Sand and mites

[Kris64]

I just saw red mites on a couple of old painted boards I was going to use for shade and protection in a fenced area. I immediately removed the boards and will use something else later--probably pressure treated. For now I want to give the hens extra protection against these parasites. DE, while used frequently, sounds controversial. What about sand? Would a sand dust bath help? Thanks!

 

[Kikiriki]

DE, when dry, works by cutting the bugs. Sand is far too course.

Here is a nice discussion
http://blog.poultrykeeper.com/tim-chicken-blog/red-mite-products/

Elector is new product, and it has no egg withdrawal, but it is pricey.

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LE...ibwhphfc/RK=0/RS=MJ3KgJXG4Vg5YOyRu8Si8Ar23ro-

Available here
http://www.amazon.com/Elanco-Elector-Psp-Premise-Spray/dp/B0042L8S7A

This is a chemical derived from bacteria, and over using it IS hazardous!
The MSDS
https://www.elancocentral.com/Elector_PSP.pdf

 

[Kikiriki]

Another video on organic treatment

Note that oregano oil can be toxic, too!

However in small quantities it is also good for improving poultry feed use:
https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/jas/articles/92/4/1531

 

[Folly's place]

DE, when dry, will kill some mites. When it's wet, no effect. Permethrin is approved for use in chickens, and now does have a withdrawal period for eating eggs. It works fine in the coop and on the birds, but don't dust with anything without a N95 or better dust mask!!! Ivermectin kills mites, lice, and most intestinal parasites, and is easy to use. It's not approved so choosing an egg withdrawal time is iffy. I use it, and throw eggs away for one week, because it seems reasonable to me. Carbaryl also works in the coop. I don't use insecticides outside when the honeybees and other insects are out. Mary

 

[Kikiriki]

DE, when dry, will kill some mites.  When it's wet, no effect.  Permethrin is approved for use in chickens, and now does have a withdrawal period for eating eggs.  It works fine in the coop and on the birds, but don't dust with anything without a N95 or better dust mask!!!  Ivermectin kills mites, lice, and most intestinal parasites, and is easy to use.  It's not approved so choosing an egg withdrawal time is iffy.  I use it, and throw eggs away for one week, because it seems reasonable to me.  Carbaryl also works in the coop.  I don't use insecticides outside when the honeybees and other insects are out.  Mary

Ivermectin studies on human volunteers showed the chemical remained in the body for 12 days.
Do you have some evidence that chicken physiology is more efficient at clearing chemicals than are humans?
What you don't know can hurt you.


http://www.rxlist.com/stromectol-drug/clinical-pharmacology.htm
Pharmacokinetics

Following oral administration of ivermectin, plasma concentrations are approximately proportional to the dose. In two studies, after single 12-mg doses of STROMECTOL (ivermectin) in fasting healthy volunteers (representing a mean dose of 165 mcg/kg), the mean peak plasma concentrations of the major component (H2B1a) were 46.6 (±21.9) (range: 16.4-101.1) and 30.6 (±15.6) (range: 13.9-68.4) ng/mL, respectively, at approximately 4 hours after dosing. Ivermectin is metabolized in the liver, and ivermectin and/or its metabolites are excreted almost exclusively in the feces over an estimated 12 days, with less than 1% of the administered dose excreted in the urine. The plasma half-life of ivermectin in man is approximately 18 hours following oral administration.

The safety and pharmacokinetic properties of ivermectin were further assessed in a multiple-dose clinical pharmacokinetic study involving healthy volunteers. Subjects received oral doses of 30 to 120 mg (333 to 2000 mcg/kg) ivermectin in a fasted state or 30 mg (333 to 600 mcg/kg) ivermectin following a standard high-fat (48.6 g of fat) meal. Administration of 30 mg ivermectin following a high-fat meal resulted in an approximate 2.5fold increase in bioavailability relative to administration of 30 mg ivermectin in the fasted state.

In vitro studies using human liver microsomes and recombinant CYP450 enzymes have shown that ivermectin is primarily metabolized by CYP3A4. Depending on the in vitro method used, CYP2D6 and CYP2E1 were also shown to be involved in the metabolism of ivermectin but to a significantly lower extent compared to CYP3A4. The findings of in vitro studies using human liver microsomes suggest that clinically relevant concentrations of ivermectin do not significantly inhibit the metabolizing activities of CYP3A4, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP1A2, and CYP2E1.

Microbiology

Ivermectin is a member of the avermectin class of broad-spectrum antiparasitic agents which have a unique mode of action. Compounds of the class bind selectively and with high affinity to glutamate-gated chloride ion channels which occur in invertebrate nerve and muscle cells. This leads to an increase in the permeability of the cell membrane to chloride ions with hyperpolarization of the nerve or muscle cell, resulting in paralysis and death of the parasite. Compounds of this class may also interact with other ligand-gated chloride channels, such as those gated by the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

The selective activity of compounds of this class is attributable to the facts that some mammals do not have glutamate-gated chloride channels and that the avermectins have a low affinity for mammalian ligand-gated chloride channels. In addition, ivermectin does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier in humans.

