mites, mites, mites

[PhatChicks]

Does anyone have pictures of what infected birds look like? Mine regularly have dust baths plus I put DE in the coop/nesting boxes. A few of my birds have tattered looking feathers while others are completely fluffy. Can only one or two birds be infected with mites in a flock of 14? They stay in the run during the day but are free range during the evenings.

 

[Folly's place]

Go out in the dark with a flashlight, part the feathers at the vent, and look for tiny moving critters. If only one bird has some, treat your whole group and do the coop. Birds get tattered, but bugs need to be seen. Lice are small and light colored, mites are brownish. Mary

 

[karenerwin]

Go out in the dark with a flashlight, part the feathers at the vent, and look for tiny moving critters. If only one bird has some, treat your whole group and do the coop. Birds get tattered, but bugs need to be seen. Lice are small and light colored, mites are brownish. Mary

What I saw was longish, skinny and gray ( on the meat birds). In the main coop I looked at some loose feathers in the nest boxes. I saw some long thin eggs or nits and 1 bug. So, I'm going to have to do the whole coop. Of course I just added 2 big bales of wood shavings on Friday. The 3rd unopened bag is stored in there also, so I guess it's probably contaminated too. There are also 6 chicks that are 2 and a half weeks old living in there with their momma broody. Will they be able to handle being around the chemicals?

 

[chunkyonchia]

This all made me SO ITCHY to read. A few days back, my sick hen, unable to bath, had a massive outbreak of mites. When bathing her in water (she had a flystrike wound that needed cleaning) I noticed the mites. And later I noticed them on me. Thankfully they won't LIVE off a human, but they will bite you and you'll be itchy for days. Even now I'm phantom itching! THanks for all of the treatment options!! I will try to burn the old bedding in the coop to make ash - 2 for 1

 

[Blulaced Damsel]

Help!
I just went in to collect eggs and all over the eggs in one next were tiny mocroscopic insects! Crawling all over! I took them out, shot a video and then quickly dusted them in a bowl and then dusted the nest, but obviously that's like putting a bandaid on a giant crack in the Hoover Dam!! WHAT ARE THEY??
If I took a picture they wouldn't show up as much more than crumbs all over the eggs. What was obvious was seeing them move, and then having gen crawl up my arm as I took them out of the nest--- eeeew! They are brown/light brown in color.
One of my hens has dirty crud in her feathers, but not bad. It's a flock of 30.
Anyone? Treatment options would be helpful too.
And, I have them on me now, is this a problem to my housed conure?
I did attach a photo now you can see a tiny dot on my hand near the edge.

 

[Folly's place]

Gordon's permethrin spray concentrate! Scroll down to the permethrin spray thread. Mary

 

[Lb4paws]

If you are worried about chilling them by spraying then I'd recommend just dusting them really well. Dust the coop, dust their bodies, and leave a pan of dust out for whenever they want to use it.

Hi- i live in WI too.....kinda cold right now. what did you dust with ? and how much did you use? thanks!

 

[SVTechChick]

So, after reading up here and elsewhere, we decided to do the Elector PSP method on our small flock for poultry mites. We have a mix of old and young birds who are free ranging most of the day, and may come in contact with wild birds (songbirds) in their foraging, so this made the most sense.

Expensive as heck, but a little goes a long way. One teaspoon to half a gallon of water, sprayed on the birds, bedding, coop and floor. We heavily sprayed their vents, under wings and legs, and then gently lifted and sprayed all around their head and necks to drench.

Eggs are safe to eat, may need to do one more in two weeks. Only toxic to mollusks, so must not pour anything down the drain. The girls tolerated their spas pretty well, and are happily preening in the sun. They'll get their favorite treat of melon seeds in a bit.

I'll post updates on how effective it was!

 

[atmaclean]

Has anyone ever tried the Frontline on the chickens for external bugs? I started using it for mites several years ago (and also treated the coops perimeter after initially seeing the nasty things). I have never had the mites again. I treat with Frontline twice a year and never see bugs on my birds anymore. It is the easiest and most effective treatment I have ever found for external bugs. You can also use the generic frontline from walmart. It just takes a drop on them - sometimes I do a drop at base of neck and a drop by the vent. I've always used the dog version of frontline on my girls. My chickens free range during the day and go back in their coops at night on their own. Many of my girls are well over 5 years old and some still lay!

 

[Folly's place]

Many insecticides will work, but very few are legal, if eggs or meat are eaten, or sold. You can use whatever, but the least expensive, totally legal, very effective product will still be permethrin spray concentrate, here in the USA. Mary