I couldn't find Sevin or Permethrin at my Wilco store...

[firehog]

Any helpful hints on where I can buy this? My coop is infested with millions of these incredibly tiny bugs, so small you can see them only when they move. I took out all the bedding, swept the place clean, locked the chickens out and put a fogger in there to maybe kill them (It says it kills spiders and ticks), hope it knocks out these little critters too.

I would like to spray the walls and nesting boxes instead of "dusting them. Does this powder disolve in water so it can be sprayed on?

I am not looking forward to dusting the hens, they do not particularily like being petted and will put up a tremendous fuss when i dust them. I heard you have to rub it into the feathers which doesn't sound easy. I imagine I will have to lay them on their backs to dust them all over

 

[dawg53]

firehog, I wish you hadnt used the fogger. Do you realize that the residue could/can harm your chickens? There is no guarantee that the fogger would kill mites/lice neither. Do you have a Walmart,Home Depot, Lowes or feed store around that you could buy some sevin dust or poultry dust? Simply sprinkle the dust in the nests, perches everywhere in their house. You can even use a leaf blower to make a huge dust cloud in there, so's the dust gets in every crack and hiding place. Make sure you wear mask and goggles. The easiest way to dust a chicken(for me) is to put sevin dust in a small garbage bag. Then put the chicken inside the bag with the chickens head sticking out the top. Then gently shake the bag and the chicken will get covered with the dust all over except its neck and head. You can use your fingers to gently rub some dust into those places, dont get any dust in its eyes. Then you release the chicken and proceed with the next one. You'll have to repeat this procedure in about 10 days to kill any eggs that have hatched since the first dusting.

 

[firehog]

Thanks for your concern about the fogger. I read the directions carefully and the type I used was pet safe. They only ask that you remove the food and water first and after the fogging, let it air out for 2 hours. It claims it is pet safe.

And it DID kill the mites...I couldn't find a single one on the walls or the roosts and floor...and there must have been 100,000 of them in the 6 x 7 x 7 coop. I had previously cleaned all the nesting boxes and even vacuumed them out and replaced the bedding with pine shavings which I heard are less mite friendly and it was the straw I was using that may have brought them in to the coop in the first place.

I checked three of my more docile hens for the mites, especially around the vent and couldn't find any which is puzzling. Why are they not on the hens but were all over the coop...and they would jump on me every time I went in to gather eggs or replenish water and feed.

I will look at Home Depot or Lowes for the sevin and try the garbage bag trick. Perhaps a little hood to cover their eyes and head like falconeers use on their hawks would quiet the hens while I "shake 'n bake" them in the garbage bag. I'm sure some entrepreneur chicken lovers will now make some and market them for us all!!.

Thanks, Ray

 

[lurky]

randallburkey.com has permethrin and dust. They will ship it so fast and its amazing/crazy how fast you get it.
The dip is amazing and its reasonable cost and goes a long way. Its a concentrate, so it really lasts.
I find them to have a good price on these products.