Are these mites/lice?? *PICS*

[cluckmecoop7]

What are these? They are crawling in the coop and I’m gonna check the chickens. They are so tiny I hope the pictures will work. Please help! Thanks!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Northern Fowl Mites (NFM) and body lice live on the bird with an occasional stray here and there usually in the bedding. You want to checks the birds at their vents, best at night with a flashlight, to see the scurrying little beasts. Flat yellowish moving critters are lice. Black peppery fast moving specks are NFM. Both critters are small...just big enough to see by eye.

Red roost mites (RRM) live in the coop and feed at night on the bird. They can be seen in crevices and corners as they do not like light. They are black when unfed and red when fed. They look (to me) like fish eggs clumped in crevices. They too are small but seeable by eye. You shine a flashlight at your crevices to see the clumps.

I'm not seeing that here. There are TONS of different kinds of wood lice and mites that could eat your coop. What I'm seeing in the pic look BIG. (But photos online onscreen can be so deceptive without a point of reference).

My guess is that's a wood mite of some sort. I'd still spray with permethrin to get rid of it.

Be interesting to hear what others have to say.

LofMc

https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

https://poultrykeeper.com/external-problems/red-mite/ (scroll to video at end to see size in relation to coop)

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I just thoroughly checked 4 out of my 8 birds, and they didn’t have a single bug on them. I checked their face, under wing, belly, and vent. What do you suggest ?

 

[AGeese]

Well I'd go with the spray because that seems to be full proof from what I hear. I haven't used it, but I did purchase some mite predators back in June as preventative, but didn't put them in my coop and don't think I had enough in the quantity I bought to make a difference.

 

[Kiki]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/martins-horse-stable-permethrin-spray.11854/

 

[cluckmecoop7]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/martins-horse-stable-permethrin-spray.11854/

Thank you! Can I get it at TSC?

 

[Kiki]

Thank you! Can I get it at TSC?

Yes, well yes you can at the TSC in my area.

 

[Kiki]

I use this one too:
"Farnam Bronco E Equine Fly Spray Plus Citronella Scent, 1 qt. at Tractor Supply Co." https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...oMjw3WF0uSS_5jD9MBgq_jVd-z49XFqcaApTEEALw_wcB

 

[DonyaQuick]

In addition to the comments about wood mites, check the state of your feed! Both containers in the coop and your storage bins. Grain mites are harmless to chickens (except for making feed dusty) but will go all over damp wood and of course will eat any grain-based feed over time. They can look like piles of dust near/on feeders. It's easy to miss if you're not looking for it. My experience with those mites was that just spraying/dusting the coop isn't enough. Aside from cleaning everything thoroughly and throwing out feed they were in, I also had to elevate all my feeders and waterers off the ground on permethrin-soaked bricks to deter them from getting into those.

 

[Geena]

I use this one too:
"Farnam Bronco E Equine Fly Spray Plus Citronella Scent, 1 qt. at Tractor Supply Co." https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...oMjw3WF0uSS_5jD9MBgq_jVd-z49XFqcaApTEEALw_wcB

I really like the Bronco plus citronella, it smells so much better than the straight permethrin. It's also available in a gallon jug.