YIKES!!! Mites or Lice?

[hudsonhousechicks]

I check my girls for crawly things regularly. It's easy since they like to sit on my lap. I just lift their wings and do a check. This afternoon I peeked under my 1 1/2 yr old Buff Orpington's wing and saw crawly things! SEVERAL. They were very small and were moving in the feathers. I did not notice an accumulation on the feather shaft that I have read about. I have read that Sevin is effective but is Sevin for lice, mites or both and how do you know which is which? Are their lice the same kind that school kids get? Do I need to get lice shampoo for me?! Oh, the horror!

 

[nivtup]

Mites

No you do not need to shampoo

Yes, the horror.

Sevin, twice, a week to ten days apart.



Good luck.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

Sevin Dust.... comes in a 1 lb can.. used to be able to get a bigger bag.

Have someone help you... catch and hold. One holds, turns and helps.... one lifts each wing and sprinkles a little under each wing.. (rubs it in a little) then, the holder can turn the chicken a bit, you lift the rear and spinkle and pat around the vent. Then, sprinkle a bit on top of the tail/back, where the tail meets the back. Some say to add a little up by the shoulders, between the wings on the back as well.

One breeder told me she poured Sevin Dust (clearly from the old bigger bag) into a large "bow" type container.. put each chicken in it, wearing gloves.. "splashed" Seven UP UNDER the underside.. of wings, butt, etc... then, let them go... they shake much off.

Clean the coop and change the nesting boxes... clean the roosts.. sprinkle a little Seven Dust on roost, nests, ground (in the dirt or sand), etc.

Repeat treatment in 10 days.

The Feed Store and others also sell POULTRY DUST, it is a two pound can and Permethrin -- you can use that, it's pet friendly and can be used on dogs as well. It's cheaper due to size of the can. I find it a little less effective, so watch for that.

Good luck.

 

[tiki244]

Were the birds straw colored or black or red and tiny? If they were straw colred it would be lice and red or black would be mites. If they are in the feathers it does sound more like mites.

No They are not the kind kids get in school thankfully. But mites will crawl onto you. I dont know how long they stay but I have been bitten by some.

Sevin does work. But this is what I would do. I would wash the chickens with Adams flea and tick shampoo and then treat them with an insecticide. My choice would be Eprinex, 1/4 cc for bantams and 1/2 cc per large fowl. Then repeat in 10 days. Also giving them some sevin to dust bathe in.

Now eprinex also kills worms, and (just saying) 'if' your birds had a large infestation of round worms, eprinex could cause health issues with your birds. So, to be on the safe side you could first worm them with either valbazen or safeguard and do the Adams flea and tick bath and use sevin where they dust bathe, Then apply eprinex in ten days.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

I have not had a problem with "catching" anything (bugs)... and, I rarely even wear gloves. I am thinking it is mostly mites... in my case and maybe yours. And, Sevin Dust should take care of everything crawly, either.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong, please.

 

[luvmy33chicks]

search on here for people who have used frontline for dogs
i did it worked for me had no problems and bugs havent returned
has been over a month now

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

Eprinex did not work for me... on mites. I know it has for others, it did not kill the mites on my chickens combs. (And, was expensive)

I have not heard of anyone using Frontline... I wonder about "egg safety" and edibility with that?

 

[tiki244]

Then I would clean the coop, scrape it and use bleach water to wash it. And apply new bedding.

I know this is the big guns method, but I had a problem with mites and it was not pretty. So my strategy is to get them and get them good and hard to begin with. Now any variation to this method that you see fit would be appropriate I am sure. You are the best judge.

Like if you wanted to skip the bathing chickens part I would be sure to apply the eprinex. And the sevin dust.

And I would clean the coop like every 2 weeks like this with the bleach for at least 2 times maybe three.

I have not found sevin alone to be sufficient. And mites in particular to be stuborn little buggers.

Hope this helps.

 

[tiki244]

O reading the other posts I have heard wonderful things about that frontline spray for dogs. It is a bit expensive. I have not used it. There is also an Adams flea and tick spray which I have used which is cheaper. I have had ok results, nut could be that I just kept checking the birds and kept retreating them till everything was ok. I still check very very often as I am now freaked out about them having them. Good Luck

PS And you can spray that stuff (adams or frontline) around the coop too, but expensive to do.

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!!! You are lifesavers. I don't know why things like this always seem to happen on a Saturday after hours. Our feedstores, both that are nearest, are closed on Sunday. I have to wait until Monday now.