Please help! How do I treat mites??

Christina.Rich · May 14, 2018

Hi everyone,

I came home Saturday with a pair of Cochin bantams from a local auction and the rooster is a mess. First it was bumbkefoot, then it was scaly leg mites. Today... I found MITES (UGH)

Please tell me what to buy to treat it. I’m going to treat my entire flock now since he has been exposed to them for a few days. I went to tractor supply and bought diatomaceous earth and gave every bird a dust bath, but from what I read it seems like I need to do more.

Please help!

oldhenlikesdogs · May 14, 2018

I avoid auctions like the plague they are. DE does nothing but irritate the airways. You will need a pyrethrin based poultry dust or spray to treat your birds and all roost cracks and nestboxes, and anywhere there are wood cracks. Repeat every 2-3 weeks for 3 times at least.

Christina.Rich · May 15, 2018

oldhenlikesdogs said:
I avoid auctions like the plague they are. DE does nothing but irritate the airways. You will need a pyrethrin based poultry dust or spray to treat your birds and all roost cracks and nestboxes, and anywhere there are wood cracks. Repeat every 2-3 weeks for 3 times at least.

The thing is, it was hosted by a local poultry club. Hosted 2x a year and it had raving reviews. It also was said that they “check” each bird for health and such before they allow it for auction... or so the flyer said. I guess some things are learned the hard way.
Are you familiar with any specific brands of dust or spray that are pyrethin based that work well?

Folly's place · May 15, 2018

Our local TSC has Gordon's permethrin spray concentrate, the best product ever. Permethrin dust works, but is much more difficult to use, more expensive, and needs to be repeated too often. There are likely other brands of the spray concentrate available, depending on where you live.
DE is about useless, and dangerous to inhale.
I never bring home outside birds, only vaccinated chicks from very good hatcheries.
Mites and lice are a pain, and will turn up in your flock occasionally from their contact with wild birds. I had to treat my flock for mites this spring. Yuck!
Mary