What’s the best coop to get? Mites won’t go away

[aart]

Well the hens have no bugs on them and no egg sacs that I’ve found on them. So my only guess is the bugs are just staying in the coop. It’s maddening.
I deep clean 2x a year and do a regular clean (no spraying down with permethrin) every other month, or as needed. And it’s worked great for the last 3 years except this fall/winter. I also only apply topical ivermectin on the birds once a year as a preventative.
Should I mix up my pesticides or something?

Usually good to rotate insecticides if used so frequently.

No bugs on birds even at night?
Finding bugs at night that are red when you squish them indicates that you have blood suckers.

 

[feather16]

Hm.. I haven’t checked the birds at night. But I will look for alternative insecticides. I had one infestation sneak up on me, that’s why I have my little routine for the birds. But I’d hate if I created this by making them resistant, ugh!

 

[aart]

Hm.. I haven’t checked the birds at night. But I will look for alternative insecticides. I had one infestation sneak up on me, that’s why I have my little routine for the birds. But I’d hate if I created this by making them resistant, ugh!

Checking at night is pretty important, IMO.

My Bug Check notes:
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[Ted Brown]

I have recently gone through a mite infestation. I have always been very careful about bio-security (no outside birds, visitors, sharing of containers, etc.) and could not understand where they had come from.

While not conclusive I found out that a friend who loves my chickens was also feeding wild birds, allowing them to land on her hands and then coming directly to visit. As this was the only breach in my bio-security rules I believe that it is probable that the mites went from the birds to her hands (we had previously found mites on her hands) to my flock.

If you are having constant visits from wild birds to your feeders you should consider this as a possible source for your mites. Perhaps move them inside the coop once you have it cleaned up?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'd reevaluate your dosage/mixture of Permethrin and timing of treatment. Do the birds at same time as coop, must be reapplied between 7-10 days. A day less or a day more and you'll still have mites. Use a garden pump sprayer. Mist birds under wings and on butts around vent. Remove all bedding and nesting material and really douse every crack and cranny.

Mites can be persistent but with correct technique and dosage Permethrin sprayed twice works.

 

[Ted Brown]

... It’s the red and tan ones if it matters.

Sounds like red mites, very difficult to get rid of.

 

[feather16]

Thanks to that article @aart linked, it definitely is red mites.
What dosage do you suggest for the permethrin spray? I have a garden pressure sprayer, I do 5mL for every .5gal
And for the chickens I have ivermectin I dose on the skin on their neck, I do 5 drops for my smaller hens, 6 drops for my average girls and 7-8 drops for my roosters and big girl

 

[Egghead_Jr]

1.2 ounce Permethrin 10 to a gallon for coops and surrounding area. Once that is done double the water in spayer to dilute 1/2 again and spray birds. For birds only dosage is .6 ounces to one gallon.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Might want to consider trying spinosad (elector PSP)... your mites might have built up resistance to permethrin at this point.

 

[feather16]

Ooh, spray the birds with the permethrin too? Okay. Is the elector PSP okay to spray on the birds as well as the coop? (And because it’s a spray, no egg withdraw?)