Red mites - any more suggestions

[JaeG]

Permethrin isn't available in my country and nothing that is available for this problem worked for me. I ended up painting the inside of my coop with neem oil diluted 50% in hot water. My chickens have been fine with it (I just locked them out until it was dry) and no more mites. Red mites don't live on your chickens, they just hop on for a feed at night, so medicating the birds makes no sense to me. Get rid of the mites from the coop and you've won the battle.

I know DE has no affect on red mites. I had a deep bed of it in my nestboxes and it was absolutely crawling with very live mites, hundreds (probably thousands) of the suckers.

It's a horrible thing to deal with. I battled for 6 weeks with this problem before doing some research and trying the neem. The neem stops them at every stage of development, whereas your fogger would've killed all the adults but not the eggs which will still hatch out.

Good luck in your battles!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Thanks! We actually don't have a PeavyMart here -- I live in Kelowna, so you'd think we have everything -- but it's surprising how few of this 'big name stores' we have! It's super unfair Lol. I haven't come across these products but I'll ask around! I asked a bit about Frontline Plus, and it seems like the go-to around here for mites. I might give that a try! Seems like the safety margin is really good and it's supposed to be really effective. Since it goes into the oil glands (not the bloodstream) it is effective against both mites AND lice. Bonus! Will keep posted on the results. I will give it a go in 10 days.

Frontline (fipronil and S-methoprene)...as in Dogs and Cats.
It doesn't show up in the list of drugs approved.

Neem oil does not show up on the list of drugs approved.

I had a sinking feeling when I was thinking about the permethrin when I was doing evening chores. I remember it being mentioned to us that the insecticide we used in our cattle oilers was going to be taken off the shelves and I questioned DH of the product we used. Permethrin was the ingredient.
A search for it shows it's labeled for human use (lice etc) I think we'll be out of luck there. I will ask. The owners are up on their products.

Carbaryl shows up on the list as labeled for poultry.

 

[JaeG]

Neem oil isn't a drug. It's a naturally derived insecticide commonly used on food crops as it's so non toxic to most organisms including bees, earthworms and birds. You can eat what you spray the same day. Exotic finch breeders use neem leaf tea to cure all sorts of things including air sac mites. Neem is also available as a supplement for humans. It can be applied directly to your skin for any number of skin complaints (medical grade oil for that). I add some to my bucket when mopping our wooden flooring to kill off fleas. It's very handy stuff.

 

[23Sandreef]

I live in Tasmania Australia. I have managed to rid my hen house of what was a really bad infestation of red mites using a process known to my grandmother some seventy years ago. I have my birds sitting with large buckets behind and below them and with trays in front to collect motions. I have painted the feet and lower legs of the frame that they perch on with vegetable oil. I scatter ashes from the fire or garden lime into the poo buckets and on the trays, I collect poo off the trays daily and transfer to the buckets, and cover with the ash. When I have no ash I have used garden lime for the same purpose. Every week I add garden soil to the buckets covered again with some ash. About every three months the buckets are emptied into a raised garden. This allows me to monitor for mites, none now for six months. It has been a simple way to manage the problem and by the time I empty the buckets they are mostly compost. While calling them buckets I am using plastic clothes baskets which I can then wash with high pressure water and disinfectant and start all over again .

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Neem oil isn't a drug. It's a naturally derived insecticide commonly used on food crops as it's so non toxic to most organisms including bees, earthworms and birds. You can eat what you spray the same day. Exotic finch breeders use neem leaf tea to cure all sorts of things including air sac mites. Neem is also available as a supplement for humans. It can be applied directly to your skin for any number of skin complaints (medical grade oil for that). I add some to my bucket when mopping our wooden flooring to kill off fleas. It's very handy stuff.

In Canada, it is not currently registered for use as an insecticide in Canada. There apparently is one derivative from Neem (I was skimming the video) but it is only able to be used by registered professionals in that field. There was no mention of poultry or animal species at all.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2690623262
http://www.flowerscanadagrowers.com/news/neem-based-leaf-shine-products-no-longer-legal-for-use

 

[JaeG]

In Canada, it is not currently registered for use as an insecticide in Canada. There apparently is one derivative from Neem (I was skimming the video) but it is only able to be used by registered professionals in that field. There was no mention of poultry or animal species at all.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2690623262
http://www.flowerscanadagrowers.com/news/neem-based-leaf-shine-products-no-longer-legal-for-use

And yet the Neem supplements for humans, and Neem oil for use on human skin is available in Canada at health food shops. Crazy! Sounds like the only reason it's banned is because nobody wants to pay the rather large bill to have it tested and deemed 'safe'. As someone pointed out it's also illegal to spray your orchard with skim milk or champagne. Sounds like it does get used in some orchards though. The grower adds a little urea and it's then considered a 'Foliar Fertiliser'.

 

[23Sandreef]

I had a nasty infestation in the shed here in Tasmania. I recalled a method my grandmother used in New Zealand. I scrubbed perches, nests etc and then painted the legs of the perch frame with vegetable oil. I then scattered cold ash from the fire all over the floor and into the hens feathers, as well as where they dust bath. I placed large plastic buckets behind and below the hens to collect poo and on the trays in front of the perches. Every morning I scraped up chicken poo and placed in the buckets, adding a sprinkle of lime or ash. Once a week I would cover the poo with soil. Once a month I emptied the buckets into a raised garden which allowed me to monitor for mites. I checked the hens weekly and I am pleased to say we havent had a mite in months, despite a flock of sparrows that hang around the shed.Very pleased to have achieved this without pesticides.

 

[23Sandreef]

I should add, that each day I scattered ash on the trays beneath the birds, the hens pick the ash up on their feet and transfer to the perches. If you have no ash, you could use garden lime mixed in soil in its place.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

What about tea tree oil sprayed in the coop?

It's used for a lot of insect infestations including mites.

Not sure of its legality in Canada though.

(And definitely keep it away from cats as its toxic to them...and of course the fumes to chickens).

Just more thoughts. Good luck with your battle. How awful.

Good news...most of the red mites live in the building not on the birds...so you are moving away from the problem. Treat the birds with the move, and hopefully that will do it.

LofMc

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I live in Tasmania Australia. I have managed to rid my hen house of what was a really bad infestation of red mites using a process known to my grandmother some seventy years ago. I have my birds sitting with large buckets behind and below them and with trays in front to collect motions. I have painted the feet and lower legs of the frame that they perch on with vegetable oil. I scatter ashes from the fire or garden lime into the poo buckets and on the trays, I collect poo off the trays daily and transfer to the buckets, and cover with the ash. When I have no ash I have used garden lime for the same purpose. Every week I add garden soil to the buckets covered again with some ash. About every three months the buckets are emptied into a raised garden. This allows me to monitor for mites, none now for six months. It has been a simple way to manage the problem and by the time I empty the buckets they are mostly compost. While calling them buckets I am using plastic clothes baskets which I can then wash with high pressure water and disinfectant and start all over again .

I'm not certain I have the correct image in my head...lol. Do you have a picture of your setup? I'd like to see this to understand your description better. Do the birds ever jump into the pails? I wonder if I'm thinking the wrong image?