My chicken has sticktight fleas

[Chickenhugs105]

My chicken got sticktight fleas and I don’t know what to do. Most of the cures I’ve seen on here are for when they have A LOT of fleas. I’ve been taking out the fleas with tweezers and cleaning her coop since I noticed them and they keep coming back. She doesn’t have many fleas but they are still somewhat visible. I was wondering if there is something I can give her for a small case of the fleas.

 

[sourland]

Do an on site search on 'stick tight fleas'. They are several threads on treatment. Good luck in treating her.

 

[alexse]

My chicken got sticktight fleas and I don’t know what to do. Most of the cures I’ve seen on here are for when they have A LOT of fleas. I’ve been taking out the fleas with tweezers and cleaning her coop since I noticed them and they keep coming back. She doesn’t have many fleas but they are still somewhat visible. I was wondering if there is something I can give her for a small case of the fleas.

Currently dealing with this infestation for the first time. Put permethrin on a qtip and wiped the clumps of fleas, then covered the whole area with Vaseline. Ran the chickens out of the coop, scraped up all the litter and burned it sprayed the ground and walls and crevices with permethrin spray. My girls were really suffering and this has reduced although not eliminated the fleas. I think it will take several more cycles of this treatment. Meanwhile dusting everything with diatomaceous earth. BE SURE when you go in the coop you were wearing clothes that have been soaked with permethrin (allowed to dry before wearing). This will reduce the amount of fleas you get on yourself they are just as maddening and hard to get off you as they are to get off the chickens.

 

[dawg53]

Currently dealing with this infestation for the first time. Put permethrin on a qtip and wiped the clumps of fleas, then covered the whole area with Vaseline. Ran the chickens out of the coop, scraped up all the litter and burned it sprayed the ground and walls and crevices with permethrin spray. My girls were really suffering and this has reduced although not eliminated the fleas. I think it will take several more cycles of this treatment. Meanwhile dusting everything with diatomaceous earth. BE SURE when you go in the coop you were wearing clothes that have been soaked with permethrin (allowed to dry before wearing). This will reduce the amount of fleas you get on yourself they are just as maddening and hard to get off you as they are to get off the chickens.

Welcome to BYC.
Stick tight fleas are a pain in the neck to get rid of. Instead of worthless DE, use permethrin dust in addition to the permethrin liquid concentrate.
Excellent job cleaning out the coop and burning litter which helps eliminate flea eggs.

 

[ThePamperedChick]

We're dealing with a really bad outbreak in Southern California. I've used DE in the roosting areas and egg laying boxes-it does't work on fleas. I tried poultry dust-also didn't work. I power washed and sprayed everything (including chickens) with 10% permethrin- it doesn't kill the entire flea cycle so you have to keep spraying every couple of days. I decided to try spot on flea treatment for cats with a diabetic syringe. I cut off 3/4 of the needle to get a small blunt end and apply a 1-2 drops. I have not found equivalent dosing from cats to chickens so this is a guessing game. I'm starting very small and will work my way up if need be. I do see results, not perfect but perhaps 80% gone (this infestation was horrible so that is a great number to start with). I will spray every inch of the aviary with an insecticide designed to remain working for the entire flea cycle and then repeat 2x more to be sure. If anyone knows about toxicity to food, please let me know. The spot-on treatments are designed to last one month so I would assume one could not eat eggs laid for at least four weeks (per treatment).