Ivermectin is active against various life-cycle stages of many but not all nematodes. It is active against the tissue microfilariae of Onchocerca volvulus but not against the adult form. Its activity against Strongyloides stercoralis is limited to the intestinal stages.

Clinical Studies

Strongyloidiasis

Two controlled clinical studies using albendazole as the comparative agent were carried out in international sites where albendazole is approved for the treatment of strongyloidiasis of the gastrointestinal tract, and three controlled studies were carried out in the U.S. and internationally using thiabendazole as the comparative agent. Efficacy, as measured by cure rate, was defined as the absence of larvae in at least two follow-up stool examinations 3 to 4 weeks post-therapy. Based on this criterion, efficacy was significantly greater for STROMECTOL (ivermectin) (a single dose of 170 to 200 mcg/kg) than for albendazole (200 mg b.i.d. for 3 days). STROMECTOL (ivermectin) administered as a single dose of 200 mcg/kg for 1 day was as efficacious as thiabendazole administered at 25 mg/kg b.i.d. for 3 days.

Summary of Cure Rates for Ivermectin Versus Comparative Agents in the Treatment of Strongyloidiasis
CURE RATE* (%)
IVERMECTIN** COMPARATIVE AGENT
Albendazole*** Comparative
International Study 24/26 (92) 12/22 (55)
WHO Study 126/152 (83) 67/149 (45)
Thiabendazole† Comparative
International Study 9/14 (64) 13/15 (87)
US Studies 14/14 (100) 16/17 (94)
* Number and % of evaluable patients
** 170-200 mcg/kg
*** 200 mg b.i.d. for 3 days
† 25 mg/kg b.i.d. for 3 days
In one study conducted in France, a non-endemic area where there was no possibility of reinfection, several patients were observed to have recrudescence of Strongyloides larvae in their stool as long as 106 days following ivermectin therapy. Therefore, at least three stool examinations should be conducted over the three months following treatment to ensure eradication. If recrudescence of larvae is observed, retreatment with ivermectin is indicated. Concentration techniques (such as using a Baermann apparatus) should be employed when performing these stool examinations, as the number of Strongyloides larvae per gram of feces may be very low.

Onchocerciasis

The evaluation of STROMECTOL (ivermectin) in the treatment of onchocerciasis is based on the results of clinical studies involving 1278 patients. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving adult patients with moderate to severe onchocercal infection, patients who received a single dose of 150 mcg/kg STROMECTOL (ivermectin) experienced an 83.2% and 99.5% decrease in skin microfilariae count (geometric mean) 3 days and 3 months after the dose, respectively. A marked reduction of > 90% was maintained for up to 12 months after the single dose. As with other microfilaricidal drugs, there was an increase in the microfilariae count in the anterior chamber of the eye at day 3 after treatment in some patients. However, at 3 and 6 months after the dose, a significantly greater percentage of patients treated with STROMECTOL (ivermectin) had decreases in microfilariae count in the anterior chamber than patients treated with placebo.

In a separate open study involving pediatric patients ages 6 to 13 (n=103; weight range: 17-41 kg), similar decreases in skin microfilariae counts were observed for up to 12 months after dosing.

Last reviewed on RxList: 1/6/2010
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.

 

[Kikiriki]

DE, when dry, will kill some mites.  When it's wet, no effect.  Permethrin is approved for use in chickens, and now does have a withdrawal period for eating eggs.  It works fine in the coop and on the birds, but don't dust with anything without a N95 or better dust mask!!!  Ivermectin kills mites, lice, and most intestinal parasites, and is easy to use.  It's not approved so choosing an egg withdrawal time is iffy.  I use it, and throw eggs away for one week, because it seems reasonable to me.  Carbaryl also works in the coop.  I don't use insecticides outside when the honeybees and other insects are out.  Mary

Sevin is also not approved for poultry:

http://www.toxipedia.org/plugins/servlet/mobile#content/view/3057

"As pertains to these acute effects, carbaryl is officially regarded as a Type II Moderately Hazardous Pesticide. Likewise, regulatory organizations and agencies such as the EPA list carbaryl as a suspected carcinogen, endocrine disruptor, reproductive toxicant, and developmental toxicant (PAN). And although evidence is inconclusive, some EPA findings have also observed symptoms such as lasting headaches, memory loss, and muscle weakness resulting from prolonged low-level carbaryl exposure, suggesting some potential for the chemical to cause chronic effects (EPA).

One conclusive influence of the chemical, however, is in its ability to cause mutagenic effects in some animals. In laboratory studies of rats, carbaryl has been shown to affect cell division and growth. There is a possibility that this same effect may occur in the human stomach upon ingestion of the chemical; however, this has not been studied conclusively (EXTOXNET). The same amount of evidence also exists for carbaryl's potential to affect the immune system in animals and insects."