Mites or lice

[Hopeful homesteader]

My chickens don't have any bugs but I was curious what time of year do people tend to have a problem with mites or lice? And will my location (southern AZ) effect when I'd be most likely to see them if at all? I don't really see anything specific to my area which makes me think I just happen to live where they aren't very common because of the high heat. Generally speaking, if we don't get rain through spring/summer, there are hardly any bugs because they all dehydrate to death before they've had a chance to repopulate so idk if the conditions here are just too harsh for such small bugs. I treated the coop with permethrin spray through the summer, mainly because of mosquitoes so I figure if anything came along that probably took care of it before they had a chance to set up a buffet but now that it's cooling off and the mosquitoes are going away, should I continue to spray monthly through winter to guard against mites or is it ok to give it a break until spring?

 

[cmom]

I wouldn't treat unless your birds have any pests. Since you don't have any more mosquitoes I'd stop treatments. If you try to treat as a preventative then often times the pests develop a resistance to the treatment and then when you do have an issue you will have to use something else. Good luck...

 

[DavidKelly]

In southern AZ, the dry heat likely keeps mites and lice at bay, as they thrive in more humid conditions. Since you’ve been proactive with permethrin and bugs aren’t common in your area, you could probably ease up on spraying during the cooler months and resume in spring if needed. Just keep an eye on your flock for any signs of pests!