Is it the weather that causes??

[bothpawsoff]

Hi all, I have been battling mites with my girls and I thought I had them! Then we have had some insane weather. I live in nothing IL and we have had some monster storms and heat and now it’s like the mites have exploded again. So does the weather have something to do with it? We also have our coop raised up so the girls can get under it for shade and staying cool, but I’m thinking that it’s also causing the mite issue and to top it off we have straw on the outside of the coop bc of winter storms…am I just making myself miserable? Should I yank all the straw and board up the base of the coop then retreat? And I have no clue which mite I’m fighting . I’m feeling so discouraged.

Thanks all!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Weather can affect parasite loads.

Yes, I'd move the straw. Probably no need to board up the base, just spray under the coop/housing with Permethrin spray.

Check inside your coop at night, run a paper towel along the roosting bars, see if you get any mites or bloody smears (like squished bugs) on the towel. Most poultry mites live in nooks/crannies and come out to feed on the birds at night.

Have you treated the hens?

You are seeing mites right, it's not lice.

I.D. article here:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[bothpawsoff]

Definitely northern mite. Loss of feathers and weight. I have treated all the birds, inside and out and removed all the straw. The girls all seem much happier. I just am a little worried about fall and them creaking back up. Thank you for the information! That site was amazing!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Definitely northern mite. Loss of feathers and weight. I have treated all the birds, inside and out and removed all the straw. The girls all seem much happier. I just am a little worried about fall and them creaking back up. Thank you for the information! That site was amazing!

Glad to help.
Thank you for the update

 

[Sally PB]

So I'm not the only one with mite issues, it seems.

I've dusted my girls with permethrin powder twice, a week apart. I do this in the dark in the coop, with a red light for visibility. Some of them will roost in a spot I can reach very well, so this has been a "get them the best I can and repeat tomorrow night" operation.

I removed the coop bedding and burned it twice, the day after dusting.

I sprayed them with permethrin a week after that. I'm not certain I got all the birds totally, so I'm not certain I'm at the end of the mite issue.

I have Elector PSP coming from the chicken chick (she sells 9ml bottles so you don't have to spend $$$) and also a bag of sulfur dust. I'm going to set up a new dust bath in a large washtub with peat moss and sulfur, and perhaps hang a bag over the pop door.

The Elector PSP is a "mix once, no shelf life" thing, so using that will be my "if the sulfur doesn't work" strategy, as it will be very stressful for the chickens and me. I'll be camping out in the coop for awhile in the dark, trying to get all of them.