mites, mites, mites

[BayBay Peepers]

Some people are blessed with never having to deal with infestations and others have to fight them off left and right. You're doing the right thing by providing a good dust bath and treating the coop. Better safe than sorry because a heavy infestation will kill your birds.

 

[acmartin]

I am fighting these right now as well ..... It has been 2and 1/2 weeks now and both of my dogs are also suffering I have tried the permethrin cream with no relief what so ever also have bathed my 2 dogs with Adams flea shampoo 2times now . My life has come down to work,showers,vacuuming, laundry, and non stop cleaning. Went today and got a dehumidifier ( they say it is suppose to help ) but the crawling at night is driving me crazy ! Called an exterminator and they know nothing about getting rid of northern fowl mites grrrr ..... Had a big bunch of them get me at once in my face ( my chicken house is raised ) went up my nose, in my ears, in my hair ewwwww !!! Stressing big time over the lack of sleep and all the never ending work !!!! Anyone here have any helpful advise ????

 

[guineawoman]

I cleaned my whole house with clove, neem, and tea tree oil and that pretty much got rid of the issue ( knock on wood). I also put it in the wash with my clothes. We don't have carpet so it's much easier to clean.
These things are demons. I've been spraying the inside of the coop with Adams flea and tick for the house. Not the spray that goes on pets, it's specifically for the house. It seems to be working. Plus I sprayed the coop like three times with permethrin. I've been keeping 7dust in the nesting boxes under the bedding and on the floor under the bedding. Hope that helps. These things are a nightmare and they seem to just thrive in this nasty humid weather we have. I also slathered myself in castor oil when they got on me and it worked. Nasty gross feeling but it worked.

 

[lilyeti]

Just a heads up to those of your reading this response- Tea Tree oil does work great to kill mites in the home and on people, but it is poisonous to pets, especially cats and birds. Actually many essential oils are. Best to do your research before trying any essential oil on pets, even though they seem natural and safe to us, they aren't necessarily safe around your furry friends. Here's a helpful article: http://www.naturalnews.com/022909_pet_health_essential_oils.html

 

[lilyeti]

Sevin dust...hold the bird down (at night is best & wear a dust mask on your face) and dust the bird...rub it in all over them, and repeat on every bird in the coop & do repeat in 6-7 days in cold temps, or 3-4 days in hot days.
GOOP : a tub of Crisco or lard on roosts, I add 3 T of NEEM oil, and 2 T of "Melafix" tea tree oil. in a double boiler, & once cooled, glove up & goop all roosts, ladders & perches.
This "Roost Rub" is also excellent for sore bird feet or scaley leg mites, just rub it in as best you can under the raised scales.
I also load the hudson sprayer with NEEM oil per the directions AND sevin and totally cover the walls, ceiling, nest boxes & you name, every so many days as I said above.
For 3-4 doses. Each dose is the days of separation from one dose to the next, in November, I go 6 days, so every 6 days I do this method.

Never stop watching your birds if they are figety...picking at themselves...never stop grabbing a bird & turning them over to look for bugs.
Make it a habit to go out in your coops at night weekly, and flip a few over & see what is going on at night~~~
you may be very surprised.

Just a heads up to those of your reading this response- Tea Tree oil does work great to kill mites in the home and on people, but it is poisonous to pets, especially cats and birds. Actually many essential oils are. Best to do your research before trying any essential oil on pets, even though they seem natural and safe to us, they aren't necessarily safe around your furry friends. Here's a helpful article: http://www.naturalnews.com/022909_pet_health_essential_oils.html

 

[Chickielady]

