Where did these mites come from?

[Birdwatcher804]

I am going to ask the questions first, and then give the background. 1. What did I miss that allowed this infestation? 2. What can I do to cut down the chances of it happening again. (side note - it has been extremely hot, humid and rainy over the past month)Background - I have a flock of 9 pullets. They are around 15 weeks. Since day 1 of them being in their coop, I have used DE on the floor/poop board and in the crevices. Their coop is the kind that does not need bedding and is cleaned daily. I use top soil, peat moss and DE for their dust baths. I have also used Poultry Protector in their coop a few times. I change their water and food daily. They do "free-range" in my backyard, which is not small. The only time they are in their coop is at night. When I say I have "gone by the book" since getting them at 1 day, I mean exactly that. I noticed a week or so ago they were not wanting to go roost. When I picked them up, I started noticing little bugs on me. I bought some Sevin dust and poured it all over the inside and out of their coop. I also put some in a nylon sock and dusted under their wings, vent area and upper back. I know this is not the safest product for them, but with the amount of bugs that were just getting on me, I was alarmed. I am keeping them in their run at night, which I hate because it is not as safe as their coop. Yesterday, I went to vacuum out the coop and there were thousands and thousands of these tiny mites (dead) everywhere. This is the kind of stuff my nightmares are made of. When I sat down with them this morning I put a shirt on my lap so I could see easier if there were any mites falling off of them, and I did not see any. I treated them Monday afternoon, and am shocked that I did not see any this morning. I know that doesn't mean they are all gone. I have no plans of putting them back in their coop for at least 10 days. I am going to treat them and the coop in 7 days. I will also spray their coop with water and soap, scrub and rinse it. I am going to caulk every crack and crevice in that coop.

 

[andreanar]

I really am not experienced with bugs, so Ill just wait around to hear other peoples answers.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I am so sorry you are experiencing this headache. I feel your pain having had to endure a Northern Fowl Mite infestation a few years back.

I believe you are describing Red Roost Mite if they are living in the coop and not mostly on the bird. (Without photos, I can only guess...I'll link photos below so you can ID for yourself between the two). It is a possibility of Northern Fowl Mite as well...especially since Sevin quickly dispensed with things...but Red Roost Mite are notorious for building invasion and equally notorious for being a persistent problem (since they live in nooks and crannies).

Both RRM and NFM are carried in by wild birds and rodents. It is nearly impossible to prevent that type of transmission unless you can put your coop in a bubble and have your birds live inside the bubble as well.

So, the wild life brings it to the coop, and your birds, while free ranging, picked up the mites from the brush and ground as well.

I'm glad the Sevin worked for you.

As to your regiment, I am afraid you have found the limitations of the "herbal" and "holistic" routines. They work to reduce numbers, but do not eradicate the pests. what the "big boy organic farmers do" (my SIL is one), is field rotate regularly to avoid build up that the herbals inevitably leave behind.

Therefore, when conditions are right (your weather patterns were perfect), the invisible infestation left by the herbals (as the herbals only hold things back) explodes.

The only way to avoid such inevitability (which sadly with small holders is almost an inevitability)....is to periodically resort to chemicals....unless you desire to let the area lay fallow (no poultry for a number of years) or burn a building down (an old timer's treatment).

So obviously, most poultry keepers of flocks in confined areas resort to chemicals.

Until then, doing the things you were doing is the correct regiment, although you may want to try other products. DE has shown only some effectiveness with RRM. I've never seen anything to indicate the Poultry Protector is anything other than wishful thinking.

You may want to consider seasonally spraying with permethrin type sprays such as Gordon's Poultry Spray. It is less problematic as Sevin and does a really good job.

Keep in mind it is generally better to keep ahead of the infestation rather than try to catch up afterward (as you have just found out).

In really, really, bad infestations, I've had to resort to Ivermectin for NFM, but sadly that does not address RRM. RRM has to be a coop type treatement. Rabon (a nasty chemical) has shown effectiveness against really bad infestations for that.

Hopefully you've gotten ahead of things. Keep treating. I'd recommend the permethrin spray in every nook and cranny repeated in 7 to 10 days, and then periodically, with herbals/holistic in between.

LofMc

http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily...ern-fowl-mites-red-mites-on-chickens-poultry/

 

[JaeG]

I had the same thing happen. Hot, humid summer, lots of broody chickens for them to feast on - mite population explosion! Mine came from rats that started living under our run which is elevated on wooden pallets to stay dry.

Mites can be carried in on rodents or wild birds, and even an abandoned birds nest nearby will lead the mites living there to seek other places to get a meal.

I'm in New Zealand where very little is available. I spent 6 weeks trying to do battle with the ineffective products here! I found thousands of mites living quite happily in the deep bed of DE that was in my nestboxes under the bedding. So I'm not wasting my money on that stuff again. None of the sprays or coop washes helped, not that there are many options. After some research I've used neem oil painted on the inside of the coop diluted 50% with warm water) and now dust with elemental sulfur, especially the roosting bars, which seems to be working. I only had to paint the coop once with the neem then in Autumn I found evidence of mites again so gave it another paint over and I've been clear since then. I also used Vetafarm Insect Liquidator spray on my chickens during the infestation, especially their legs which the mites crawl up at night in order to feed. It lasts up to 6 weeks but I did it weekly until I felt I had won the battle.

