Mite infestation!

[Andrew Gilmartin]

Our coop and chickens are infested with mites. Just writing this
message makes my skin crawl all over again after getting fully doused
with them yesterday. Chris has been searching the web for solutions.
Does anyone here have proven solutions? Ones that don't require toxic
materials -- except to the mites -- would be best. Thanks.

-- Andrew

[Don Scott]

Hi Andrew:

 

Received your email, and sent message to group.??

Did you receive it ?

I could not find in my sent folder ?

 

re:mites,  the only  thing I can think of would be to spray with BLEACH.

 

Regards,

 

Don Scott

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[Ruth]

I have read that adding food-grade diatomaceous earth to the nest boxes and bedding, and adding some to their dust baths, does the trick. The dust baths can be up to 50% DE. Do NOT use the stuff they sell for pools. I imagine you could also dust the chickens yourself but you've got to get the DE down to the skin so easier to put in the dust baths and let the chickens do it themselves.

Ruth in Wakefield

[Ruth Anderson]

Sorry to hear about your mites. Using Sevin dust (for vegetables or poultry) is supposed to both prevent and treat mites. You can dust the birds directly (especially under the wings, around the neck, and on their vents), as well as douse your coop with it. We previously bathed our chickens who had mites, using warm water and dog shampoo. As long as it's warm/hot, they will quickly dry. We used a blow dryer too, but it may be unnecessary in this weather. The mites can live in the coop, so you may want to be more aggressive in the coop and use a bleach solution, as another person suggested.
Food grade DE is great as a preventative measure; but once you have mites, you need to treat them more aggressively, with chemicals.
Mites can be fatal if they get too well established.
Good luck!
-Ruth A

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[Christine Herron]

Thanks Ruth,

  We will let you know how it goes. Do you know where we can get the food grade diatomaceous earth??Any where around here??

Thank for your help,

Christine

[Andrea Peitsch]

Allie’s in North Kingstown has it..

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[Ruth Anderson]

Hi Christine,
I have ordered DE only on line, and don't know if or where food grade DE is available locally. The place I ordered it from is Dirt Works (www.dirtworks.net).
I'm glad to help, as I know what it is like to try to learn about chickens and especially problems with them! We went through a lot of trial and error and it was hard to get good information.
Good luck!
Ruth

[Christine Herron]

Thanks Ruth! We do appreciate the advice. It is hard to get a handle on what is best to do and when.  Another person said Allie's carries it also. I'll be calling them tomorrow.

Best,

[Ruth Anderson]

That's great if Allie's has the DE; much more convenient. When we were looking for it, they didn't have it, but that was probably a couple of years ago.
I hope it works well for you!
Ruth

[Christine Herron]

Hi Ruth,

   Yes the DE worked in conjunction with 10% bleach/water solution pump sprayed in a cleaned out coop. We will probably have to do it again to reak the cycle.

[Ruth Anderson]

Congratulations! Glad all of that hard work paid off!
Ruth A.