Sticktight Fleas!!!

[lswatson111304]

Ok, so when we bought our chickens the other day the guy told us that they had fleas and he had been treating them. Thing is we didn't know they were sticktight fleas. So I'm wondering, since the chickens have only been here 2 days, if I can vaseline them to smother them, and hope they will fall off eventually? i'm totally squeemish thinking of having to pluck these things off individually. My chickens I have had here don't have them, so I don't think our coop is infested, just the birds that we bought...which are 4 chickens. For whatever reason only the guys chickens had them. WE bought a turkey as well and it is fine.
Also what do I use for ants? And regular fleas. The guy mentioned that they took Seven off the market? What kind? I know I still purchased a small shaker of seven for my garden LOL.
I'm so confused, and worried about getting an infestation of these nasty fleas, and worried about my chickens eyes.

 

[Southernbelle]

What about Ivermectin pour on? It's a wormer, but it's supposed to kill mites and lice, too, maybe that will kill the fleas. You just put a dose on their skin.

 

[MotherJean]

I've used diatomaceous earth successfully for dog and cat fleas. Have been told it's effective with ants, too. Those fleas on your birds are REALLY creeping me out! I'd never heard of "sticktight" fleas so I did some research. We don't have them in the Northern U.S., so I guess that's why I'd never seen/heard of them. On a youth poultry site, the recommendation was to mix Sevin with petroleum jelly and apply it on the face. Said the petroleum jelly smothers them. I had heard that Sevin was being pulled off the market, too, but I bought a large bag of it last summer from a Sebo's Do-It Center hardware store, so maybe it's still available. By the way, on that website, it also said that when the larvae hatch, they drop to the ground and live in the soil for two weeks. If those hens have been in the coop/run with your others, you'll probably need to treat the soil, too.

 

[Kickin' Wing]

First and foremost, DO NOT put these chickens anywhere near your other chickens!! These fleas spread through the sand. The eggs are dropped to the sand to hatch out. We are currently going through this awful problem with ours. So far, we have tried Sevin, DE, Adams, and 10% Permethrin. We've sparyed and dipped our chickens, and we have treated each chicken with these chemicals by using qtips on their combs, waddles and around their eyes, as well as treating their coops and runs. We still are having a problem getting rid of them. We've done some reasearch, and it seems that people say different ways of getting rid of them, well, we have been trying every suggestion. I would try the things also, but my suggestion to you is to keep the chickens seperated. This weekend we are gonna try the vasline/flea powder paste idea. We are in Shady Hills, Fl, curious as to your location, I've heard sandy soils are the worst. And btw, our lighter chickens have them worse. (don't know why) Good luck, if you do succseed, PLEASE post how you did it!! Thanks, Kicken' Wing

 

[fancbrd4me02]

If I were you I would keep those chickens in a seperate area or return them to that man. Try using adams flea and tick perimiter spray on the cage and pens that you are keeping them in. As a precaution, I would treat your own birds yard similarly just in case. Don't use the yard spray on the birds. Make sure to spray the pen repeatedly over a couple of weeks so you interrupt the egg hatching cycle. In the meantime, use sevin dust on the birds. Some people have used flea bath for small animals on chickens, but I don't know which kind... Maybe someone can chime in here.

 

[lswatson111304]

ACK! Ok, yeah, we will let our hen out. We only have one. Not sure what to do about my turkey. He came with the chickens but doesn't have the fleas, and I don't know where to put him. He is too young to let loose...We live in Texas, but our yard is really sandy. So was the guy we bought them from. But we don't have these here at my house...well, we didn't...

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

And we thought we were the only ones dealing with stick-tights.
Talked to the lady at the extension service yesterday and she said to vaseline their heads to smother the fleas and that it might have to be done twice a day. Use 5% sevin dust on the ground.
I talked with a prominent poultry judge here in Florida and she said that Frontline has been recently approved for off label use on poultry at a rate of one drop per bird. And Frontline spray for the pens.
Everything we have tried so far the fleas seem to think its a party and multiply.
We put the Frontline on and they are just about gone. IT'S WORKING

at least so far.
Still trying to find Frontline spray at a reasonable price. But we are going to rehouse the birds into temp cages and use a big brush burner propane torch and burn the dirt to kill the eggs.
This is rediculous this year. We have never had fleas this bad nor have we ever had to deal with stick-tights.
But I was told that it is seasonal but in the meantime it is a fierce battle.

 

[MotherJean]

After doing more research about these horrid things, the more convinced I am that those birds ought to go right back where they came from. The seller had no business selling or giving you flea-ridden and, therefore, unhealthy birds in the first place. I don't think it's worth risking your other birds and your land to parasite infestation. I'd return them ASAP or I would cull and cut my losses, but that's just me.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Stick-Tight Fleas are a naturally occuring parasite that inhabit the warm, humid southern states primarily Florida, Texas and California. They are found on mice, rats, dogs, cats and many other fur and feather bearing animals. It is the females that attach themselves to the host animal primarily around the eyes and ears. The females will lay their eggs which fall to the ground. The males remain in the dirt or sand. The eggs pupate and the larvea will coccoon in dirt and lay dormant until disturbed and can hatch out at anytime up to 21 days from egg stage where the females will infest a host animal. Stick-Tight fleas are a seasonal parasite just as regular fleas tend to be. Weather patterns of consistant rain and high humidity followed by drying trends, tends to highten the presence of the parasite.
Little is known on how to eradicate this pest other than a constant regimen of parasite control. This can include covering the infested area on the host animal with petrolium jelly (Vaseline) to smother the flea. Use of 5% Sevin dust on the ground and surrounding areas. The use of Permethrin in a spray is also beneficial to help kill the ground based parasites. The use of typical antiparasitic drugs such as Ivermectin seem to only offer temporary relief.
People have been using Frontline with great success as on off label remedy at a rate of one drop per bird placed on the skin at the back of the neck.
Stick-Tight fleas are a formidible pest that takes great diligence to rid your birds and property of them.

 

[Kickin' Wing]

Pamperedpullet.... like the idea of burning the dirt, I'm surprised my husband didn't already think of that. These bugs are horrible!! MotherJean, does cull mean KILL? I hope not! Not to be rude but our chickens are our pets, and I'd never kill them because they inconvenience me with having to take care of them. "SORRY SUZIE, YOU CAUGHT LICE AT SCHOOL?................NOW IT"S OFF TO THE DEATH CHAMBER" Good luck lswaton!!