Mites

[Love'n Chickens]

Can anyone tell me how to get rid of mites FOR GOOD? I've used Diatomaceous Earth, and they seem to get better, but then regress. They lose feathers and their eggs are soft shelled.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

I have definitely mastered the art of getting rid of mites.

Here you go:

DE definitely has some anti-bug activity here and there, but for an active infestation you need chemicals.

I have used sevin dust and poultry dust (permethrin) successfully. Sevin is more reliable, however. I alternate using both.

Method:
1. Wear gloves, mask, long sleeves (take shower afterward). Tie off a sock at the top with the powder inside. Place a chicken on the ground or in a cardboard box lined with plastic trash bag to catch the powder. Put them in upside down on their back and hold onto the feet. Powder puff under wings, around vent, and everywhere except face. This is also a good time to administer other medications while you have the chicken in hand. Don't do this inside the coop because the powder flies everywhere and you might inhale it even with a mask on.

2. Throw away all shavings in coop and nest boxes. Dust coop with sevin dust or spray with liquid (diluted as per bottle instructions) permethrin - not liquid sevin. You must do this or they will be back as I have found. I also found that the more shavings I keep around the more mite problems I have. Others seem to not have so much trouble with mites. I must treat every four months year round or they get them about every 4 months.

In addition, the complete treatment of the coop (including the underside of the roosts) will kill all RED mites (the kind that will take over a human dwelling too and come out at night to feed- they don't live on the birds).

The Northern Fowl mite is what I get and it lives on the birds. But they are found in the shavings too and I have been bitten by them. They don't like humans though and will die without chickens around.

Repeat treatment in 10 days, including throwing away all shavings in coop and nest boxes. So when you put your shavings back in the first time, go easy on them so you don't have to throw out too much in 10 days.

 

[RoyalFlock]

You can put burnt tobacco in the nest and this will reduce the chance of infestation in the nest boxes.
I started using this after a lot of my broodies got mites and so far none of my broodies have been bothered by these pests.

 

[CluckyJay]

Treat the coop and their living areas. I use neem and wood ash. Got rid of an absolute infestation on my new birds. I wrote a Hub about one of my methods, its in me signature line.