Permethrin Spray in the Winter?!

[628990]

I have used the permethrin 10 spray on my henhouse and hens last summer, to kick a bad bout of mites/lice. It worked great, and my hens feathers came back

However, I noticed a few broken feathers on a hen….That is what I saw previously, before recognizing a pest at work. So, to be proactive, I sprayed my henhouse again, and want to treat my chickens. But it’s winter, and I don’t want to spray my hens, since I’d have to dry my hens with a hairdryer, before letting them outside.

That leads me to my question: is the permethrin dust as effective as the permethrin 10 spray?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The dust should be effective.

 

[628990]

Thanks @Wyorp Rock! this is the dust I will be getting….It says the main ingredient is permethrin. Has anyone used this and had positive results?

I am going to treat my henhouse with the spray and my chickens with the dust once a week for 2-3 weeks, to try to eliminate the possible pests, and their offspring.

Can the pests become immune to permethrin?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This is fine.
Afik, I have not seen anyone mention resistance.

 

[Folly's place]

The dust works fine, but are you sure they have mites? Broken feathers happen without parasites being present.
At night, with a flashlight or head lamp, look at those birds, at the skin, especially around the vent, under wings, back and neck. Mites are very tiny moving dark specks, lice are small pale insects.
Treating as a preventative isn't useful, only treat if they are seen, on even one bird. Here, some birds will have many, and others, few or none, so check all, or a fair number at least.
Mary

 

[cmom]

I agree with Mary. I have used that poultry dust and use it in the nest boxes too. I use a headlamp so I have both of my hands free to inspect the birds and also take a paper towel and rub it on and under the roost and look for streaks which could be a sign of mites. Good luck...

 

[628990]

Thanks for the replies!

Her skin looks dry, and flaky. Last year, she broke her feathers, and I didn’t treat, since I thought it might be just accidental breakage or something. Then ot got really bad to where her neck, bottom, etc had little to no feathers at all. Just broken feather tips. Any new feathers that would try to grow back in, would be broken/pulled out. Only after treating the new feathers grew in.

Some people on here recommended treating with permethrin every 3 or 6 months….I was thinking of treating since it’s been 2-3 months.

What’s the downside for following a 3 or 6 month permethrin treatment/preventative plan?

 

[Folly's place]

It's about not treating for something that's not there.
Mary

 

[628990]

Okay thanks!