Stick tight fleas

[Silkymom2025]

I have stick tight fleas.( not me my chickens lol) I’ve done all the steps of cleaning dusting and using vaseline. But we have an abundance of squirrels that can be the only host for the fleas. Any ideas on how to keep them away from my chickens?

 

[nuthatched]

Can you get permethrine dust or spray?

 

[CurlyChickenGirly]

Welcome to BYC! Hope you get good advice! Our chickens haven’t ever had fleas. (Our cats and dog have been through the other variety of fleas multiple times even with preventive measures, though! Nasty suckers! Can’t stand any type of fleas!)

 

[muddy75]

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

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.

 

[Penpal]

Have you tried garlic? Put garlic powder or garlic granules in their food. It makes them taste bad.

 

[EdgesideHomesteadTX]

This is what I do for pest on chickens 1 clean coop sometimes with a pressure washer let dry then permectrin 2 which is permethrin in a pump sprayer and spray around the coop/pen in cracks of wood or the base of cages thoroughly. Then I use adams flea and tick for Dogs on the chickens 2 squirts an inch under the vent and 1 squirt at the base of the neck. Never had any issues doing this. Although I wouldn't put it on a chicken I was going to butcher, unless I didn't plan on butchering for 8 weeks or more. Meaning if they were meat chickens like a Cornish don't spray them with adams and if the are slow growing broilers and they were sprayed i wouldn't butcher them for at least 8 weeks after spraying