Just a heads up to those of your reading this response- Tea Tree oil does work great to kill mites in the home and on people, but it is poisonous to pets, especially cats and birds. Actually many essential oils are. Best to do your research before trying any essential oil on pets, even though they seem natural and safe to us, they aren't necessarily safe around your furry friends. Here's a helpful article: http://www.naturalnews.com/022909_pet_health_essential_oils.html

here is a few articles that say just the opposite, of course, all in moderation.
My scaley leg-mite "roost rub" does have moderation, and is made from a gallon of either crisco or lard, so there is not enough essential oils to harm any bird & I and many others have followed this "recipe" for over 40 years now.
Read more on essential oils, including the melafix, which is made for Fish:


http://www.bigalspets.com/melafix-4...son+Shopping&gclid=COH5y8v2g8cCFQVbfgodItMNpw


Melafix soak used for bumblefoot:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/303829/vet-suggestion-for-non-invasive-bumblefoot-cure/40


Horse Fungal treatments (products range from Rain scald to hoof rot) here is 1 example, read the ingredients)
http://absorbine.com/gaTracker.php?...ing/g-fungasol-spray/fungasol-spray-label.pdf



Essential oils used for poultry care:
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/essential-oils-for-natural-chicken-care/


and another, please note the exact dosage & use for each recipe:
http://www.liveoakacupuncture.com/parrots-essential-oils


Another oitment for animals (note: it does not say which animals ! Hard to read the label, or total ingredients, or measurements of:
http://www.optimumchoices.com/October_2003.htm#Oil of the Month


And lastly, this page/web site, has many useful bits of knowledge about all animals, and remember, to always dilute essential oils, and bookmark this web page so you can go back & refer at later times:
http://www.optimumchoices.com/animals_essential_oils.htm

 

[LynnMarieFLA]

Hi Everyone, I have just spent the past couple of hours reading through this thread and making notes like crazy. My poor girls have a huge infestation of mites and I didnt even realize it. I just thought they were molting or I had a feather pecking hen in the group. Now they have feather loss around their necks and hubby just went and looked at ones butt and saw soooo many crawlies!!! So, I am now on my way to the feed store with my list of weaponry, ready for battle!
A question though, With the frontline or invermectin drops, is there any withdrawl from eating eggs? We have 37 girls, from 2 years to 5 months old, and I dont want to destroy all those eggs.
Thanks for the help!!

 

[Angiebubs]

Eprinex does not have an egg withdrawal time and is actually used for working humans in other countries. It's good for mites and worms.

 

[snaffle]

Hi Everyone, I have just spent the past couple of hours reading through this thread and making notes like crazy. My poor girls have a huge infestation of mites and I didnt even realize it. I just thought they were molting or I had a feather pecking hen in the group. Now they have feather loss around their necks and hubby just went and looked at ones butt and saw soooo many crawlies!!! So, I am now on my way to the feed store with my list of weaponry, ready for battle!
A question though, With the frontline or invermectin drops, is there any withdrawl from eating eggs? We have 37 girls, from 2 years to 5 months old, and I dont want to destroy all those eggs.
Thanks for the help!!

I battled mite for months. Treated the chickens and the chicken house many times. Never saw any, but learned they were mites because some feathers looked like someone cut them with a scissors. Our hen house was new and chickens had not been in it for a year when this happened. We decided that the chicken house was built next to a row of 18 spruce trees that are 30 years old... and full of wild birds... that probably carried in the mites. Part of the chicken yard is under branches of the trees to make it easier for the hens to get into shade.

We have had chickens in our barn for close to 20 years and none of them have ever gotten mites. All chicks that were hatched this year are still in the barn and they are now adults. Not going to put them in the hen house until I get a few more sprayings an bug bombs in the chicken house.

All 20 some birds even 2 ducks from the chicken house have been relocated to the freezer.

I dusted, did eprinex... dusted again several times... sprayed the hen house... and still battled the bugs. I recently learned about bathing the chickens with water, dawn and malathion 50 but decided to not do any more to the birds because they were 2 and over...

good luck with your battle...

I am going to coat our wood floor with blackjack 57 because I power washed it last week... and do not want the floor to rot prematurely because I probably hosed off all the thompsons sealer that had been put on... this power washer is pretty powerful

 

[L Marshall]

What is the difference between the Seven dust and the spray? I would think the spray would be easier to use.