Mites will not leave!

[kkowa]

we have mites bad! our 5 birds have been treated for the last 3 months with dust and spray. I have gone through and cleaned the whole coop vacuumed it and even put a mite bomb off in it then I washed it down and dusted it put all new bedding in it we had straw in it when they got it but we had been using it for months we then burned it and got pine shavings. theses are my show birds and I cant get these mites to go away!!!! thank you for any help. is there anything I can bath them in?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What dust and spray have you used. I would use 5% Sevin dust but it needs to get in all the spots down to the skin, under wings and around the vent. Then treatment has to be repeated. Maybe there is an area you are missing like nest boxes, cracks and crevices, under the coop, favorite dust bathing areas, etc.

 

[kkowa]

we used 7 dust and the spray and then washed every crack and spraye the cracks all in there and all the girls got dusted 2 times a day for 5 days to make sure I got them dusted well because that's what a breeder told me to do and their still there

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Stubborn mites!

Have you ever tried Novalsan disinfectant? (Used in vet offices) Scrub the coop with it, rinse it out, let it dry. Dust the pen like ChickenCanoe said. Next I'd wash the hens. You can use a flea/tick shampoo for dogs (I've used Sergeants) an scrub the mites off.

Have you tried any other mite/lice/flea sprays besides Sevin?

 

[kkowa]

yep I have tried every mite dust at farm and fleet

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

yep I have tried every mite dust at farm and fleet

Have you tried any growth regulators? I use Adams Flea and Tick Spray w/ insect growth regulator. You can order it on Amazon.com if it is not at any nearby feed stores.

 

[MyraE]

Do they go out in the yard? The mites might be there. If they do go out then maybe take 7 to that area too.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Did you also take the bedding out of the nest boxes and throw out all bedding every week - if I so much as leave the shavings in the nest boxes my mite treatment fails. Then I have to start all over again. Just went through this again.

 

[williefrank]

I use wood ashes.it suffcates the mites
. When I did that ,their comb and waddles turn red.

 

[Michael Apple]

I don't like powders at all. They are messy and clouds of powder are bad for the birds respiratory system and you, if you don't use a dust mask. Never use straw either as it only attracts mites and isn't absorbent. I'm glad you went with pine shavings. I dipped my birds once some years ago when I had a bad Northern Fowl Mite outbreak. I made a dip using Ravap E.C.(follow label directions) and dipped all of them up to the base of their necks. Fortunately it was a hot Summer Day and there was no risk of chill. If you have a large flock this time of year it may not be practical. I was tired after dipping 20 birds. In regard to sprays, the only one that I've used with success is Frontline flea and tick spray. It has a residual so you won't have to do it again in 10 days. All you need is a small spritz at the base of the neck, mid back, and below the vent. Be careful not to get it on the vent as it could be irritating to the bird. You might do it a couple other places if the infestation is really bad. Since that time I've followed the rule of thoroughly removing all old shavings, vacuuming, disinfecting, and treating the roosts, nest boxes, floors, and walls with Ravap E.C. or Gardstar E.C. every three months. I've been doing that for 4 years and haven't had a problem since. You need to treat the coop within the same time you treat your birds.