Mites - PLEASE help!!!!! Can I use a bug bomb in the coop to get rid of them??

[KirstenColorado]

Here's the scoop: my little loves ( 5 1/2 weeks old....started with 3, that "somehow" are now 18!) have just gotten their first round of mites/lice. I felt like a terrible chick mommy, so I'm so glad this forum is here!
I've dusted them with permethrin tonight, and will use DE tomorrow.
A side note then my questions: I tried DE years ago inside of my house when I was "lucky" enough to get a bed bug infestation. Can't even tell you what a nightmare that is!!! The DE did nothing, and I eventually had an exterminator, bought new mattress with special and expensive bed bug covers, etc. My son was only 4 and it was brutal to see him like that!
Back to the chicks, 8 years after the bed bugs: I figure the DE won't hurt, but I'm going to have high hopes for the permethrin. I've used Seven in the garden before, and it worked, but seemed pretty brutal (even with a mask and full other precautions, my throat burned, eyes burned, and on and on.)
How is it that these tiny chickens can handle all of this rough stuff on their bodies? I've noticed it's impossible that some won't get into their mouths/systems. Why doesn't it kill them, too?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

"Food grade diatomaceous earth is OMRI (Organic Material Review Institute) listed, does not poison our pets....

So? Permethrin is also organic.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Going back to a previous question, do you have to withhold eggs after using the 5% Sevin Dust? And if so, for how long?

The USDA requires that you don't sell or eat your eggs for 30 days after using Sevin. There is no such requirement in this country for destroying eggs after using Permethrin, at least no requirements of which I am aware

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Why

....How is it that these tiny chickens can handle all of this rough stuff on their bodies? I've noticed it's impossible that some won't get into their mouths/systems. Why doesn't it kill them, too?

For the same reason that chickens and other birds love to eat the organic natural poison Strychnine but in sufficient amounts it will kill you or me deader than 4:00.

Meaning that people are not chickens, and that chickens are not people, and never the twain shall meet.

 

[Bine]

I don't know if someone has tried Hypoaspis miles, I think they work great in spring in sommer they are less effectiv.They simply eat the red mites. Not the fastes solution, but no eggs going to the dust bin. Combined with diatomaceous earth it is a long term solution. First put the Hypoaspis to work, if they have done the job of eating all mites, dust the coop and the run and the birds with diatomaceous earth. Often mites other bugs come from wild birds. Do your wild neighbours a big favour and help them to get rid of the unwanted lodgers, too. In the pet shop you can find bath additive for pet birds that kill mites and co. Put out a little bath tub for the wild birds out of reach for your chickens and cats and put up some nest boxes too, and clean them reagularly. It really helps to keep the problem form your flock. I feed a herb mix, too... don't know if it works hadn't have mites for years.

 

[KirstenColorado]

So I've treated my three hens (5 1/2 weeks) with permethrin late last night and it seems to have calmed things down for them with the mite problem. However, I am noticing some really stinky diarrhea....is this related?

 

[sonshine15]

Hi! Love your site, it's been very informative I raised over 200 chickens when I was a child and teen for 4-H in TX & AZ. We now have, in my middle aged years mites in CO and they've made their way into our home.

Rain, snow and more rain has kept things too humid. I sprayed the hens and chicks yesterday with a natural product I bought, cleaned the coop and pen thoroughly and used Sevin under all the straw and some on top.

Today I am going to use a mix of sevin and borax to see if this will kill them all off, and mix with ash in their dusting boxes. I've kept DE in their boxes all this time and it did NOT work. My chickens are free range and I have kept them in their coop and the outside run since yesterday.

Will put Tea Tree Oil in our shampoo. Outside of spraying insecticide around my baseboards i thought I would try Dawn to spray furniture along with Sevin on the carpet. Dusted the dogs, cat and want to dust us too! I just found the critters 2 days ago as it was crawling up my arm. The hens started to have a few spots of no feathers on two of them but there aren't many mites on them. They were all sprayed regardless.

