Mites!?!

[Perry17]

Does anyone know of a different method to kill mites? They are tiny, black, and don't jump. If I walk out to the chicken yard they will crawl up on my legs, but won't jump, they are awful.

I have a very large chicken yard made of chain link yard fencing. But my hen house is made of wood, all dirt floors.

I only really get them in the spring, summer, and fall. They go away during winter. When they get really bad they will cover the faces of my hens.

We do have dogs, but they are all on preventative medication so they don't have any bugs on them at all.

I have sprayed all kinds of different chemicals on the walls and ground, on a schedule to target eggs just hatching. I have dusted all my chickens, and spread both seven dust and DE on the ground. I have bathed them all in dawn soap. I tried the Vaseline on their legs, it just gets sand in it and rubs off. I have cleaned and raked everything out multiple times and burned the old bedding. I have not used one of those smoke bombs yet.

The only way I got them off my chickens, was to move them out on pasture in my chicken Tractor for a month or more while I was treating their yard. I was moving them everyday, and that seemed to work after a few weeks. But I have too many to keep in a tractor, and just spent a pile building the new perfect hen house, so I want them to be able to use it.

Is there a type of medication I can give them? Or will it just be a waste to try, because it will mess up their eggs?

They are right beside the duck run, but the ducks don't get them. They are also near the feed shed. I did see a rat out there about a month ago, and have recently found a hole in one of my feed bags. So I am guessing the mites are coming from the rats. So I'll be cleaning out the shed this week, and hopefully will be done with that issue.

Another reason I think, is the wooden walls everywhere. I'm guessing the mites are burrowing in there. But I have sprayed them all with poisons, they should be dead by now. They are driving me crazy.

I don't have them really bad on my chickens right now, but they are still in the grass around that area. That is the only place on the whole property that has a problem with them. I can't seem to get rid of them, and I just don't know what else to try.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

What spray are you using? Gordon's poultry spray (permethrin) usually takes care of most things.

DE is worthless (as you've found out).

Also, how often are you spraying? Are you spraying, then spraying again in 7 days, then spray again in 7 days? You should spray vents, overall birds, and every nook and cranny of the hen house. You could also spray the grass outside.

I wish I had more ideas for you.

Since you say it is in the coop and chicken yard, I'm thinking they sound like Red Roost Mites or possibly Northern Fowl Mites (though RRM are notorious for living in the environment and hard to get rid of).

I think Rabon is the last ditch, nasty stuff to use for the environment. I'd use Permethrin on the birds.

Hopefully others can have some helpful answers.

I'm so sorry you are going through this. It is maddening.

LofMc

 

[Perry17]

Thank you!

I have tried the tiger brand dust powder on the ground everywhere, if I remember right I think it is permethrin?

I have used quite a few different sprays. (I'll have to look what chemicals) Some that only target adults, some that claim to kill eggs and larva also. Spraying all walls in and out, the run, and the grass outside the run. Every 7 days, sometimes more often than that. I agree, it is more in the environment in that one area, rather than the chickens themselves.

They come out more at night I think, I'll go out to check them, walk through the grass up to the hen house to check them, and walk off to find them all over my ankles. They look like black grass seeds, but are biting mites. Yuck

Someone at the feed store mentioned using some really strong spray stuff "that will definitely kill them". They use it in their hunting dog kennels and says it works great as a last resort. I forgot the name and have been trying to find out what it is called. I think that is the Rabon you mentioned? I don't know much about it. But if I can get rid of the rats bringing them in, then get my chickens cleared up and moved back out to pasture, I might have no choice but to try it. I'll look into it, thank you!!

 

[Perry17]

Maybe it isn't Rabon that I was thinking of. I had to google it. Is it only a spray on for animals?

I was thinking it was a spray for the ground and walls.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Could it be chiggers?

Since they are biting you and live in the grass.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Rabon is wall and floor spray.

 

[sawilliams]

I was thinking chiggers too nasty buggers. Only experianced them in the Midwest.

Either way it sounds like a good deep ground soaking is in order what ever you decide to use. And maybe once a week for a month or so. Just be prepared if it is ciggers it's not a fight you can win, it's more one of those life time battles like mosquitos.

Also clean out thier dust bathes if you have them. If they just dust in the ground build your chickens a dust bath. Old tires, large short pots, or even a few 2x4s. Fill with sand, permethrin dust and cold wood ashes (potting soil can be used in place of the ash or sand if needed) you can simply add more permethrin when needed but you'll want to empty clean and change out the dusting material regularly while fighting the infestation. This will help make sure bugs are lingering in the dust though the permethrin should take care of it.

 

[trudyg]

Have you tried malathion? It's at TSC, just read the labels. If it's chiggers then you have aproblem. chiggers will burrow into your skin, we usually paint the entry with nail polish t suffocate them. Horrible itch! Chiggers tend to stay in a certain area, like around a certain bush, and not migrate around. If you can identify the area and kill them then you've solved it. If its' a bush, then I'd burn the area to be sure.

 

[Perry17]

We call them chiggers around here, but I just assumed it was just like a common name for mites. Not sure if they actually are chiggers, but that describes them perfectly.

They look like fleas. When I see them on my ankles, they are attatched but on top of the skin surface, but I scrape them with my nail and they come off. I had no idea they burrow...yuck.

I have fought them for years, but they were extremely bad this year. I have never found them on me until this year, but we did tear down the old run to build the new one. And now the grass around it, where I'm walking in them, is where the old run used to be.

Now I feel like the worst is over for the year, and they have dwindled down. But the fact that they are still here to deal with again next year drives me crazy.

I'll look for malathion next time I go to TSC. I might have already used it, but I will try anything 10 more times of it might help.

Their run is pretty large, and is mostly just loose dusty sand now, they just dust in there. They do have a few holes that they use to dust mainly, so I always put the permethrin dust in those too.

The run itself doesn't have them bad, just the areas around the hen house and the grass outside the pen near the henhouse. Now that y'all have described chiggers, I am pretty sure that's what it is. Since they are just in the one area rather that in the run, or the duck run on the other side.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

If it is chiggers, the most important thing to do is get rid of that tall grass. Burn it down if you can or mow it down.

Usually chiggers are too small to see. They don't actually burrow inside the skin, but they do inject enzymes into the skin that gives the little furrow appearance. Chigger bites are very, very itchy.

Chiggers are very resistant to pesticides which is why they are hard to get rid of. They usually prefer dark, moist areas in bushes and brush, so the best answer is to remove bushes and brush.

Since you can readily see the bugs, they could be something else. No matter... since they live in that grass. Get rid of the grass.

LofMc