Mites or Lice

[Hanwell Hens]

Hi there
I've not been here for a long time but i need some advice.
My mum has chickens and keeps telling me that every time she goes into the run or checks for eggs she gets mites or lice on her arms and face.
As i didn't live near her I can't take a look.
I gave her some D Earth but she says its not helping. She keeps her coop really clean and fusses over her chickens.

I have had red mites this year (treated with dilute Jeyes which has worked so far) but never had them crawling on me. I didn't think lice leave the chicken so all i can think is some sort of mite. She said their not red.

Any advice would be amazing
Cheers

 

[chickens really]

@Wyorp Rock

 

[Shadrach]

Hi there
I've not been here for a long time but i need some advice.
My mum has chickens and keeps telling me that every time she goes into the run or checks for eggs she gets mites or lice on her arms and face.
As i didn't live near her I can't take a look.
I gave her some D Earth but she says its not helping. She keeps her coop really clean and fusses over her chickens.

I have had red mites this year (treated with dilute Jeyes which has worked so far) but never had them crawling on me. I didn't think lice leave the chicken so all i can think is some sort of mite. She said their not red.

Any advice would be amazing
Cheers

Red mites are grey/white unless they've eaten recently. It's the chickens blood that makes them go red.
Lice live on the chicken and to the best of my knowledge they stay there.
Mites walk; they don't jump, so if your mum has creatures on her face I think it's unlikely they are mites.
Fleas could be the culprit but again, fleas don't live on healthy chickens; the chickens clean them off with grooming and dust bathing.
The best way I've found of dealing with mites and creatures that live in the coop is a blow torch. It takes a little practice and obviously if your coop is plastic then the blow torch isn't an option. The blow torch kills everything used properly, mites, lice, bacteria, scaly leg mite that is hiding in the coop, everything and you don't have to worry about the after effects of any chemicals.

 

[Hanwell Hens]

Mites it is then
thanks for your quick reply. might get my dad on the case with a blow torch.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi there
I've not been here for a long time but i need some advice.
My mum has chickens and keeps telling me that every time she goes into the run or checks for eggs she gets mites or lice on her arms and face.
As i didn't live near her I can't take a look.
I gave her some D Earth but she says its not helping. She keeps her coop really clean and fusses over her chickens.

I have had red mites this year (treated with dilute Jeyes which has worked so far) but never had them crawling on me. I didn't think lice leave the chicken so all i can think is some sort of mite. She said their not red.

Any advice would be amazing
Cheers

Since you are in the UK look for Nettex Total Mite Kill, if you are seeing an active infestation you need a miticide. DE is not going to help.

Treat your birds and clean out your housing/nesting boxes too and treat those as well. Read the label on your product, generally you need to repeat treatment again in 7-10days in order to kill any that have hatched.