few drops of ivermectin on each chicken. Removed all bedding, raked out all detritus in the run, and thoroughly sprayed absolutely everything with neem oil (1 TB concentrate mixed in a gallon of water).

Two weeks later, the chickens still had mites, and bad. I covered each hen in permethrin dust, removed all bedding, sprayed everything down with neem oil, and repeated this process (dusting chx, cleaning coop) every 7 days for 3 weeks. On week 3, I washed the chickens in Dawn dish detergent with an apple cider vinegar rinse. The mites finally seemed to be gone, and the chickens started laying eggs again.

3 weeks later, the mites are back. We found them on some eggs, and found 3 of the 6 girls have them, 1 has them bad. Two of them have nits at the base of their feathers. WHAT DO WE DO???? I'm so frustrated. They're nasty little buggers, and we can't seem to shake the problem.

We have a DE dust bath for them at all times in the chicken run. Has anyone else had a persistent problem with mites that wasn't cured by the common methods???

Mites are bad this year due to the heavy rains in my area too. I did not read all the posts (and do not have the time) so don't know if this has been suggested, but in addition to what you have done (which all usually work), I suggest you buy the Frontline PLUS used for puppies & kittens. It comes in a spray bottle. Spray one time under wing and one spray below the vent. This keeps working for a month and should rid your problem. Spray down your coop and nest boxes with permethrin spray. Replace nest box material with pine or cedar shavings.

 

[salkxsj]

I'V read that they hide in the cracks of the wood so soak and clean very well and use sand for bedding and runway. and if you can use plastic and CVP pipes that's better. they have no where to hide, hope this helps.

 

[Indigosands]

I don't mess around anymore, I just keep mine up on frontline. It's pricey but if I add up all the "remedies" and treatments that I wound up doing for various things before I started doing the frontline, it was nearly as expensive. Saves me a whole lot of stressing out my birds and hard work too.

 

[cgmccary]

Quote: A word about DE -- it does not prevent mites. Good dirt or quartz sand in dust baths will be just as effective and a lot cheaper.

 

[JoeG]

I found mites in my coop as I was cleaning. Decided to try clearing all the pine shavings from the coop, vacuuming everywhere, then spraying the coop top to bottom with Neem oil. After that I put sand all over the coop floor and nest boxes. Opinions on the best thing to dust the birds with. Saw two of the ten with a couple of visible mites. Am planning to use the Neem oil again in seven days.

 

[kdmac95]

I've not found a mite problem, but I did have a lice problem. I used Poultry Protector by MannaPro. It worked after the first treatment, and it says it treats/prevents mites as well. It's non-toxic, and can be used as often as you'd like. You spray the birds as well as their coop/nesting box. I get mine at Tractor Supply http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/manna-proreg;-poultry-protector-16-oz but I imagine most feed stores have it. Amazon.com also carries it, but at a little higher price.

 

[oswald808]

Nu-Stock seemed to work pretty good for me and my rooster with leg mites. As soon as I put it on his legs he would stop pecking at them. His scales are pretty lifted though...
The vet put him on Ivermectin in the beginning but after a while it seemed to stop working, even with the dosage raised...

 

[tx203grower]

Make them a dust bath out of a sand/diatomaceous earth (DE) mix. The DE will def do the trick, it's great stuff! Just be sure it's "food grade" because the chickens are likely to ingest some. You can even mix up to I think 2% in their feed to aid in worming them. It's all natural and it works great. I would definitely give that a shot.

 

[A ChicksChick]

Hello

Being that this is my first time around raising my own chickens, I was curious to know more about your method you use in your coop. It sounds interesting and I hadn't heard of using sand verses shavings in their nest boxes and on the coop floor. Nor had I entertained the thought of covered cat litter (nest) boxes, verses wood boxes...Our chicks will be here next Tuesday and our coop is in the process of being built. It is a salt box design, board and bat,will be completely made of wood. I find myself questioning the design after reading the comments in this forum, pertaining to mites. (and them favoring all the cracks and crevices in which they like to hide.) It certainly is easier for them to hide! What sort of cleaning regime do you recommend I start out with to help in being pro active against such pests? Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated and thanks for your help in advance!