RED MITES

[Fifithechick]

Hi guys, I have been rising chickens for about 5 or 6 years now. I have been constantly having trouble with red mites, there is no chemical or anything else that I didn't use to get rid of them, but no success. Last year I tried to burn them with something like this

I was able to remove them (or i think so). After some time, THEY CAME BACK AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Chemicals surely didn't remove any of them. I have around 60 hens, and it's not easy to deal with red mites here.

Did anybody success removing them without chemicals (most of chemicals you would recommend are surely not available in my ****ing country)?

 

[DobieLover]

Hi guys, I have been rising chickens for about 5 or 6 years now. I have been constantly having trouble with red mites, there is no chemical or anything else that I didn't use to get rid of them, but no success. Last year I tried to burn them with something like this View attachment 2554864

I was able to remove them (or i think so). After some time, THEY CAME BACK AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Chemicals surely didn't remove any of them. I have around 60 hens, and it's not easy to deal with red mites here.

Did anybody success removing them without chemicals (most of chemicals you would recommend are surely not available in my ****ing country)?

Spinosad.
It's a bacteria. Did you try that?

 

[JaeG]

I feel your pain. I've had ongoing battles with those awful critters and it's very frustrating. They are brought in by rats and wild birds. Our chickens are free ranged so there's no way of keeping those pest animals out during the day if they decide to visit. I remove the food from the coop during the day, and they are fed fermented feed so there's never any spillage, but I can still have birds and even rats going into the coop (and the rats we have here are super smart, avoiding the wide variety of traps we have put out, and even poison has been hit and miss).

I cannot get Spinosad in my country. I'd have to have a commercial orchard to have access to it. I can't even get Permethrin concentrate that doesn't have other things added in. I do use Derris Dust which has been implicated in the development of Parkinsons Disease, but only in the coop, never on the birds. It's use is being phased out in some countries but in the absence of a useful alternative it's the only thing that's worked for me, and I've tried everything available.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have been constantly having trouble with red mites, there is no chemical or anything else that I didn't use to get rid of them, but no success.

Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures.. sulfur is effective at killing lots of things.

After some time, THEY CAME BACK AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

This is often the case.. since wildlife are not being treated and sometimes eggs are not treated so follow up is required. Also weather changes either in favor of or against.. No matter what you use seasonal or yearly follow up may be advisable..

Any permethrin or pyrethrin based product should be effective.. sometimes sold as horse fly spy in the states. They are also safe for use on layers and all ages of chicks with NO egg withdrawal time needed.

Carbaryl is effective, usually.. maybe not labeled for use in chickens though. Of course fire kills lots of things as well.

There are many species of mite that are red, clover mites for example male me panic every time I see them.. and red mites do not live on chickens but only come out to feed on them.. colonies often found under the roost. Are you seeing them on the birds to and are you able to post photos?

Consider using maybe a neem and/other essential type oil spritz or something like that MIGHT be helpful..

Sounds like nothing will truly eradicate them and therefor I suggest changing the expected outcome and managing what it IS, unfortunately. Which is to say requires ongoing management possibly including a multi pronged approach could include back to back treatments within a specified period for ALL 60 birds.. plus adding stuff to their bath, cleaning or changing the bedding type, etc.. or EVEN alternating treatment product/method.

It's a worthy fight and I value the cause!

If you have any way.. like human B complex added into feed/water.. to help boost their personal immune system, on OCCASION only.. then there isn't much to lose. An actual poultry or avian vitamin, mineral, amino acid supplement (not electrolytes) would be an even better choice if one is available. Sometimes found in the pet section of regular stores. Feed stores often have a few choices. I mention this because ALL thing immune system related are also effected by nutrition which can ultimately either help fight off internal/external parasites. Have you ever done anything to rid the chickens of internal parasite load? See, I'm talking one, two, three punches or all that you got at one go.. Yes, that MIGHT include treating the property as well as the birds, coops, roost. lay boxes.. etc

Not to be left of the list of vectors for these external parasite are the ever freeloading rodents.. rodent control in VITAL to external parasite control. Even though I collect feed, rats still come looking for shrapnel, and squirrels are bushy rats that most will never consider. Switching the traps up and baits help.. there are a few threads on effective rodent control.. but it's always an ongoing battle that will not cease as long as there are livestock. Sounds like that may be the case with these mites.

I feel silly for asking but since I'm unaware of your actual poultry understanding despite length of stated experience.. but are you sure you're dealing with mites and not standard molting?

Some years I have to treat my birds for poultry lice and other years not.. The weather changes and conditions with it.

