THOUSANDS OF MICROSCOPIC BUGS IN FEED!

[Fawn and Fam]

I have a 50lb. bag of grower feed I've had for just over 2 months (I only have 2 chicks). It has been sealed in a barrel the whole time. I just discovered it is infested w/ thousands of tiny (barely can see them move) peach colored bugs the size of a grain of sand. They must have come in the feed and I've not knowingly been feeding it to my girls all along. What are they and are they harmful to my hens?

 

[Percheron chick]

Are they spiders? Bugs are natural chicken food high in protein so I wouldn't be too concerned with it.

 

[Auscal]

"What are they?"

chicken feed LOL It is extremely unlikely they will be harmful to your birds. If it concerns you you could freeze the feed to kill whatever bugs these are & stop them growing, and just continue to feed.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

You most likely have grain mites. You'll either have to get the humidity surrounding the grain down below 55% (at which point they can't reproduce) or freeze the grain for an extended period of time. They're not directly harmful to your chickens, but they will degrade the quality of the feed and can contaminate feed with fungus.

 

[Fawn and Fam]

Thanks. While waiting for replies I researched a little and agree that they are grain mites. I won't be able to get the humidity down unless brought into the house- no way! Also I couldn't handle the thought of putting them in my freezer w/ my food even though I know they will die. My only option is to throw it away. I'm going to check the expiration date on the bag. I didn't check it when I purchased it, I just assumed it was fresh.

Here is my biggest concern: I had the barrel I was storing it in in my garage and they were crawling all over the outside of the barrel. We took the barrel outside, though I can see them crawling on things 4 feet from where the barrel was. I sprayed the area w/ Permethrin but then read that they don't respond to chemical treatment. Also we had a 10lb. bag our bedroom that we would fill from the 50lb. bag in the garage so it was easy for me to fill the mason jar daily to feed. That too was of course full of mites. Should I be concerned about my home or will the ones that were "left behind" in my house and garage die because we removed the food source?

 

[Abirdbrain]

STOP! If you had these critters in your room, they will migrate, nearly everywhere. If you use a vacuum for cleanup, the micro dust that blows through the filter media will land everywhere. This Dander can be a problem for some people. An answer to this problem is to tape a black sump pump hose to the outlet of the vacuum and put it outside, so when operated, all the exhaust air is eliminated from the room. Damp or sponge mopping of floors will get everything but the crevices, and normal house cleaning agents are practical in this use, with a dash of chlorine based anything in the surfactant, (soap base) will wet down the little cronies and go a long way to defeating them. You do not have to use chemical killers to remove your doubts. Without food or a safe haven they will not last long.

For the cost, disposal is probably easiest, for safty and peace of mind, even tho it can still be fed off.

 

[Abirdbrain]

STOP! If you had these critters in your room, they will migrate, nearly everywhere. If you use a vacuum for cleanup, the micro dust that blows through the filter media will land everywhere. This Dander can be a problem for some people. An answer to this problem is to tape a black sump pump hose to the outlet of the vacuum and put it outside, so when operated, all the exhaust air is eliminated from the room. Damp or sponge mopping of floors will get everything but the crevices, and normal house cleaning agents are practical in this use, with a dash of chlorine based anything in the surfactant, (soap base) will wet down the little cronies and go a long way to defeating them. You do not have to use chemical killers to remove your doubts. Without food or a safe haven they will not last long.

For the cost, disposal is probably easiest, for safty and peace of mind, even tho it can still be fed off.

 

[Jordi15]

Will DE work on grain mites? I sprinkle it in my barrel everytime I add a new 50 lb bag and haven't had any type of bug. It might be worth a try before you throw it all away?