mites

[anne s]

I have chickens and one of my Polish Hens didn't look good so I wrapped her in a towel and brought her into the house to get dry. I noticed thousands of mites on the towel and I started to get bid on my fac. i put her back outside. How do I treat my house and is it necessary to treat my dog? Also, will a shower take care of my hair and skin?No vet seems to have any info about chickens. Thanks for any suggestions you may have

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC. This should help. http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[wekiva bird]

and

from south carolina/fla.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I am assuming that you have looked at the chart at the bottom of the page Dawg53 gave you to determine what kind of bug you have.

I have experience with the Northern Fowl Mite. If you too have this mite, I recommend sevin dusting your birds, and removing all bedding. Replace your bedding with sevin-dusted shavings. Then- repeat in 10 days. And repeat every 10 days until GONE!!! You might even want to spray your coops down with permethrin spray (there is a dilution to follow on the bottle). It is winter or I'd say spray your birds too.

For the inside of your home, I got really freaked out and sprinkled borax everywhere- even on the hardwood floor (I think this is an oops). But I did find dead mites sitting on top of the borax the next day. I don't know if they would have died anyway as they don't like humans too much.

I did get bitten by the bugs- that is how I found them. My chickens were shaking their heads every 5-15 seconds or so. Then I started to get itchy and bitten when I opened and closed the coops. Those things jump!

I never did see mites ON the chickens. I looked and looked.

I used Eprinex Pour-on and Sevin dust for my first treatment, and then sevin dust afterwards.

The wild songbirds carry these mites and they jump off onto chickens. I now routinely dust my birds about every 1-3 months, then repeat in 10 days.

Make sure you wear a mask, gloves, long sleeves, take a shower after, etc.

They also sell permethrin dust - poultry dust in the farm stores. This should work also- just note that mites are resistant in some parts of the country to different medications. DE doesn't work. Some will say it does, but I had SO much DE sprinkled into the shavings it was ridiculous when my birds got mites.

Mites will kill chickens quickly. Put your clothes in a hot wash and dry them. I bag my clothes in the bathroom after doing coop care, and leave them in the garage now. They get washed in hot water. I don't ever want them in the house again.

Thousands of mites- you are sitting on a dead chicken if you don't treat immediately, I'm afraid. They will suck him/her dry.

Don't worry - vacuum your house like crazy (that's what I did before spreading borax) and I don't know how to deal with a dog- maybe other dog owners will chime in. I would in my ignorance assume it would be good to give him a flea and tick shampoo bath, though.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh I just wanted to say that it can seem overwhelming when you are in the middle of an infestation, but I can personally attest to the efficacy of Sevin dust. It kills bugs DEAD.

Also- if you put dust in an old sock or stocking, you save big $ (just shake it around them, especially under the wings, vent area, not the face though).

You will be so relieved when you have those suckers killed. Just remember to retreat or the eggs will hatch.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

and

from Ohio. Good advice given. Good luck.