Mites mites and MORE MITES!!!!!!!!!!!

[JimnJanet]

our 'cauna coop is infested with mites. Jist by reachin in to get an egg from the nest gits yer hand covered with 'em.
How do i git rid of 'em ?!?!?!?!?

 

[JennsPeeps]

Sprinkle the coop with food-grade (ONLY) diatomaceous earth. If you can't get it locally you may have to order it online. 10 lbs should run you around $20-25 shipped.

You should also put some DE in the areas where your chickens dust bathe. This will help kill the mites that are on their bodies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth (see section under "pest control")

Good luck!

 

[Jenski]

Before you start anything at all you may want to do a search of this forum or Google and figure out just what you have - - lice, mites, etc. Some pests reside on the birds, some in the coop, and they each have preferences on where they lay eggs, etc. Knowing the life cycle helps, too, so the first step is ID'ing your pest.

If you already have a severe infestation you may have to up the ante. Poultry dust would be my personal choice; it contains permethrin, is relatively safe for animals (but not insects), and is easily found at the local co-op or TSC. I use DE in my coop shavings, and poultry dust on the girls.

Some folks dust the whole bird, but I have had a good preventive maintenance results with dusting their bottoms and under each wing every 1-2 weeks. I would be interested to hear what large farm or professional poultry show people do.

It's a crummy job, but you may also want to strip your coop of all shavings/hay, scrub it with diluted bleach when the birds are not present, let it dry out, and treat the floors with a layer of poultry dust or spray before covering with shavings. Some pests lay eggs in wood crevices of the coop.

I do know it is very important to nip this problem right away; mites and lice can kill your birds.

Good luck!


Jen in TN

 

[Windy Ridge]

Yes, Jenski is absolutely right. If the infestation is so bad that your hand is getting covered just collecting eggs, your birds might (unfortunately) need a chemical to knock out the infestation quickly.

I also prefer permethrin to Sevin, but permethrin is particularly toxic to cats (and it always surprises me to see flea powders labeled for use on cats that contain permethrin...). DE does work well, but if the infestation is severe, you may need help more quickly so you don't lose any birds. Pyrethrin is less toxic and doesn't last as long, but is more expensive. Make sure to follow the label directions; you don't want to overdose your birds.

Putting a pinch or two under wings and around vent fluff can be helpful, as well as dusting cracks and crevasses where mites hide. Clean and treat nests according to the directions. Make sure to treat your rooster if you have one, because if he is infested, he can spread it back around to everyone else.

In addition, if you can identify the pest as Jenski suggests, you will know if/when you will need to re-treat in order to knock out the eggs that are hatching, what the life cycle is, how long they can survive without a "chicken" meal.

Good luck!

 

[JimnJanet]

Thanx Jenn, Jenski and Windy. I have identified what i have, it is lice. I believe i'm gonna strip the coop(s) clean and go with the DE and a good sevin bath in thier dust bowls, nest boxes and all the crooks and nanies of the coops.
Thanx again, Jim