Teeny weeny banty has itty bitty mites... UPDATED

[JennsPeeps]

This weekend I let the girls out and picked up my banty cochin for a bit. She's been so wet & miserable in the wet Seattle weather lately. She's just a black little mud ball... poor thing.

After I went inside I found a mite on me!

So the next day DBF and I examined all 3 of the standards for any signs of parasites: under wings & around vent. Nuttin. Absolutely nuttin.

Last we picked up the muddy wee banty and DBF's hands were covered with crawling dots. Poor, miserable wee Tribble!

Ever since the discovery I've dusted the wee banty with DE twice. Tonight I guess I get to foray into the territory of chicken bathing, Sevin dust, and a total coop clean-out.

question 1:
Will bleach kill the mites hidden in the coop's nooks & crannies?

question 2:
Will trimming the feathers on her legs help her stay drier? She's a low-rider, with legs that are maybe 2 inches long or so (hard to tell on a feathered bowling ball).

 

[panner123]

#1 No bleach will not kill the mites. Have you have cleaned the coop, use D E again. Spread it liberally on everything and in all the cracks.

#2 A chicken that low to the ground is going to collect mud. Not really much you can do about it.

 

[winekntrychicks]

From what I have read on these post the DE will not work right away. Someone said to get kitten spray to stop mites, lice fast. I have been having an issue with lice recently. I have been using sevin dust. You have to dust again in a week because eggs will hatch and the eggs are immune to the dust. You have to wait for the creepies to crawl in order to kill them.

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I dealt with the itty bitty mites on my chickens, too. I tried the DE, but it takes longer to kill the mites.

I used Sevin dust on the birds, which did a great job on killing the mites.

However, I did not have much luck with it killing the mites on their pens and bedding. I had to use Permethrin dust to kill the mites.

Good luck!!!

 

[JennsPeeps]

UPDATE

Tribble got a flea/tick bath yesterday, followed by a Sevin dusting. She was pretty pathetic, not to mention sooo gross and muddy. I'll post pics later. She was covered in mites and I'm wondering if she's maybe a bit anemic from it - her comb is very pale. I'm glad I caught it when I did.

I also dusted the coop and will do so weekly until no more mites are found.

 

[mikarod]

Yes. An infestation BAD enough can and will drain a bird of blood. Hence...anemia. You might want to keep her by herself if she's just standing around..because she doesn't have the strength to put up much of a fight if there are others around wanting her spot in the pecking order.

I dust my birds every 3 months with Sevin, and then dust the coop (ENTIRELY using a wide paintbrush) with Sevin also.

You can ALSO use Adams Flea and Tick Spray to make the Sevin "stick" for a little while. Be SURE to dust the nests!!!!

 

[a2ms4chickens]

I first noticed that something was wrong with my banty modern game, when he stopped roosting at night, and would walk on his hocks. He was covered in mites, and he was so weak.

He seemed to do better, then got weak again. He had no mites on him, but then I was reading something online about roost mites.
I grabbed the flashlight, and sure enough, all of my chickens had roost mites on their feet, including the banty modern game.

He is finally recovering and roosting again.

Good luck with your little girl!!

 

[Poohbear]

Go buy some "Adams Flea and Tick" spray for dogs at the pet store or feed store. Squirt a half squirt under both wings, on the tail (butt area), under the neck feathers with the spray. Spray liberally on the roost and in every nook and cranny in the pens. Check again in a week and if you see mites or lice, spray again Mites and lice LOVE dark places to hide and will suck the blood ight out of your chicken, killing them. I would check on a wormer too. Liquid "Wazine" is good. Follow directions on bottle. Worms and Mites are a chickens worst enemies. jmo

 

[JennsPeeps]

I checked her this morning and didn't find a single mite. YAY! She was feisty enough that she got mad at me for handling her - good sign.