Most effective application method for treating DUCKS for Northern Fowl mites and Red Poultry mites?

[Angelove]

Most information and discussions about this revolve around chickens. Ducks have such dense waterproof feathers and different bathing, preening and foraging habits, so I am specifically asking for duck information from people who have experience treating ducks.

My main question is about the application process, as in, what is the best way to get whatever product is used past the feathers and all the way down to the skin?
I am especially curious to know about the best application process/ applicator for using a product that is a liquid, but am happy to recive advice on powders as well and would also bery much like to know which type of product, powdered or liquid, is easier to apply to ducks effectively.
I think I have a mild case of Northern Fowl mites and also a Red Poultry mite problem..I cannot find any mites or eggs on the birds (although ducks have very dense feathers so there are probably a few) but have properly identified both of them in their coop. I saw a bunch of Red Poultry mites and when I removed the bedding I found just a few Northern Fowl Mites, which I understand are more difficult to get rid of. They are also scratching more than normal, which signals to me something might be living on them and not just in their house.

I have recently started using garlic oil as a spray, applied witha regular squirt/spray bottle and food grade DE which is a powder, applied with my hands on the ducks themselves. I have also used these in their house.
Is it possible to get rid of a small infestation with these products if used diligently, over the course of a month or so?

Has anyone tried putting them in a tub with a few gallons of water and a liquid product and letting them hang out and splash around for a few mins with good result?

I am considering using a spinosad product like Elector PSP or other organic spinosad premise/garden pest control product..

I hope to begin using a spinosad spray in and around their house today or tomorrow.
..I am less confident/more wary of using a spinosad product to treat my birds directly.
The brand I feel most comfortable with using is a liquid but I can also find a spinosad product in powdered form…
I am not interested in using anything that contains permethrin if I can avoid it.

I know spinosad is practically non-toxic to slightly toxic to birds when ingested..
So my next pressing question is if people have experience using spinosads on and/or around ducks safely and effectively?
Again there is a lot of information about chickens, not as much on waterfowl, who have different bathing, preening and foraging habits.

My last question is, is this something that I can get rid of or do I have to treat my birds directly on a regular basis? If so how often is neccessary?

I plan to try to use the spinosad product in the cracks in and on the outside of their house on a monthly or every other month basis and DE in the house on a weekly basis. Will this be enough preventative measures, along with more regular changing of their bedding?
I use the deep litter method, so their house is designed to hold a few months or more worth of shavings, I am thinking I might try to change it every month or every other month.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give to even just one of my questions

 

[Jenbirdee]

elector psp is ok but garden products with spinosad are not safe to use on the ducks. there was a thread about this topic several months ago where someone used a garden type spinosad product on their waterfowl and something bad happened Im trying to remember I think their skin got inflamed and then they kept trying to rinse it off them Not sure how it ended up but I know not to use anything spinosad except the elector psp I know its expensive but the chicken chick sells it in small amounts that are affordable , Ill look for that old thread now

 

[Jenbirdee]

@Miss Lydia

 

[Miss Lydia]

I looked up spinosad and could not find anywhere it said it was safe to use on poultry or any other animal.

I have used Neem oil for treating my coops when my chicken had mites once. i didn't use it on the birds I used a powder for poultry on them.
But this says it is safe to use on poultry
https://www.communitychickens.com/natural-pest-solutions-neem-oil/ I would def use this over the spinosad.

Poultry protector would work on waterfowl you'd just have to make sure to get down into the feathers to the skin.

I use Ivermectin pour -on on my chickens as a preventive. My waterfowl have never had mites or lice

 

[Jenbirdee]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/feather-lice-on-geese.1594004/

 

[Angelove]

I looked up spinosad and could not find anywhere it said it was safe to use on poultry or any other animal.

I have used Neem oil for treating my coops when my chicken had mites once. i didn't use it on the birds I used a powder for poultry on them.
But this says it is safe to use on poultry
https://www.communitychickens.com/natural-pest-solutions-neem-oil/ I would def use this over the spinosad.

Poultry protector would work on waterfowl you'd just have to make sure to get down into the feathers to the skin.

I use Ivermectin pour -on on my chickens as a preventive. My waterfowl have never had mites or lice

Thanks for your advice!..Sinosad is the main ingredient in elector PSP that is approved for use on chickens. Neem oil (and also soap) will unfortunately un-water proof waterfowl. It may work in the coop but will also degrade the silicone caulking that seals up the gaps.

 

[Angelove]

I looked up spinosad and could not find anywhere it said it was safe to use on poultry or any other animal.

I have used Neem oil for treating my coops when my chicken had mites once. i didn't use it on the birds I used a powder for poultry on them.
But this says it is safe to use on poultry
https://www.communitychickens.com/natural-pest-solutions-neem-oil/ I would def use this over the spinosad.

Poultry protector would work on waterfowl you'd just have to make sure to get down into the feathers to the skin.

I use Ivermectin pour -on on my chickens as a preventive. My waterfowl have never had mites or lice

Ideas for getting product past the feathers?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can you get Ivermectin pour on? I'd use it just like you put the flea liquid on the dog's neck this is how I use it for my chickens. this way you part the feathers at the neck area and put it on the skin. you can put it under each wing [easy to get to the skin there too] you'll need to keep them out of the pool for at least 24 hrs or longer to give the liquid time to work. your going to have to remove all the bedding and carry it off don't toss it close to where your birds are kept. then spray the coop from top to bottom all cracks and crevices.

 

[Angelove]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/feather-lice-on-geese.1594004/

Thanks for pointing me back to this thread, I read it the other day and in all of my researching forgot the part about the skin reaction to the monterey garden spray and somehow missed the part about that product and also elector psp un-waterproofing the ducks, which I have done in the past with soap and dont want to do again!

 

[Angelove]

Can you get Ivermectin pour on? I'd use it just like you put the flea liquid on the dog's neck this is how I use it for my chickens. this way you part the feathers at the neck area and put it on the skin. you can put it under each wing [easy to get to the skin there too] you'll need to keep them out of the pool for at least 24 hrs or longer to give the liquid time to work. your going to have to remove all the bedding and carry it off don't toss it close to where your birds are kept. then spray the coop from top to bottom all cracks and crevices.

I have been diligently sealing up and double bagging the bedding I have been removing from their house and taking it to the dump.
I think I am even more uncomfortable with ivermectin than permethrin, and if I cant get rid of these guys with the garlic spray, I think I will go that route..Im still unsure if liquid or powder would be better for ducks and their dense feathers..
Thanks for the specifics of the application method on the ivermectin, I might use this as a last resort.