Seven Dust

[R.M. Hens]

I plan on cleaning my coop this weekend and I have decided to dust as well. I have never dusted anything but my garden so I am a bit nervous. Seven Dust cannot hurt my chickens right? Should I dust everything? ground in chicken yard? nest boxes? chickens? I do not have a problem with mites or any other bugs, so the dusting is just to make sure it stays that way.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html
This link describes the use of sevin dust.

I wouldn't dust the yard, myself.

Also, here is a link for sevin dust egg withdrawal time:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491429&p=2

If you are just doing maintenance, keep in mind that a lot of people use DE (which you also shouldn't breathe, as it is fossil shell flour) on the chickens and in the coop. I do this several times a year on the chickens.

But when I get an active infestation AND seasonally just to be safe (because I repeatedly get mites in my flock from the songbirds) I treat with poultry dust (sevin and permethrin).

If your chickens inhale a lot of the dust they will wheeze. Happened to me when I was careless. The wheezing was gone in 24 hours. Heck, even I felt like wheezing. It was like swimming in the dust inside the coop. So wear a mask, long sleeves, take shower afterward, etc.

I always dust my girls outside now because of that experience. I take an old sock and tie off the top (you can use stocking too) to use it as a powder puff.

The stuff is toxic, but works well at killing bugs. Just use precautions and I wouldn't broadcast it everywhere.

Alternatively, you can make a dust bath for them with it in it so they put it on themselves (mix with sand).

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The chickens will absorb the pesticide in the dust and there will be pesticide residue in the eggs. They've done studies on this. If you don't care if you're eating residue, that's fine. A lot of people don't care about that. Some people don't ever use sevin, some people only use it when the chickens actually have parasites and some people use it as a preventative. You really just have to go by how you feel about it.

It's like spraying your food in the garden with pesticides that will be absorbed, as well as be on the surface of the food. Some people don't use them, some people only do it if they have a problem and some people spray as a preventative. It just depends on how you feel about it.

 

[R.M. Hens]

Well, I dust my summer garden once every two weeks and my family and I have been fine after eating the veggies. Maybe I will just dust around the outside of the chicken yard. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Premeditated]

I'm still around too. As a child I remember running in the "bug man's fog." I'm glad I didn't drop dead that day, but I don't know what I did and kinda wish I 'didn't.' Respectfully, do you know what I am saying? Preventative poison? Thinking I'd wait the 7 days...and I wouldn't sell them either.