The most common practice is MONTHLY after dark check using a flash light.. With a flock that big (miner used to be 72 strong).. I pick a few of the scraggliest looking ones.. maybe 10-20% look for angry red skin, creepies running away, or dried "dirt" looking egg clumps near feather shaft bases below vent near abdomen. Try to select maybe new random chicken each inspection time. Treat EVERY one ONLY if any signs are found. Studies show that 10% of birds are carrying the majority of the parasites in any given flock.. they are technically the weakest link.. but of course when we start talking about high density populations.. favorable condition can allow things to grow out of control rapidly.

Lots of good suggestions made while I was tapping at this keyboard. Hang in there, I know how exhausting it can be at times!

 

[aart]

I was able to remove them (or i think so). After some time, THEY CAME BACK AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Chemicals surely didn't remove any of them. I have around 60 hens, and it's not easy to deal with red mites here.

What chemicals did you use?
How did you apply them?
How often did you re-treat to get the newly hatched?

 

[dawg53]

@JaeG Bedding and nesting material must be completely removed from the coop and disposed of, preferably incinerated.
Liberally spray bleachwater inside the coop and nest boxes. Bleachwater will eliminate external parasites. Let the coop dry out and replace with fresh bedding etc...
Dont spray birds with bleachwater.
Frontline spray will take care of lice/mites on your birds. Here's where you can order it in New Zealand.
https://www.myvet.co.nz/discount-flea/frontline/frontline-spray-100ml.html
For your rat problem; soak rags in a bucket of undiluted ammonia and hang the soaked rags around the outside of your chicken pens just after dark. Collect the rags the next morning and soak them again for that evening. Do this for about 4-5 days. No more rats.

 

[Phillyndilly]

Hello all just chiming in because I’ve had an insanely horrible problem with mites. I don’t think they are red mites- I’m pretty positive they are northern fowl mites because I never see them in the coop only on the birds. I have about 50 birds..

I have used permethrin dust as well we spray. Sprayed the coop, burned the bedding, powdered the coops and the bedding. Sprayed and powdered the birds, washed the birds with dawn. Sprayed the birds after dry. Given the birds ivermectin ( vet suggestion) for 6 months every 2-3 weeks. Given the birds triple the dose of ivermectin.
In my experience topics and oral ivermectin don’t work at all.

I finally thought things were getting better I’m in NYS so we just had and are still having a horrifying winter which is what I thought killed off the mites or helped.. Checked the birds every so often especially the ones who get more mites. We had a few 60 degree days and I go to check a few girls- completely infested.

This time I’ve tried the burning method with a small torch, permethrin the coop, and sevin dusted the coop.

My question is does bleach work better for the coop than spraying permethrin?
also I got frontline because I read on here it really works well and I’m about to burn all 4 of my coops because I can’t take this anymore..

 

[sourland]

Back in the dark ages we would do a total coop clean, dust the birds with permethrin and paint all cracks/crevices/corners with creosote. You have to get them in their hiding places to eliminate them.

 

[aart]

Back in the dark ages we would do a total coop clean, dust the birds with permethrin and paint all cracks/crevices/corners with creosote. You have to get them in their hiding places to eliminate them.

This^^^ can use permethrin spray on the cracks and crevices.
Must re-treat all at 7 day intervals, maybe 3-4 treatments to get them all.

 

[BDutch]

I don’t now much about the northern fowl mites. Only that they are even harder to eliminate than the red mites.

@Fifithechick
How are you doing now?

I live in an area with lots of red mite infestations because of our mild climate. In winter they go to ‘sleep’ to get active again in spring.

I had a light infestation with red mites only once. After cleaning an treating I used diatomaceous earth (a few spoons) in the sand bath. Under the shavings/hay in the nestboxes (thin layer mixed with sand). And as a paint mixing it with water on and around the roosts, at the walls in the roost area, filling all cracks in the coop with it.
I do this every spring an check again a couple of times in dummer. I check on the red creeps every week in spring/summer. But they never returned.

I bought a steamer (no danger of burning the coop) I will use for the coop if this misery is ever going to hit me.

Heat works great. A research at Wageningen University (WUR) did tests. Outcome: 48 hours at 45 degrees Celsius kills all mites and eggs. Good thing for the industry to avoid using chemicals. But for most people that is not possible to realise.

Be careful with pesticides. The pesticides for cats and dogs are not allowed for chickens in my country because the eggs /meat get poisonous too. Only the natural based permethrin with a waiting period is allowed for layers. I have noticed that some vets give pesticides that are not allowed for consumption to BYC.