These tiny bugs / mites are infesting my coop please help

[Sire12]

I just noticed them at the weekend, they're so small I couldn't really get my camera to focus enough to get good pics, they seem to only be living in and on wood, the whole shed is made from wood aswell as their roosts and they are everywhere I get some on me every time I enter the coop they don't seem to bite or anything the hens don't appear to be bothered by them they have their dust baths with DE always available, can anyone tell what kind of mites these are? I googled wood mites and it could be those I'm not sure, I ordered a 5 litre tub of mite spray and mite smoke bombs but the coop is going to be hard to completely close off to keep the smoke in there's loads of gaps, the first day I noticed the bugs I sprayed it all down with a bleach spray and then mite spray and kept the hens out for a day but since I have no other place they could sleep I had to let them back in at night the bugs don't seem to be affecting them from what I can see I checked beneath their feathers and there was a couple here and there

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

It looks to be red mite. Unfortunately they are a nightmare to eradicate. I use nettex mite kill spray in my coop, can you get that NI?

They live in the nooks & crannies of the coop and come out at night to feed from the birds (suck blood) then they head back to their hiding place. They are on a 7 day life cycle so treating the coop at least every other day is a good way to go. Get as much spray as you can in to all the crevices and take the coop apart as much as you can to kill them.

Also a spot on ivermectin on the birds can help to reduce them as they die when in contact with it on the bird. Harkers ivermectin for pigeons is ideal.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

Hi Yorkshire Coop,

Thank you for your post! I see you are in the UK. From posting online and corresponding to us USees, do you know of a source for the Harkers ivermectin for pigeons here in the US?

Please let us know.

 

[Sire12]

That was my pinky finger in that pic for scale they're really tiny

I've heard of red mite but didn't think it was them because they are dark brown but I ordered some mite spray which apparently kills all mites and is made for red mite so it should do the job, I also ordered some ivermectin 1% for large birds, I was doing some more searching and came across bird mites which looks exactly like them.. So it could be those I think

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I’m afraid I don’t know of the Harkers in the US, everything for it only comes up as the U.K.

Now don’t quote me on this but I’m thinking it’s something like this that you could be looking for? ~ https://www.amazon.com/Durvet-Ivermectin-Pour-Dewormer-250mL/dp/B07DRP2RT4

I will just have quick search though to make sure.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

@Sire12

Hope this pic help, red mite can be different colours depending on the stage of their life.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Unless it is employed correctly mits spray will leave you still with a red or roost mite problem. These mites do not live on your chickens but venture out after Sundown to suck your chickens blood. As many as 750,000 Red mites may attack and suck the blood of a single sitting hen in only one night.

Red mites noon or spend their days in the wooden structure of the coop or hen house hiding under boards, in cracks, nail holes, splits, roost polls, nests, Butt joints, lap joints etc. These are the areas that must be thoroughly sprayed and treated to eradicate Red Mites.

The nature of the area above in which red mites is living is the best reason in the world to use waste motor oil to paint the joints, cracks, and splits of the coop. The waste or used motor lubricating oil flows into all the voids in the above picture and renders these areas unfit for the propagation of red mites. I personally don't care if I kill them, i am just satisfied that Red Mites are no longer able to live in my chickens' boudoir.

 

[casportpony]

Regarding the ivermectin in the US... Any type of ivermectin can be used. You can use the 1% cattle injectable orally or by injection, the cattle pour on topically only, the horse paste orally, and the sheep drench orally.

None of the ivermectins are labeled for use in poultry here in the US, so most vets will recommended an egg withdrawal time. One vet that posts on another site says the withdrawal time is 8 weeks, but many people just wait two weeks.

 

[True Patriot]

The key to getting rid of them is being persistent in the application. The mites breed fast. You have to break the life cycle. All of the above suggestions are good. In addition you may try sevin dust or another permethrin dust in the cracks and on the perches where the mites will have to travel through it. Unfortunately it's an uphill battle, and will take time.

 

[lazy gardener]

In addition, you should completely remove and destroy all bedding, clean coop thoroughly, spray or dust surfaces, treat birds, then repeat again in 7 - 10 days. Mites can live for 10 months between feedings, so destroying bedding is crucial IMO. Don't forget the nest boxes.

Since switching to DLM in the coop, I've not seen any red mites. Got them occasionally when doing standard litter management with shavings.