We’ve had hens for fifteen years. Not a flea in sight until the past year. I don’t know where they came from but since they descended it has been an absolute nightmare.
They attack the hens, embedding into their faces, combs, wattles, necks and who knows where else. I find blood specks sprayed onto coop surfaces every day.
The fleas also bite me. I have a few scars from the worst of the bites. I have to go straight from the coop area to the shower whenever I clean the coop or hang out with the hens.
They have also attached to our dog, even though she is on flea medication, and the area becomes infected. Expensive trip to the vet.
My husband has been removing all the pine shavings from the coop and spraying the chicken area with Wondercide every few weeks. Then I carefully “paint” the hens’ exposed areas and feet with Adam’s Flea and Tick solution. The fleas abate, but they always come back.
Today my husband said he’s had it. Spent the whole day doing the spraying after just doing it a few weeks ago. He said that once this flock is gone (they are an elderly group) we are done with chickens.
It makes me so sad, but he’s right. We can’t keep doing this.
Has anyone ever found a solution for stick tight fleas? Our feed store proprietor told us that once they show up, there’s no way to get rid of them and that seems to be the case for us.
