Treating mites with permethrin - exposing cats

[Ederube1]

I have a Broody hen in my garage with 7 eggs that are due to hatch in about a week. Unfortunately she has Northern Fowl Mites. I gave her a bath in dawn dish soap, gave her a new home, and did 2 drops of ivermectin on her neck.
It’s only been 24 hours but I’m still seeing mites, I’m considering adding Permethrin to the nest. Is this ok with the eggs? Also i have an indoor cat… he doesn’t go into the garage but I’ve heard it’s toxic to cats, so I want to be sure before I do anything.

 

[DobieLover]

I have a Broody hen in my garage with 7 eggs that are due to hatch in about a week. Unfortunately she has Northern Fowl Mites. I gave her a bath in dawn dish soap, gave her a new home, and did 2 drops of ivermectin on her neck.
It’s only been 24 hours but I’m still seeing mites, I’m considering adding Permethrin to the nest. Is this ok with the eggs? Also i have an indoor cat… he doesn’t go into the garage but I’ve heard it’s toxic to cats, so I want to be sure before I do anything.

I used to treat my indoor dogs with permethrin based flea & tick control and never had an issue with my indoor cat. Once the product is dry, it's safe for the cats.

I would use permethrin based poultry dust on the hen sprinkling it on the skin under her hackles, on her back under each wing, on her chest and in her butt fluff. Then move her and her eggs off the nest temporarily, remove all the bedding in her nest and bag it up or burn it, sprinkle a layer of poultry dust where the nest was, build a fresh nest with fresh bedding and sprinkle it with poultry dust and work it into the bedding a little with your fingers then place the eggs and mom back on the nest.

Check her closely for lice eggs attached to the base of her feather shafts. If you see them, you are going to need to treat her again in 8-9 days, just after the chicks hatch. At that point, I would use a permethrin based spray on her. She will pitch one heck of a fit when you take her from her chicks but do this during the warmest part of the day and she will be back with the chicks in less than 2 minutes. Spray her in all the same locations that you dust her to cover most of her body. Then keep a very close eye on the chicks to make sure they remain lice free. If you do see any on them you will need to very carefully treat them with the dust. You don't want to get young chicks wet.

Good luck. And welcome to BYC. I hope you stick around and enjoy the place. It has a lot to offer.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes, its ok to spray the nest.

Yes, you should keep the cat out of the garage. and if your are really worried, though this is overkill, change your clothes in the garage after spraying, throw them in the laundry, then go wash your hands (ok, washing your hands isn't overkill) up to your elbows. Use a drop of dish soap.

No, the amount of permethrin a nest box should require should not be a hazard to your cat - its a couple trigger pulls of a spray bottle - very little.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I don't like the dust - but I am in an always wet environment, which is why I use the spray. Also allows me to spray overhead corners when I treat a hen house or a goat house.

For your needs, @DobieLover 's advice is better than mine. Use the dust.

 

[DobieLover]

I don't like the dust - but I am in an always wet environment, which is why I use the spray. Also allows me to spray overhead corners when I treat a hen house or a goat house.

For your needs, @DobieLover 's advice is better than mine. Use the dust.

Because it's currently 7F here, my brain is focused on "it's too cold to spray a chicken with anything", especially the initial treatment to really get her good. But I prefer the dust in this situation because of the residual effect for the nest, to keep those eggs from getting too wet and it's ability to move around through the bedding as she sets and continue to come into contact with new areas that a spray might miss. I hope she's not so bad that eggs have been laid and one treatment will get it done.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Because it's currently 7F here, my brain is focused on "it's too cold to spray a chicken with anything", especially the initial treatment to really get her good. But I prefer the dust in this situation because of the residual effect for the nest, to keep those eggs from getting too wet and it's ability to move around through the bedding as she sets and continue to come into contact with new areas that a spray might miss. I hope she's not so bad that eggs have been laid and one treatment will get it done.

I agree whole heartedly - the dust is far supperior for treating nesting materials. Whether the garage is warmed or not.

As I said above, I have a bias against dust due to my climate/conditions. WHen I had to treat my hen house, I had to strip everything out, spray the whole thing, wait. Retreat days later. wait. Then refill with a half cu yd of leaf litter.

 

[SueT]

I have used this permethrin dust on chickens and more extensively in the garden. We have 4 cats and they do go wherever they want, but have never had a problem re the permethrin. IMHO, as long as you don’t put it ON the cats, it’s probably safe.