Tiny tiny black bugs in the chicken coop, help!

[Ber]

I've also just noticed these tiny bugs!! they were crawling on my face when I finished being in the coop, yuck!! We just put the plastic around the coop for the winter. It is open on the bottom and has wheel so we pull it up close to the house for the winter. It's only a small 4 chicken coop. I haven't noticed them ever before, and my chickens free range in the fenced in back yard. I put straw I had in our little shed from last year into the coop for winter bedding. I was wondering if anyone out there could tell me if this could be where the bugs came from?? My chickens are in great health so I can't imagine these bugs have been around for long. If it is from the old straw, I could just throw that out and buy new, or buy some DE and put it all over the straw.
Any ideas or comments would be really appreciated!!! thanks everyone!

Ihavethese tiny bugs too and have no idea what or where they are from. I have cleaned my coop top to bottom. scraped, vacuumed and shovelef. swept the actual run (i let them free range and then they come into their run, then they go to bed...we have a schedule, lol). I dusted with DE and it seemed to take care of them but, theyre back, but this time I found them in their GIANT water feeder. I didnt have it filled for them, they have 3 and this one was leaking so i left it until i could check it out. Went to check it out and lots of those flea like, gnat like, mite like bugs were in it. First i thought it was just some dirt but, it was them! I dont know what to do about them. I dont use straw except for in the winter, I use shavings in their nesting boxes now. Ive noticed the bugs no matter what I use. DE or spraying rubbing alcohol destroys them, for a short time. Sorry I cant help more...Im looking to get rid of em, too.

 

[Ber]

THANK YOU

to our new members. DE doesn't work. I have tried a lot of different things. I use permethrin. It works. If you have a TSC they carry the permethrin powder, premixed spray bottles and the concentrate. No egg withdrawal period.

!!! DE and alcohol kinda worked but they always come back. Heading to TS today and will stock up! ♡

 

[ojust4today]

this is a picture of the tiny tiny bug! Anybody knows what that is? Thanks

The bugs in my coop that are black like that hang out in my nesting boxes. I believe they are part of the meal work transformation. Either the bug turns into the work or the worm into the bug. Not sure which but usually once I start seeing the bugs I start seeing the worms. Nature kinda takes its course and I will have 20-30 of them under each box in no time. The chickens love it when it’s box cleaning time. I could not tell the size from you pic. The black bug I’m referencing is about a half inch in length and a .25 inch in width.

 

[LukaLove2]

Hi Pipling...welcome to BYC! No such thing as a moronic question...except those you don't ask!

There isn't (to my knowledge) a specific brand name for DE. Check with your feed store...ask for food grade DE and they should know exactly what you mean. It's not terribly expensive and a little goes a long way.

Clean out the whole coop, then when you put the bedding back in, sprinkle some DE on it and sort of stir it up enough that it's not all sitting right on top...the chooks will take care of the "real" stirring as they scratch. Also put some DE in their dust bath and mix it just a little bit.

DE is perfectly harmless on the skin or even eaten...the only danger is inhaling it. So, make sure you wear a mask when working with it and take care that the chickens aren't downwind where they can breathe it in.

I found mites on mine as well, and did just this. You can actually dust the chickens, but I found that just having it where they get it on them was sufficient.

HTH
Mickey

Do you know why these mites are present? What is “off” or need “balancing” to prevent their return?

 

[Smileybans]

Springtails?

These photos were taken with a macro lens at 20xs zoom. So these guys are small. I leave them. Springtails are harmless and live in humid environments. They eat dead plant matter and mostly live in the wood and nest boxes of my coop. So they’re there to help break down the wood shavings.