HORRIBLE MITE INFESTATION

[Kim95037]

So I discovered a huge mite infestation in my chicken coop. My poor girls are covered in mites. I went in the coop just to do some minor poop duty and fluff up the hay in their nesting boxes and I was absolutely covered with mites. I brought a chicken Inside the other dsy (my ten year old) because It was 107 outside and she was really struggling. now they're all over the house. i bought some permethrin To spray coop and chicken run. I want to give the girls a bath (theres only 3 of them) Does anyone know if I can use this natural flea shampoo on these guys? This is such a nightmare. I bought some poultry mite spray but I'm not sure thats going to do the job. Thanks in advance.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

i bought some permethrin To spray coop and chicken run.

Permethrin based product is also what's used to kill them on the birds.. very effectively in my experience.. no soaking required.. just a spritz with feathers parted directly to the skin.. below the vent, under each wing pit, and at the back base of the neck where it meets the head.

ONe note about it not being safe for use on cats.

 

[Kim95037]

Permethrin based product is also what's used to kill them on the birds.. very effectively in my experience.. no soaking required.. just a spritz with feathers parted directly to the skin.. below the vent, under each wing pit, and at the back base of the neck where it meets the head.

ONe note about it not being safe for use on c

 

[Kim95037]

Yes I saw the warning about cats. Maybe I'll just spray my poor girls down with the permethrin. Hope I have it diluted properly. 1.28 oz for 2 gallons of water.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Yes I saw the warning about cats. Maybe I'll just spray my poor girls down with the permethrin. Hope I have it diluted properly. 1.28 oz for 2 gallons of water.

I don't have the dilution rate available to me at the moment, in addition to not knowing your original concentration other then by your statement it's not in a ready to use formulation.. Many are at 10% while the one I currently have is 36%.. which is not available for sale in California except under professional license (according to my current understanding).. when I picked it up across the Oregon border. (my son's house no longer had termites) When diluted properly, no egg withdrawal is required.. and I've even used it on very young broody raised chicks, using a soaked cotton swab to apply.. with only beneficial effects as the outcome. I do suggest the follow up treatment at 10-14 days after initial application according to directions and what species you're treating against.. with a quick note for anyone reading, that if your birds are uncooperative.. doing this after dark with a flashlight or headlamp while roosting prevents any need for chasing. Just hold their wings down to their back to prevent panic..

Seeing cedar wood oil on the ingredients list would be enough reason to avoid using that first product.. in my opinion.. based off all the warnings about how cedar may be harmful to the respiratory system of avians. Is it labeled as "safe for use on poultry"? I haven't done extensive research so this is a preliminary statement to please use caution where other active ingredients are found. I have used cedar wood in building projects, though it's usually sealed first.

https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blog/cedar-bedding-chicken-coops

 

[Kim95037]

I don't have the dilution rate available to me at the moment, in addition to not knowing your original concentration other then by your statement it's not in a ready to use formulation.. Many are at 10% while the one I currently have is 36%.. which is not available for sale in California except under professional license (according to my current understanding).. when I picked it up across the Oregon border. (my son's house no longer had termites) When diluted properly, no egg withdrawal is required.. and I've even used it on very young broody raised chicks, using a soaked cotton swab to apply.. with only beneficial effects as the outcome. I do suggest the follow up treatment at 10-14 days after initial application according to directions and what species you're treating against.. with a quick note for anyone reading, that if your birds are uncooperative.. doing this after dark with a flashlight or headlamp while roosting prevents any need for chasing. Just hold their wings down to their back to prevent panic..