A good check if mites are about is running your hand under the roosting bar (use a paper towel if you're squeamish) and looking for smears of blood and squished mites.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I would skip the DE since it's harmful, strip mined, and less than effective.

Permethrin works quite well, and used as a spray is simple. Comes in an organic version called spinosad or elector PSP if organic is important and $'s aren't an issue. To me, poison is poison whether organic or not... so I use the affordable permethrin.

Sounds like your environment is rich in these parasites so you may actually need to come up with a routine that includes switching up what you use because resistance is a problem with ALL these pesticides that I know of.

Good luck, it can be so frustrating.

 

[Folly's place]

Everyone has already said it! Forget DE, and use permethrin (or organically approved pyrethrum) as needed when infestations occur. Unless you keep your birds in totally closed inside environments, wild birds will show up and bring mites or lice to your flock occasionally. I go out with a flashlight every week or so, and inspect some of my birds while they are roosting. ONE bad bug, and the whole group and the coop get the permethrin spray treatment. It happens maybe twice a year here, and after some bad experiences with very bad infestations, I learned. I don't use carbaryl because it's no longer approved for poultry, and will save spinosad for LATER if permethrin stops working here. Overtreating, or spraying unnecessarily, is not a better choice. Mary

 

[Birdwatcher804]

I am so sorry you are experiencing this headache. I feel your pain having had to endure a Northern Fowl Mite infestation a few years back.

I believe you are describing Red Roost Mite if they are living in the coop and not mostly on the bird. (Without photos, I can only guess...I'll link photos below so you can ID for yourself between the two). It is a possibility of Northern Fowl Mite as well...especially since Sevin quickly dispensed with things...but Red Roost Mite are notorious for building invasion and equally notorious for being a persistent problem (since they live in nooks and crannies).

Both RRM and NFM are carried in by wild birds and rodents. It is nearly impossible to prevent that type of transmission unless you can put your coop in a bubble and have your birds live inside the bubble as well.

So, the wild life brings it to the coop, and your birds, while free ranging, picked up the mites from the brush and ground as well.

I'm glad the Sevin worked for you.

As to your regiment, I am afraid you have found the limitations of the "herbal" and "holistic" routines. They work to reduce numbers, but do not eradicate the pests. what the "big boy organic farmers do" (my SIL is one), is field rotate regularly to avoid build up that the herbals inevitably leave behind.

Therefore, when conditions are right (your weather patterns were perfect), the invisible infestation left by the herbals (as the herbals only hold things back) explodes.

The only way to avoid such inevitability (which sadly with small holders is almost an inevitability)....is to periodically resort to chemicals....unless you desire to let the area lay fallow (no poultry for a number of years) or burn a building down (an old timer's treatment).

So obviously, most poultry keepers of flocks in confined areas resort to chemicals.

Until then, doing the things you were doing is the correct regiment, although you may want to try other products. DE has shown only some effectiveness with RRM. I've never seen anything to indicate the Poultry Protector is anything other than wishful thinking.

You may want to consider seasonally spraying with permethrin type sprays such as Gordon's Poultry Spray. It is less problematic as Sevin and does a really good job.

Keep in mind it is generally better to keep ahead of the infestation rather than try to catch up afterward (as you have just found out).

In really, really, bad infestations, I've had to resort to Ivermectin for NFM, but sadly that does not address RRM. RRM has to be a coop type treatement. Rabon (a nasty chemical) has shown effectiveness against really bad infestations for that.

Hopefully you've gotten ahead of things. Keep treating. I'd recommend the permethrin spray in every nook and cranny repeated in 7 to 10 days, and then periodically, with herbals/holistic in between.

LofMc

http://countrysidenetwork.com/daily...ern-fowl-mites-red-mites-on-chickens-poultry/

Thank you so much for the detailed and excellent information! Should I keep the chickens out of the coop until I retreat them/it? The are getting wet from the morning dew, additionally, it started raining this afternoon. I am worried about them gettin sick.
I am going to caulk every nook and cranny I can find.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

The mites live in the coop (if it is indeed Red Roost Mites, aka Chicken Mites), so treating the coop is essential. Unfortunately RRM can live for months without feeding which is why they are so hard to get rid of once you've got them.

Norther Fowl Mites live predominately on the bird and will die off in the coop after a few weeks once the birds are gone.

Since permethrin takes care of both types of mites, I'd spray with permethrin, both coop and birds, and put them back in the coop if that is all you've got. Then respray in another 7 to 10 days. A third time if you see any signs.

My birds take a lot of rain, but they have a dry roost at night to dry out. You don't want their immune systems also getting run down due to being overly wet.

It can be nice to have different coops to swap out of...back to rotating fields and coops allowing mites to die off after treatment before re-introducing birds. However, that is not feasible for a lot of people. Plus, the coops have to be substantially far enough away so that they don't cross contaminate...so we're back to chemicals.

I agree with stick with permethrin before going to spinosad. While rotating can help in some ways, it can also simply build resistance to BOTH treatments faster.

LofMc

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Here is the kind of places that red mites live. They do not live or reproduce on your birds. Used motor oil is an effective remedy if painted onto the roost poles. It sticks around and renders the cracks and crevices of the roost unsuitable for a roost mite rookery.

 

[Birdwatcher804]

@Lady of McCamley Don't laugh if this isn't a mite , but I put a towel under one of my chickens and these were on it afterwards. I took some macro photos (I'm a photographer). Is this a mite (dead) and, if so, is there enough here to do an ID? I can try to get a closer shot, if need be