Northern Fowl Mites Any ideas on how to best control these?

[LoneCowboy]

When I go out to the coop, I come back itching and feeling like something is crawling all over me. It's driving me crazy!!

Then today one of my broodies decided to stop brooding and was scratching herself. I let her out of the broody cage and took her eggs and gave them to my other broody. I'm hoping its not to late for them. In the process of reaching in to get the eggs, I got covered with mites. Felt like I had itching powder thrown on my head and face. Looked in the mirror and there were little specs like dirt on my face. I quickly combed out my hair and lots of little specks in the sink.

I ran down to the ranch store and got some dust and some spray. Does just a little over spray on them really kill all the mites on them? Do I have to cover them really well? Can I put the dust in the litter? I've never had this problem. How do I best get on top of this problem and win the war on mites?

Will these live long off the chickens? Will the infest my cat and dog and me? I thought they would stick pretty much to their host but they got all over me. Help!

 

[silkiechicken]

With most species specific stuff, they will prefer their host and will just use you or your cat for a vector to their next host. All you can really do is keep them on a dusting schedule and try to keep wild birds away from your birds.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

They will taste you, but quickly decide you taste "yucky." Same with your cat or dog, but if you have any cage birds, watch out.

Personally I prefer to bathe mite/lice infected birds in flea/tick shampoo, but spraying will definitely help. Make sure to spray all over them--under wings, around vent, on head, etc.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Thanks for the help.

I was also thinking about getting some play sand and mixing some of the powder in it so they can dust bathe in it. Everything is wet right now, so I'm sure they would jump at a chance to dust bathe in something nice and dry. Do you think this would work?

 

[LoneCowboy]

I think I'm going to have to beef up the war effort a little. Still getting attacked when I go in the coop.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You need to put the chickens elsewhere, clean out all the bedding, spray all woodwork heavily with a long acting insecticide and replace with clean, kiln dried bedding. Thoroughly spray, dust (or better yet bathe with flea/tick spray) all birds before replacing them in the coop.

 

[Imp]

Here's some info that may help.

Imp


http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[LoneCowboy]

I just completely cleaned and disinfected the coop a month ago. I mean total major cleaning. I can't believe this is happening now. GRRR! Worse part, I have 4 coops and about 50 birds.

 

[LoneCowboy]

I'm still fighting mites. I had an idea and wanted to run it past all of you.

After I clean the coops and spray for the umpteenth time... I was thinking about putting one of those mite tags in each of the nesting boxes. They say you can just put them on your roo but I don't want to pierce through their wings. Do you think this might help?