I've been a little slow on the uptake with a mite/lice infestation. I had a couple of questions for some those of you who've earned your stripes in entomology from dealing with these pests. I have 4 hens and I noticed whenever I entered their run I'd get little bugs on me. It took me awhile to realize that that actually explains some symptoms of one of my hens (faded comb, droopy tail, poopy vent). She seems to be the only one that has mites. I plan on dusting all 4 of them with GardStar Poultry Dust. Most of what I read says once a week for around 3 weeks. I was thinking it might be more beneficial to do so every 3 days in order to the hatches a bit quicker. I'm also dusting in the coop under the nesting material. Any additional thoughts or anything I might be missing here?
Depends on what bug and what it's reproductive rate is, 7-10 days is the norm and a pretty good range to get anything hatching from eggs laid by bugs. I wouldn't go every 3 days. Permethrin is the active ingredient in GardStar Poultry Dust and there's no poultry egg or meat withdrawal on it, so you could sprinkle some around the coop too...under nesting material and in any cracks and crevices to get bugs that live off the birds but might feed on them.
