Bug Infestation

[Melissa67137]

Well, that wasn't a fun day.

First off I am suffering from an inner ear infection....think of that as I tell this story.

I have posted before about my chickens. Especially my old hen....yes I still have her. I have doctored her and checked her regularly for months. That is why today was such a surprise to me.

I went out to give fresh water and seen the old girl scratching and pecking herself....and with all the infestation posts lately I decided to check her again.....OMG lice!!!! Everywhere!!!

5 years of never having an issue and now bam....bugs....yuck.

Luckily a fellow group member that lives an hour away had some PSP and came to meet me and help me. I cleaned out the coop bedding completely into trash bags. Then I swept it out. Then I worked and worked to remove as much run bedding as I could. Sarah got there with the PSP and we drenched the coop, and the chickens. I removed every perch possible to dispose of. I then raked the whole run and covered the rest of the pine bedding with poultry dust that says it helps with mites and lice....I did that twice. I made it look like it snowed in there. Then, and I know this is controversial, I covered the run with food grade DE and raked it in. I also replaced the dirt in the dust bath pool and added in the poultry dust.

I also had a friend rip down a 2x4 to make 2- 2x2 roost bars in the run.

I had went and got new pine bedding, but am now considering returning it and getting the horse pellet bedding and sweet pdz instead.

I am hoping drenching the chickens and the coophas taken care of the issue. I also gave 1 Oz of poultry cell in a gallon of water for the 4 older hens. Luckily the 2 new chicks are still in quarantine pen and showed no signs of any bugs... I did drench them also just in case.

So now I wonder if I will need to reapply the PSP in a few days or a week....just to make sure the issue is taken care of.

It just blows my mind that my flock has been bug free for 5 yrs....and now this.

I also took the whole front off the coop to reach everything well. I also dusted the floor of the coop with the poultry dust.

Thankfully Sarah left me some more PSP incase I need to respray. And since then I found a lady that sells small bottles for small backyard flocks online so I can get a 9oz bottle for $20....for future use.

Needless to say I have showered and scrubbed myself down and am still feeling like I am crawling....ughhh.

And all I can think is my poor old hen has probably been fighting lice all summer....even though ya couldn't see any even a week ago.....but today she was totally covered in them. Poor birds.

I still wish I knew how the girls got them in an inclosed run & coop set up.

Just so frustrating. And now my birds won't let me near them.

If anyone has any other recommendations I would greatly appreciate them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Glad you got them treated and got help doing so. Generally wild birds will bring in external parasites. I see them starting to flock up, and probably starting to think of migrating in the next few weeks, so that's why there's often more external parasites in the fall.

I would treat weekly for 3-4 weeks to break the life cycle.

 

[Melissa67137]

Glad you got them treated and got help doing so. Generally wild birds will bring in external parasites. I see them starting to flock up, and probably starting to think of migrating in the next few weeks, so that's why there's often more external parasites in the fall.

I would treat weekly for 3-4 weeks to break the life cycle.

I have a completely covered and hardware cloth over chainlink run....no wild birds can get in.

The Elector PSP supposedly kills even the eggs. Checked the birds tonight and not a single moving thing on them.....and I checked all over them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have a completely covered and hardware cloth over chainlink run....no wild birds can get in.

The Elector PSP supposedly kills even the eggs. Checked the birds tonight and not a single moving thing on them.....and I checked all over them.

If the wild birds can sit on top, or above the coop or pen they can drop parasites, and their eggs. It's hard to have a completely enclosed system. So parasites are an ongoing process. I haven't used that product. Sounds like it does a good job.

 

[Melissa67137]

If the wild bords can sit on top, or above the coop or pen they can drop parasites, and their eggs. It's hard to have a completely enclosed system. So parasites are an ongoing process. I haven't used that product. Sounds like it does a good job.

My coop is inside the run, the run is a chainlink dog run covered in 1/4inch hardware cloth, it is topped with cattle panels wrapped in chicken wire and covered with a tarp pulled taunt ..... with over hang so no way for a wild bird to get in. The bottom has hardware cloth under the dirt and horse pellet bedding and outside the run is lined with landscape pavers to keep critters from trying to dig under. I didn't want to worry about predators or wild bird making my small flock sick when I decided to get chickens. However I could track in something on my shoes....and bugs crawl....so who knows how they got into my flock. Just glad I found it and got things treated before loosing my birds.

As for the Elector PSP....it is expensive stuff for sure.....my friend paid $150 for her bottle of it. Ya do 9ml per gallon of water. I did find a few sites that sell small 9 oz bottles for $20 though. The good thing is it has no egg withdrawal and it seems to work quite well for lice and mites.