I'm too old and busy for all this (house-cleaning these days, I like being outdoors lol) so am saying a prayer for this to work.

Here's my question: Which bedding is better when fighting this invasion? I have large flakes, chopped straw mix....Is one easier to kill the mites? 5, 2 year olds, 1 is setting and babies due any hour......10, 4 1/2 week olds, 5, 3 months, and 4, 3 months. I don't want them in the house and I sure don't want them on the babies!!

Thanks to you all!!

 

[SoloHenJen]

We are battling our first outbreak as well but I do have a few questions as I may have been given bad info:
1. I was told that the mites can't live without the chickens. So if I were to dust the chickens and then move them to a different coop (We have 3 here) wouldn't the ones infesting their current home die off over time on their own? Our plan was to wait 7-10 days and then clean the coop out really well but the dusting of the coop seems like overkill IF they will die on their own without the chicken as a host.
2. As stated above, IF mites need the chicken to survive why would they have any affect on the humans, pets, etc. I was told that they won't hurt humans and pets and will die within 7-10 days.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Legend]

Hello Everyone,

I didn't see an existing post on this...

Two problems - (1) MITES (2) LICE

I have found that there are the tiny mites in my chicken coop. I would like to know if I can use a bug bomb in my chicken coop to kill the mites. For some time now, I have been using DE dust in their nest boxes and on the hay in the coop where they like to lay around and dust. To no avail it appears, the mites are still there and I'm finding now that when I reach in the coop and adjust their ramp, I get mites on me so it is getting BAD.

I also saw lice on one of my chickens today (I have 15 of them); dipping all 15 of them will not be an easy task. Does anyone have an easier remedy to get rid of the lice?

Thank you all for any suggestions and knowledge!
Robin

https://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Organ-X-P-Smoke-Mini-Bomb-Fumer.html

 

[Hazelmereman]

Hello Everyone,

I didn't see an existing post on this...

Two problems - (1) MITES (2) LICE

I have found that there are the tiny mites in my chicken coop. I would like to know if I can use a bug bomb in my chicken coop to kill the mites. For some time now, I have been using DE dust in their nest boxes and on the hay in the coop where they like to lay around and dust. To no avail it appears, the mites are still there and I'm finding now that when I reach in the coop and adjust their ramp, I get mites on me so it is getting BAD.

I also saw lice on one of my chickens today (I have 15 of them); dipping all 15 of them will not be an easy task. Does anyone have an easier remedy to get rid of the lice?

Thank you all for any suggestions and knowledge!
Robin

I grew up farming born and raised.when we had outbreaks in the hen house depending on the age of the birds my dad would cull the whole flock sometimes 30-40 birds over the course of a few days. It was never hard to give away free dressed chickens.somebody always wanted food around the countryside. After the chickens were gone then the work of cleaning began.clean and scrape the coup.it wasn’t the hard part because as boys we were tasked with cleaning the coup every single day.along with the calf pens the pig house the turkeys and rabbits and the milk cow mangers.it was work it wasn’t like city folks having a couple chickens.complete husbandry was the order of the day.after the coup was cleaned out then it washed down with the disinfectant of the day Creolin.then dad took a tiger torch and heat treated the floors and walls being careful of course not to burn the place down.after that we used the dusting powder it may have been Devon but this was in the late 50’s and there are better chemicals now.after the first dusting we waited a week or so and dusted again then waited another week before starting a new flock from eggs that would be from a neighbour.that’s usually how it went but sometimes we would buy chicks they were delivered by the post office.anyways that’s my 2 cents worth.the most important thing is keeping up the house keeping.I have a neighbour right now that should not be anywhere near a chicken house because the place is a sewer pit and the poor birds are paying a price.you have to keep the farm clean. It may seem drastic to cull a flock but if the birds are not producing and they are old it’s the way to go. Sooner or later they have to go.they get so unhealthy even a relatively younger bird won’t lay anymore because the parasites rule the coup. So please folks do your chores and the birds will thank you for it