**Need advice** covered in bites

[kaitlyn_rae2003]

Hi there,
Im not sure what to do exactly...I am being eaten alive! my whole abdomin is covered in little red bites. I havent seen a bug, until a few minutes ago, the itching got really extreme so I went in where there is really good light and found 2 almost miniscule black specks, seemed to be moving. Im guessing fleas? Ive never dealt with this before, im super nervous because its spreading, it kills and I have 2 very young little boys, still unbitten, but if they were to get infested as well, my husband would shut my little chicken shack down. If it is fleas, what have you all been most successful with for treatment? I know I need to kill, and then re kill later hatching eggs right? Ill take any advice at all. This is not fun at all. I have 4 RIRs, and 4 frizzle mixes. It was the exact night/next morning after getting my frizzles, at 5 weeks old that I got these bites, and I was holding them, trying to get em used to me, against my abdominal area.....what to do? thank you

 

[ChickenToes]

Could it be mites? I don't know if fleas are usually that tiny, the ones I've seen were a bit larger than 'miniscule.' Hopefully someone else will be able to help!

 

[slightlyscrambled]

Mites or chiggers?

 

[motherhenparks]

Quote:
Are you sure they r fleas? they sound like chiggers, chiggers bite the softest part of u and they can be all over chickens and they start itching a few hrs after you get bit. I found listerine works well and then put on hydrocortisone, do the bites have like a tiny hard spot in the middle?

 

[kaitlyn_rae2003]

yes yes they do have a hard spot in the middle! omg is that chiggers? how the heck can I get rid of this! stupid question, chiggers are in NH too?
thanks so much

 

[Dingleberry]

Put DE (diatomaceous earth) out. that will fix the problem

 

[kaitlyn_rae2003]

ok im waiting for the stupid DE to get into our local agway store, they have food grade. My biggest fear...will this keep cycling over and over like fleas? or once these bites are gone, am I all set unless I come into contact with more chiggers? What should I do to my house and my body? DE for the coop and chickens, but anything special for me and the house?

 

[Dingleberry]

DE is fine for the house too, I used calimine loation and lots of scratching. Just treat them like any other insect bite. Reaply the DE after it rains I think the bag says no more that 7 x a year???

 

[mypicklebird]

You need to inspect your new birds- if they have lice or mites- they can bite you, but really unlikely that they will infest you as you are not a chicken and are not the right host. Chicken parasites are designed to live in/on chickens not people. If you got bitten by a red chicken mite, the chickens are probably covered in them. DE is not going to do much very fast, I would recommend pyrethrin powder or carbaryl (sevin dust). Treat again in 2 weeks. If you see mites/lice on the birds, be sure to tell the turkey that sold them to you that they have mites or lice. Topical steroid on you and oral antihistamines should make you feel better if this is a mite/louse bite(S)

 

[kaitlyn_rae2003]

Thank you guys so so much. I have been really nervous about this. I love my chickens so much and I dont want them in pain either! You guys are great! thank you.