MITES!

[Folly's place]

Inhaling DE is like inhaling ground glass, never good, for you or your birds. Mary

 

[Chickassan]

I just sulphur powder the mites, the chickens smell like farts for a while but the mites are dead.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Inhaling DE is like inhaling ground glass, never good, for you or your birds. Mary

I completely agree with you!

But I do wonder if DE is said to lose it's effectiveness from even morning dew... maybe the micro cuts aren't going to deep into the lungs and esophagus/eyes. and so LESS dangerous than I think.

I'm a major over thinker. And I try to consider both sides of the story as anyone who isn't willing to hear simply isn't willing to learn and I WANT to learn everything I can. For me I'm anti DE for too many reasons for it to matter.

 

[Ravin25]

I've been eaves dropping on your posts and appreciate all the info.
My husband I are about to go outside (today) and ding out the entire coop, spray with diluted permethrin and than spray the hens. We've discovered a severe mite infestation and just lost a bird to it, very sad. We are also tackling the mouse population which I think is the culprit.
Question #1....I bought a bottle of Martin's Permethrin 10% and plan to dilute 1oz to 1.5 gallons water to spray in coop, run AND on the birds. Do these numbers/ratios sound correct to those that have gone through this already? Is this ratio safe to use on the birds? If not, please advise.
The bottle label is fairly generic without specific instructions for hen application.....but this particular brand was recommended on this site.
Question #2......do I need to withdraw eggs and if so, for how long?

Thanx for the guidance and good luck to the rest of you fighting the fight.

 

[Folly's place]

Martin's has specific dilution instructions for poultry, and poultry housing, on the label (underneath?); I googled it and it's there. Mary

 

[bucks1chickens]

Hi folks,
I am struggling as well with mites/lice, and have been all summer. I am going out AGAIN tonite to dust my flock of 9 with permethrin. I started with DE, then sevin, and have done permethrin now for about the 6th or 7th time (every week or 10 days). I also spray the coop area with liquid sevin, along with the inside of the house and roosts, and dust with the p in the nesting box. We have had a very wet summer here in PA, so what was normally a dry, dusty spot underneath the house that they could dust themselves with has not been available. Any thoughts? I am about disgusted and frustrated with this. I have had chickens for about 4 years now and never had an issue until now.

 

[Folly's place]

I'd be frustrated too, bucks. I've always been able to lick the mites when I found them, fortunately.
DE is useless.
Carbaryl is no longer approved for use in chickens in the USA.
Permethrin spray, at night, while they are roosting, is safe, legal, effective, easy, and cheap. Can't beat it!!!
Spinosad is legal and effective, but very expensive, and I'm not using it until the permethrin spray is no longer effective here. Mary

 

[littlelizzy123]

I've been eaves dropping on your posts and appreciate all the info.
My husband I are about to go outside (today) and ding out the entire coop, spray with diluted permethrin and than spray the hens. We've discovered a severe mite infestation and just lost a bird to it, very sad. We are also tackling the mouse population which I think is the culprit.
Question #1....I bought a bottle of Martin's Permethrin 10% and plan to dilute 1oz to 1.5 gallons water to spray in coop, run AND on the birds. Do these numbers/ratios sound correct to those that have gone through this already? Is this ratio safe to use on the birds? If not, please advise.
The bottle label is fairly generic without specific instructions for hen application.....but this particular brand was recommended on this site.
Question #2......do I need to withdraw eggs and if so, for how long?

Thanx for the guidance and good luck to the rest of you fighting the fight.

The packaging should give you specific dosage and mixing instructions. I do remember that ratios were different from spraying the coop vs the birds.

 

[littlelizzy123]

Hi folks,
I am struggling as well with mites/lice, and have been all summer. I am going out AGAIN tonite to dust my flock of 9 with permethrin. I started with DE, then sevin, and have done permethrin now for about the 6th or 7th time (every week or 10 days). I also spray the coop area with liquid sevin, along with the inside of the house and roosts, and dust with the p in the nesting box. We have had a very wet summer here in PA, so what was normally a dry, dusty spot underneath the house that they could dust themselves with has not been available. Any thoughts? I am about disgusted and frustrated with this. I have had chickens for about 4 years now and never had an issue until now.

Maybe try to make them a new dusting area? I've heard of people using a small kiddie pool, a big oil pan, or even a shallow hole dug and filled with sand and wood ash. DE appears to be a hot button issue, but I do remember when we had a fire pit my chickens went nuts over it. Came out looking black as sin, but absolutely ecstatic.

 

[bucks1chickens]

Maybe try to make them a new dusting area? I've heard of people using a small kiddie pool, a big oil pan, or even a shallow hole dug and filled with sand and wood ash. DE appears to be a hot button issue, but I do remember when we had a fire pit my chickens went nuts over it. Came out looking black as sin, but absolutely ecstatic.