Mites, nits and elector psp

[Jjdesmo11]

I have an outbreak of mites in my flock of 12. I have bathed a few that had dirty butts and dusted all last week but they are still infected. I decided to go ahead and buy elector psp after hearing they only need 1 application. My question is : can I bathe with a flea and tick soap to get all the dirt, dead mites fleas and then dip in elector psp and spray down coop as well? Does the elector take ok to a hen that is already wet? Also I’m in Tennessee and the lowest temps tonight are 68 degrees so will they be ok cold? Also expecting rain the next 3-4 days is it best to do this on a sunny day or late night so I can get them off them off the roosts? Thanks

 

[cmom]

I had an mite infestation last year in one of my coops. I sprayed all of the coops thoroughly including walls, ceiling and floors, cracks, crevices, everywhere with permethrin spray. I sprayed weekly initially because it does not kill the eggs. I gave the birds baths that were affected with flea shampoo. It helped but did not get rid of all of the mites. Initially I thought the birds were molting because it was that time of year but they were looking so terrible and upon inspection I discovered the mites. The spray doesn't kill the mite eggs so repeat applications are necessary. Now the birds are beautiful again. I think it was wild birds that introduced them. There were some wild birds trying to build nests in the coop. My birds are out in their pens most of the day. I sprayed early enough so it would be dry before they went in to roost for the night.

 

[khind]

I have an outbreak of mites in my flock of 12. I have bathed a few that had dirty butts and dusted all last week but they are still infected. I decided to go ahead and buy elector psp after hearing they only need 1 application. My question is : can I bathe with a flea and tick soap to get all the dirt, dead mites fleas and then dip in elector psp and spray down coop as well? Does the elector take ok to a hen that is already wet? Also I’m in Tennessee and the lowest temps tonight are 68 degrees so will they be ok cold? Also expecting rain the next 3-4 days is it best to do this on a sunny day or late night so I can get them off them off the roosts? Thanks

Were you able to resolve your issue?
I've used elector psp - in fact, getting ready to treat the coop and chickens for suspected mites today and tonight. I wouldn't think there'd be a problem treating birds whose feathers are already wet since you would part the feathers and spray on the skin. I like that elector psp only requires one application on both the birds and in the coop, and that it's safe enough to spray the coop while they're in it (in case you ever needed to do that), and safe enough that it doesn't harm the human if it gets on your clothes or skin.

 

[khind]

I also think that 68 degrees at night on the roost, even with the birds being wet from a bath or whatever, is definitely Not a temperature I'd be worried about being too low. I might want to make sure the ventilation is good (as always) since they'd all be in there wet and since 68 is actually warm, but otherwise, I can't conceive of a problem.
I know you posted a while back, but who knows - maybe this will help you the next time?

 

[Jjdesmo11]

Were you able to resolve your issue?
I've used elector psp - in fact, getting ready to treat the coop and chickens for suspected mites today and tonight. I wouldn't think there'd be a problem treating birds whose feathers are already wet since you would part the feathers and spray on the skin. I like that elector psp only requires one application on both the birds and in the coop, and that it's safe enough to spray the coop while they're in it (in case you ever needed to do that), and safe enough that it doesn't harm the human if it gets on your clothes or skin.

I sprayed them all 3 nights ago with elector psp after cleaning the coop and they actually looked pretty good! After I initially noticed the nits I dusted with permithren and I believe it worked. I still have an issue with dirty butts and am currently worming them as well. I have a few with round worm so I hope after elector and worming I’ll be good for a few months. I have to worm every 4-6 months I feel. Also ironically I had 2 hen that would not leave the coop while i was cleaning it, hose down and everything. So I’m glad to hear it’s safe for everyone!

 

[Jjdesmo11]

To clarify: because it’s late and I’m tired, I didn’t see the nits at all! Just crusted poop and I happened to see a hen poop and see visible round worms so hopefully they will be happy and healthy soon!

 

[Jjdesmo11]

I also think that 68 degrees at night on the roost, even with the birds being wet from a bath or whatever, is definitely Not a temperature I'd be worried about being too low. I might want to make sure the ventilation is good (as always) since they'd all be in there wet and since 68 is actually warm, but otherwise, I can't conceive of a problem.
I know you posted a while back, but who knows - maybe this will help you the next time?

Thank you!

 

[khind]

To clarify: because it’s late and I’m tired, I didn’t see the nits at all! Just crusted poop and I happened to see a hen poop and see visible round worms so hopefully they will be happy and healthy soon!

To clarify: because it’s late and I’m tired, I didn’t see the nits at all! Just crusted poop and I happened to see a hen poop and see visible round worms so hopefully they will be happy and healthy soon!

Yes, I remember reading some members who live in hot, humid areas especially noticed they needed to use a more frequent schedule to keep on top of worms. Your birds should feel much better soon!
One thing I'll pass along about the Elector PSP: I just learned the other night that it has a tendency to clump up when it separates between uses. I hadn't used mine in a while, and it is extremely gunky - like clay! I found some info from a seller:
"Elector does separate and settle over time. The quality of the active ingredient does not degrade. The manufacturer recommends shaking well to recombine the solids into the liquid. If the container is full, pour out 2 or 3 ounces and set it aside. That will make room in the bottle to shake the contents more easily. Shake until the contents are combined. Then, return the amount you set aside back into the bottle. Shake it well again.
Store the bottle with the cap on tight and re-shake it every 3 or 4 months to prevent the settling problem from recurring."
Hopefully you won't run into a problem, though. And some people might be using theirs much more frequently than I, or may be using more of it than I do for my tiny flock, so that they don't have a problem with it. Just passing it along as an fyi!

 

[TrialNerror]

I'm also in Tennessee. All of my birds are looking especially tatty and several have missing and poopy feathers. I had their poop tested and it came back clean. We have thousands of tiny fast-moving grey bugs all over and around the hen house. Mostly around the perimeter. We have gone scorched-earth with Permethrin but it does not seem to be affecting these tiny little bugs. I've no idea what they are and I'm at a loss on how to treat my poor birds. I have grabbed several at random and really don't see evidence of a major infestation. At most I've seen a couple of random bugs. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears. I've tried spraying and powdering my girls in addition to dust baths and spraying Permethrin all around the hen house.

 

[Shezadandy]

Yes, I remember reading some members who live in hot, humid areas especially noticed they needed to use a more frequent schedule to keep on top of worms. Your birds should feel much better soon!
One thing I'll pass along about the Elector PSP: I just learned the other night that it has a tendency to clump up when it separates between uses. I hadn't used mine in a while, and it is extremely gunky - like clay! I found some info from a seller:
"Elector does separate and settle over time. The quality of the active ingredient does not degrade. The manufacturer recommends shaking well to recombine the solids into the liquid. If the container is full, pour out 2 or 3 ounces and set it aside. That will make room in the bottle to shake the contents more easily. Shake until the contents are combined. Then, return the amount you set aside back into the bottle. Shake it well again.
Store the bottle with the cap on tight and re-shake it every 3 or 4 months to prevent the settling problem from recurring."
Hopefully you won't run into a problem, though. And some people might be using theirs much more frequently than I, or may be using more of it than I do for my tiny flock, so that they don't have a problem with it. Just passing it along as an fyi!

OK Super duper major huge thanks for this post. I just ran into this problem. Thank you!!!