SYMPTOMS OF MITES?

[chickeepoo]

I just got off a disturbing but informative site called the bird mite forum- people who had been living nightmares of mite infestations and everything that goes with it. I'll check my 4 birds in the morning, but what do I do if they have them? They get out to get dirt baths, but I see them scratching a lot- is this a symptom of mites? What is this product called 7 other posters mentioned dusting their birds with, and DE?

Now I'm REALLY paranoid, b/c I've been caring for wild birds intermittently over the years, occasionally removing an unused nest or interesting hatched egg pieces, etc., and now I have my hens. Sometimes I feel like something is crawling on my skin, but I never see anything… nobody else in the family really complains about this. My dog is on Frontline and still scratching herself to pieces but without any sign of fleas, and my girls and husband always have allergies… I'm starting to think "mites."

 

[CUDA]

Mites off poultry will not stay on your body, they are chicken specific. DE is demascous earth. You can find out how to diagnose, and treat for mites on my site HERE . Good luck.

 

[Katy]

I was told to use Ivomec externally, not internally...so what's the right way? I was told a couple drops on the back of their neck...just like putting frontline on your dog.

 

[CUDA]

That is Ivomec Eponex, and you can do that also. I still recommend the Sevin dust also though...

 

[Katy]

OK...thanks.

 

[chickeepoo]

I checked my birds, under the wings and everything, and I don't see anything that looks like mites. So maybe I'm nuts, with that crawly feeling I get sometimes, but my dog is still having an itchy fit… maybe it's time to throw out carpeting.

I'm still going to give the birds a bath at some point when I get the new coop done. We'll see how that goes.

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

Quote:
I saw that site too! For anyone who is interested, it is: http://www.birdmites.org/forum.html.

This freaked me out! I took home 2 banties 2 weeks ago - they had mites. I used pyrethrum dust (the one for the Northern Fowl mites) and it seemed to have worked for them. However - ever since I've handled them I've been feeling crawlies on me but nothing is there. This site said that some mites actually can live on humans, so what's the truth? Is it possible that I'm feeling fleas that they had as well and they're in my house? Usually I can tell if I have fleas because I'll see a few - I don't see a thing. I feel like I'm going insane!!!!!!!!! I've laundered every piece of clothing I own in borax laundry additive...I've changed all the bedding...washed my hair with tar shampoo....sprayed the entire house with flea spray....vaccuumed....I have put the flea meds on both dogs, and done the poultry dust on the chickens, plus DE all over. Chickens look fine, no mites or lice, happy and fluffy, but what about me? Can I use frontline topspot or something like that too? (I'll try anything at this point).........arrrrgggh

Help - please tell me I'm not going crazy...thanks!

 

[jhm47]

Mites don't live on humans for more than a few minutes. I've had many mite infestations on my birds over my 50+ years of raising chickens. Believe me, I've had many on my body, but they are gone very quickly.

As to your hens scratching---they likely are doing normal grooming and distributing the oil from their oil gland onto their feathers.

 

[LuvinMyPeeps]

My chickens aren't scratching. I'm the one with the crawly feeling

hee hee. I sure wish I could figure out what this is. At this point I'm thinking they may be immature fleas. I'm not getting any pink welts like others posted about, not lots of biting, just once in a while.

If anyone has encountered these same symptoms, please let me know. The 'invisible bugs' are driving me crazy!

 

[wilds of pa]

All just remember Ivomec is not approved for poultry.. Unsure of with drawl times on the stuff. I use it myself very cautiously..

I hunted for studies of it being used for chickens but I just couldn't find any..anybody know where there are any studies of its use on poultry if any??

Charlie