Topic of the Week - Lice and Mites - Prevention and Treatments

[RobandSue2]

View attachment 1040587
This?
Never heard of it until this post.

Yes that is it....I used it a few years back on my log home to reduce houseflies and it worked great.....that was BC (yep Before Chickens)

 

[casportpony]

That was me! It was a nightmare!

This is an interesting read too - I offered my girls garlic separately and they went crazy for it! http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.co.nz/2013/06/the-benefits-of-garlic-cayenne-and.html

Do you remember what thread that as in, 'cause I wanna bookmark it!

 

[JaeG]

Do you remember what thread that as in, 'cause I wanna bookmark it!

I've moaned about it in a few threads but I'll have a look in my Watched Threads and see if I can find it.

 

[JaeG]

Ok, I did a search for "Mites DE" posted by member: JaeG (me) and yes, I've moaned about it rather a lot, but seriously, it was awful (those blood suckers ate me alive) and I'm never wasting my money on that stuff again. I don't know how much it costs in the US but here in New Zealand it's expensive! And there are so few products here to battled mites with (all rather pricey), and none of them worked for me (we can't get Permethrin spray for poultry here - I wish we could).

This is a good one with lots of others chiming in about their experiences with DE:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/does-de-prevent-mites-and-lice.1169680/page-2#post-18437104

 

[Raggedyroad]

We are trying to stay chemical free. I've been treating the chickens with Poultry Protector spray which says it is natural (no chemicals) but I need to treat the coop and surrounding areas. It's been weeks and we still have issues with mites. There are a lot less of them but still a problem. I have a gallon jug of Oxine. Anyone know if this will kill the mites in the coop if I clean out the bedding again and spray everything down? Does it need the activator to work?

 

[Kiki]

We are trying to stay chemical free. I've been treating the chickens with Poultry Protector spray which says it is natural (no chemicals) but I need to treat the coop and surrounding areas. It's been weeks and we still have issues with mites. There are a lot less of them but still a problem. I have a gallon jug of Oxine. Anyone know if this will kill the mites in the coop if I clean out the bedding again and spray everything down? Does it need the activator to work?

why not just invest in something that for sure works?
Permethrin

 

[rottlady]

If you have a problem I'd clean wholecoop out spray it with permethrin and then rebed once dry not spraying birds with it

If no problem the herbal powders on floor under shavings and poultry protector seem to hold them off ok but once you have a problem you need to treat the coop
Permethrin lasts 6 months indoors

 

[casportpony]

X3 on the permethrin, that's what I would use.

There is an "organic" "approved" for poultry pesticide called PyGanic. Double check that it treats mites.

:

 

[JaeG]

We are trying to stay chemical free. I've been treating the chickens with Poultry Protector spray which says it is natural (no chemicals) but I need to treat the coop and surrounding areas. It's been weeks and we still have issues with mites. There are a lot less of them but still a problem. I have a gallon jug of Oxine. Anyone know if this will kill the mites in the coop if I clean out the bedding again and spray everything down? Does it need the activator to work?

Mites don't stay on the birds, they hide out under roosts and in nestboxes, plus in every crack and crevice, coming out at night to dine on your poor birds. Completely treating the coop will go a long way to winning the battle but you will have to do it at least twice to break the cycle and clear up any stragglers. They can live for months without a meal so you need to kill them off.

 

[oasis pets]

The chicken who I first noticed the mites on has died. Her former roommate has had a bath with flea and tick shampoo while I waited for the Elector PSP to arrive. Today was nice and warm I washed out the entire coop, let it dry and sprayed with Elector PSP and kept the girls out until it had dried. After dark we sprayed the girls with Elector as well.
Keeping my fingers crossed. The directions say repeat in 14 days - Does that sound right?