Welcome cluckless and everyone else who has joined us! It very nice to see others here too. Please always speak up, believe me, we are always reading what is posted on here and answer when we can help and such.
Missy, I'm so glad things are looking up now. This actually sounds like a hawk or cat attack instead of a raccoon attack. I do get a 30 minute warning because of the route the raccoons take to get into my backyard. They are noisy too. Hawks and cats are not noisy critters when they attack.
Well, let me say I've been through the ringer this past month. I've never had issues with chicken mites inside my house before. Those little buggers are noseums but you sure can feel them crawl all over you and bite you. You only can see the ones that draw blood and then you can pick them off of you. I didn't have a clue what to do. I called an exterminator and they couldn't see anything. I called UNR and they couldn't help but he gave me the phone number to Washoe County and the State of Nevada. Washoe County couldn't help me so I called the State, Jeff Knight was very nice. Every where I read told me I had to get rid of the source, well the source is my flock so I thought and it broke my heart so bad all I could do was cry for days on end. Now at the State, Jeff Knight, the Entomologist, just calmly said treat the chickens, spray the coop and the mites will die inside your house in 35 days. I collected the bugs I pulled off of me and used a lint roller on my bed where they were attacking me and drove it over to him. I should be getting a call this week to find out what exactly is attacking me. The good news out of this is the bugs have all died inside my house. The flock is happy again but I still need to conquer the coop but at least I'm somewhere instead of crying. My work has offered me part time if I want it so I can be home more often. I've decided to take the part time job instead of full time. Missy, thank you so much for seriously thinking of coming over to help me clean everything up but then not coming over so you wouldn't end up taking them home. I can still use help if you guys can come over since the bugs are all dead to finish this huge job. At least we don't need to do any wall washing now.
I ended up with roundworms from when Leroy bit the top of my foot a while back, at least we believe that's where they came from, so no more wearing flip flops and I'm now taking albendazole twice a day. It's the same stuff we give chickens and ducks. I was on stromectol its the human pill for Ivermectin, first for the biting bugs and the other for the worms. It's funny how I'm taking what I give my chickens for their worms and parasites.
Oh and a little something I learned today. I learned how to check the oil and put a quart in my truck. For me it was one of my biggest accomplishment I've done in a very long time. John will be out of town for about 5 more weeks and I have tons to do.
Thanks for listening and Good Night.