Need natural solution to mites!

[Me3]

I have been reading, since signing up, that there is no natural solution to chicken mites. However, prior to sign up, I found several forum posts about treating with wood ash, cooking oil, and Dawn Blue Dishsoap mixed with water. I have a large, fully enclosed pen for my chickens and I'm not sure how mites even got in except maybe on the new straw because they're only in the new roost and only on the one hen who claimed the entire thing as her own. I have since pulled her out for quarantine, boarded th roost shut, and am seriously considering just setting it on fire.
I have lots of bees that come by for all the flowers on my property and can't rightly be spraying permethrin..
Please help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Straw has been known to harbor mites, and I have heard of some saying they got mites from bringing in straw. Mites are supposedly much harder to control than lice. You might want to try neem oil on your roosts and coop. Some use sulfur powder which you can buy in a garden center (such as Southern States Co-op) or online. DE can be dangerous to breathe and get into eyes, and it will not treat an infestation, but some in Europe who cannot get insecticides use it.

Mites hide in seams of walls, under roosts, and in many hiding places in coops. You will probably need to get at the source of the mites, then retreat your birds and coops at 7 day intervals to get both the mites and the newly hatched ones before they reproduce. Elector PSP or Spinosad is a safe and good product to use and a little goes a long way. Here are some good links to read:
https://assets.ctfassets.net/fistk1...f/biproe8103_Elector_NFM_USPBUELS00010_1_.pdf

https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

 

[azygous]

If the bees don't fly into the coop and hang out, there's no reason not to spray with permethrin or spinosad. They are both natural controls that actually will work. I'm afraid anything else you try is doomed to fail this side of burning down the place.

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

Brahma Chicken5000 gave me a recipe for a garlic essential oil spray. I have not tried it yet.

 

[centrarchid]

Have birds roost outside in a tree or something under a raptor resistant cover and provide access to a good location for frequent dust bathing.

 

[Me3]

I read up and watched a video on Elector PSP. I want to use that, but I can't find where to buy it. Amazon says they have no results for it.
Does TSC sell it? I live in Canada, but there is a TSC right across the border from me.

 

[Rlmp817]

Neem oil is great. It is a miticide and messes with the mites normal drive to live. Basically makes them forget to eat, forget to lay eggs, etc. I had mites but a month ago and successfully treated with neem oil and dish soap.
I bathed the affected birds in soapy water with a tap of neem oil, (an article I read recommended 10 minutesof soaking per bird) rinsed and put out in the run.
My next step was to haul out all the old litter and scrub down the coop. I sprayed it all with a neem oil mixture.
No mite issues since, no re-emergence at 7-10 days when their egg incubation cycle happens.

Wiping down the roots with oil my also help suffocate the mites if you have a sever infestation.

 

[Rlmp817]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042L8S7A/?tag=backy-20

^elector esp link

 

[Rlmp817]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QAWGIO/?tag=backy-20

^neem oil link

 

[Me3]

Thank you very much. I finally did find the Elector PSP and it turns out, converted, it's near $250 just for one jug.
So, neem oil.
I'm not buying straw again.. it makes sense to me that being stored where wild birds come and go, it would have a decent potential to carry these mites. Read all about using sand instead.