Seeing cedar wood oil on the ingredients list would be enough reason to avoid using that first product.. in my opinion.. based off all the warnings about how cedar may be harmful to the respiratory system of avians. Is it labeled as "safe for use on poultry"? I haven't done extensive research so this is a preliminary statement to please use caution where other active ingredients are found. I have used cedar wood in building projects, though it's usually sealed first.

https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blog/cedar-bedding-chicken-coops

Yeah mine is 10% yeah I have heard that cedar is bad for chickens. Its only labeled for use on dogs actually so not sure I want to chance it. I reread the directions on the permethrin and it says 1.28 oz per gallon of water for direct application on poultry and 3.2 oz per gallon for farm premises including poultry housing and then it has another table for severe infestations at 6.4 oz per gallon of water. I feel like this is a severe infestation but I'm so hesitant to use chemicals and would always rather go the natural route if possible. I really hate the way this stuff smells, wow. Thanks for all of your input I really appreciate it.
I had mites once before in California and it was a nightmare. This is by far worse than anything I have ever seen. I just moved to Idaho and for some reason this year the bug population has exploded. We've Had 3 weeks of 100 plus weather. Not sure if that has anything to do with it but its nuts right now. I also worry about killing all of the other bugs with this stuff and then having the chickens ingest those.

 

[Sally PB]

Yeah mine is 10%

Here are my notes, using the 10% permethrin.
For direct spray on chickens:
5ml per quart of water

For spraying surfaces:
48 ml per quart of water

Spray the chickens. Remove the bedding in the coop and either dispose of it in the garbage, or burn it.

Repeat this again in 5 days. Permethrin will kill mites, but not their eggs. You need to retreat to kill the mites that hatch from the eggs on the chickens.

You may need to do a third treatment.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I feel like this is a severe infestation but I'm so hesitant to use chemicals and would always rather go the natural route if possible

Natural and organic poison is still poison.

Permethrin is a synthetic version of pyrethrin.. a derivative of the chrisanthymum flower.

Once other product commonly recommended though much more expensive is elector psp.. chicken chick sells smaller vials found a little more than half way down the page in the following link.. (some hatcheries also offer smaller vials)

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

I reread the directions on the permethrin and it says 1.28 oz per gallon of water for direct application on poultry and 3.2 oz per gallon for farm premises including poultry housing and then it has another table for severe infestations at 6.4 oz per gallon of water. I feel like this is a severe infestation

Is the severe infestation level also for use on the birds or only on the premises?

I also worry about killing all of the other bugs with this stuff and then having the chickens ingest those.

Completey agree.. but you gotta do what you gotta do if your chickens are being eaten alive. They're not too interested in dead bugs in my experience and much more interested in moving stuff. Also the amount required to kill bugs should not affect the larger body of the chickens.. their system (liver, kidneys, etc) can process it out.. a cat's system does not process it out and thus keeps it cycling to build to toxic levels for them.. all statements according to my prior research and current understanding. I wouldn't worry about other bugs since you will only be treating your chickens and their house.. the direction say don't spray when windy and let dry before the animals access it

Best I can make out.. Application on the bird is the same rate (o.1% or 1.28 oz/gal) regardless of infestation size, under swine and poultry in the following link. Premisis is where the higher rate *may* be advisable.. and the 6.4 suggestion is for outdoor spaces only. (which I've never treated for poultry purposes)

https://www.cvear.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/10-Permethrin-label1.pdf

 

[DJ30]

So I discovered a huge mite infestation in my chicken coop. My poor girls are covered in mites. I went in the coop just to do some minor poop duty and fluff up the hay in their nesting boxes and I was absolutely covered with mites. I brought a chicken Inside the other dsy (my ten year old) because It was 107 outside and she was really struggling. now they're all over the house. i bought some permethrin To spray coop and chicken run. I want to give the girls a bath (theres only 3 of them) Does anyone know if I can use this natural flea shampoo on these guys? This is such a nightmare. I bought some poultry mite spray but I'm not sure thats going to do the job. Thanks in advance.

What I did was wipe all wood surfaces with dichotomous earth and that seemed to thin out their numbers, I also brought some experimental Exzolt oral solution and I am going to try that soon. (Red Mite)