Plastic or wood coop after tick infestation

[pjstar]

i have had a wood coop for years and was doing fine with my girls. A month ago, I experienced a soft tick infestation, so I dusted the coop with DE and sprayed the coop with an alcohol based citronella solution. That did nothing, so I called pest control. They sprayed the coop and area with Demand CS. I also dipped the girls in permethrin solution. Information I reviewed indicated that wild birds, ie doves are carriers and Ill always have them. The next day, there fewer ticks, so I dusted the coop with more permethrin. Two days later, this eve, i will go out to see if any more live ticks remain. The girls appear to be tick-free. So my question is now, do I get rid of the wood coop to prevent future infestations and use a plastic coop or resolve to spray forever? I hate using pesticides because after all, that why I’m raising chicks myself. Thoughts?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Do you mean mites? Which are different than ticks, which tend to live in trees, shrubs, and grass.

 

[pjstar]

Nope per the identification site “what’s that bug”, these are
Soft Ticks based on images posted to BugGuide. According to Everything Poultry: "The Fowl Tick (Argas persicus) may be a serious parasite of poultry if it becomes numerous in poultry houses or on poultry ranges. The tick is a blood-sucker, and when present in large numbers it results in weakened birds, reduced egg production, emaciation and even death. The fowl tick is found throughout most of the South and is extremely hardy. Ticks have been kept alive without food for more than three years. The ticks will feed on all fowl.
Fowl ticks spend most of their lives in cracks and hiding places, emerging at night to take a blood meal. Mating takes place in the hiding areas. A few days after feeding, the female lays a batch of eggs. In warm weather the eggs hatch within fourteen days. In cold weather they may take up to three months to hatch. Larvae that hatch from the eggs crawl around until they find a host fowl. They remain attached to the birds for three to ten days. After leaving the birds they find hiding places and molt before seeking another blood meal. This is followed by additional moltings and blood meals.
Ticks are difficult to eradicate and methods employed must be performed carefully. It is not necessary to treat the birds, but houses and surrounding areas must be treated thoroughly."

 

[pjstar]

Sorry to gross everyone out...

 

[pjstar]

So back to my question wood or plastic?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your photo doesn't look like ticks, more like sow bugs. The link shows pictures of mites. I'm not from the south, so maybe ticks look different down there.

As far as wood or plastic? That's not necessarily the question, as it has more to do with cracks that parasites can hide in.

 

[Folly's place]

Is the Demand CS labeled for use in poultry houses? It looks like pretty nasty stuff to me (just looked it up) and I wonder why you didn't use permethrin spray instead? Probably no bug will survive in that coop, but it seems like overkill, in a big way. Mary

 

[Folly's place]

There's no approved use listed in FARAD for any species for this product. Why did your pest control company use it? Did they show you the label application for poultry housing for this product? I'll bet they can't! Will they be responsible if this use is in error? Maybe a new coop? Mary

 

[aart]

Your photo doesn't look like ticks, more like sow bugs.

Not sow bugs....these have 8 legs, like ticks do...and no jointed carapace.

Curious, where in the world are you located?
Have never heard of these.
Did you find any on your birds?

 

[Folly's place]

Fortunately, we don't have these up here in the frozen north, at least in those numbers!!! And all ticks carry bad diseases. Mary