 

[Acre4Me]

Lice are a pain!

The wild birds can sit on top and poop in there, and clean themselves, where eggs or parasites can drop in. I don’t see any roof or covering in your pic off the run.

We use Permethrin concentrate. Dilute per instruction into a sprayer. Clean up coop completely, spray it all, nooks and crannies, roosts, nest boxes. Close up the coop to keep out untreated birds. Now, catch your birds and spray them, concentrating on under wings, between legs, and vent. Two people are helpful here: one holds bird by legs, upside down, other person sprays -very quick. Put treated bird into treated coop. Once all are treated, they are all in the coop, so you can address the run area.

Permethrin is the synthetic version of pyrethrin, a naturally occurring compound in marigolds. Pyrethrin does not have an egg withdrawal period, that I am aware. It is readily available and generally inexpensive. It treats live bugs, but I don’t think it kills the eggs - generally you’ll want to retreat 7-10 days later. But 2 treatments usually suffices, unless heavy infestation and you might apply a 3 rd time.

DE is really hard on human lungs, possibly bird lungs too -not sure. So if you use it, you really should wear some kind of respirator, such as a half face respirator. Actually, it is best to use a respirator when cleaning anyway, bc there are some illnesses we can get from birds and stirring up all the dust and dried poop. DE is ineffective when wet, so, apply only to areas likely to stay dry.

Since wild birds are still a disease vector bc of the wire top of your run area, just keep an eye out for lice or mites, and treat if necessary.

 

[Sally PB]

9 Oz per gallon of water.

Where did you read that concentration?? My info is 9 ml per gallon.

Please recheck your info before using.

 

[Melissa67137]

Where did you read that concentration?? My info is 9 ml per gallon.

Please recheck your info before using.

Yes 9ml....my phone likes to change things I type. It is 9ml per gallon of water.

 

[Melissa67137]

Lice are a pain!

The wild birds can sit on top and poop in there, and clean themselves, where eggs or parasites can drop in. I don’t see any roof or covering in your pic off the run.

We use Permethrin concentrate. Dilute per instruction into a sprayer. Clean up coop completely, spray it all, nooks and crannies, roosts, nest boxes. Close up the coop to keep out untreated birds. Now, catch your birds and spray them, concentrating on under wings, between legs, and vent. Two people are helpful here: one holds bird by legs, upside down, other person sprays -very quick. Put treated bird into treated coop. Once all are treated, they are all in the coop, so you can address the run area.

Permethrin is the synthetic version of pyrethrin, a naturally occurring compound in marigolds. Pyrethrin does not have an egg withdrawal period, that I am aware. It is readily available and generally inexpensive. It treats live bugs, but I don’t think it kills the eggs - generally you’ll want to retreat 7-10 days later. But 2 treatments usually suffices, unless heavy infestation and you might apply a 3 rd time.

DE is really hard on human lungs, possibly bird lungs too -not sure. So if you use it, you really should wear some kind of respirator, such as a half face respirator. Actually, it is best to use a respirator when cleaning anyway, bc there are some illnesses we can get from birds and stirring up all the dust and dried poop. DE is ineffective when wet, so, apply only to areas likely to stay dry.

Since wild birds are still a disease vector bc of the wire top of your run area, just keep an eye out for lice or mites, and treat if necessary.

Yes there is a top.....it is cattle panels wrapped in chicken wire and covered by a new clear tarp every year. The sides of the run are chainlink covered with 1/4 inch hardware cloth, and under all the bedding the run floor is covered with hardware cloth.

I have never seen evidence or signs of any critter but my chickens and myself in their run....other than the lice that is. And I have had this exact set up for 5 years....have never had issue with any parasites or illness or predators until this with the lice. People that see my run & coop are normally impressed with how secure it is.

I myself could of tracked something into them though. And while I have never seen anything else in there doesn't mean a squirrel or mouse hasn't found a tiny hole somewhere to get in at night....I just haven't found any evidence inside the run/coop.

I did check the birds last night and there is no lice to be found now. So I am hopeful that I got it treated well. I even sprayed the coop down again to make sure all cracks and crevices are covered. I mean dripping wet from the treatment. I also put the poultry dust I bought that takes care of lice and mites in the fresh pine shavings in the coop and the new horse pellet bedding in the run along with sweet pdz.

I am not playing around about keeping a healthy flock. If I can't keep em healthy I will rehome or send chickens to freezer camp and torch the coop and run bedding and buy my eggs.