It will happen to just about every poultry keeper. If its not lice (white bugs who leave crustiness around the shaft of the feathers), then it will be mites. And being so tiny, mites can be even harder to see.
Mites can be very tricky to detect because they love to come out at night and feast on poultry while they roost for the night. So when we treat the coop that we pay special attention to the roosting area where it is attached on the sides, that it gets a good pest dusting to deter mites running along them.
Well, so the theory goes...
I have always been an advocate of using Diotomaceous Earth (DE) and Pestene pests dusts, and they definitely do have their place. But when I discovered mites hiding out in my chickens' automatic tredal feeder I discovered first hand just how resilient mites can be. Since the feeder was an excellent surface to observe bugs, it seemed a far better way to view them for testing.
So my experiment began.
I cleaned out the remaining feed (very little) from the feeder into a garbage bag for general bin disposal.
The movement of the feeder encouraged more mites to show themselves when I place the feeder back down.
They came out of the folds of the metal where the studs were attached inside. Mites love cracks in anything to hide in.
First trial: Diomtomaceous Earth
Result: No slowing of bugs, even when covered.
Second trial: Pestene
This was added on top of the DE.
Result: No slowing of bugs, even when covered.
Half an hour was given between each application of both dusts.
Third trial: Household Fly Spray
Result: It worked. Affected their nervous system and resulted in a high death rate within a few minutes.
Now, by no means do I advocate using fly spray as THE answer, but it was based on what would most people have available in their cupboard to control mites as quickly as possible.
What is the best thing to do in the future?
Since spraying was the most effective method of controlling the mites, then using a product like Coopex is a good option.
There are other products available. Enquire at your local fodder store for other spray options.
Coopex is a residual spray that comes as a 25g packet of powder that is mixed with water in a sprayer and is then sprayed around the coop. Make sure that the coop has been fully cleaned out and swept before spraying. Wait for the spray to have dried before returning bedding, food, water and hens back to the coop.
I do not recommend that you use a residual spray on the food containers. I would use the household fly spray and a rinse out method. Make sure that the underside of all containers are thoroughly cleaned as well.
Malaban Wash 250ml to 500ml retails between $18 to $30
Available from all good pet, stock& fodder stores
Coopex 25g packet retails between $11-$15.
Stocklists include: Bunnings and Planet Poultry
Mites can be very tricky to detect because they love to come out at night and feast on poultry while they roost for the night. So when we treat the coop that we pay special attention to the roosting area where it is attached on the sides, that it gets a good pest dusting to deter mites running along them.
Well, so the theory goes...
I have always been an advocate of using Diotomaceous Earth (DE) and Pestene pests dusts, and they definitely do have their place. But when I discovered mites hiding out in my chickens' automatic tredal feeder I discovered first hand just how resilient mites can be. Since the feeder was an excellent surface to observe bugs, it seemed a far better way to view them for testing.
So my experiment began.
I cleaned out the remaining feed (very little) from the feeder into a garbage bag for general bin disposal.
The movement of the feeder encouraged more mites to show themselves when I place the feeder back down.
They came out of the folds of the metal where the studs were attached inside. Mites love cracks in anything to hide in.
First trial: Diomtomaceous Earth
Result: No slowing of bugs, even when covered.
Second trial: Pestene
This was added on top of the DE.
Result: No slowing of bugs, even when covered.
Half an hour was given between each application of both dusts.
Third trial: Household Fly Spray
Result: It worked. Affected their nervous system and resulted in a high death rate within a few minutes.
Now, by no means do I advocate using fly spray as THE answer, but it was based on what would most people have available in their cupboard to control mites as quickly as possible.
What is the best thing to do in the future?
Since spraying was the most effective method of controlling the mites, then using a product like Coopex is a good option.
There are other products available. Enquire at your local fodder store for other spray options.
Coopex is a residual spray that comes as a 25g packet of powder that is mixed with water in a sprayer and is then sprayed around the coop. Make sure that the coop has been fully cleaned out and swept before spraying. Wait for the spray to have dried before returning bedding, food, water and hens back to the coop.
I do not recommend that you use a residual spray on the food containers. I would use the household fly spray and a rinse out method. Make sure that the underside of all containers are thoroughly cleaned as well.
Malaban Wash 250ml to 500ml retails between $18 to $30
Available from all good pet, stock& fodder stores
Coopex 25g packet retails between $11-$15.
Stocklists include: Bunnings and Planet Poultry
Cleaning
I followed this by blasting a high pressure hose through the feeder to help eradicate all the dead bugs and flush out any that may not have come out. Thoroughly wiped it out with disposable paper towels (also placed in the garbage bag with old infected feed), and left to air dry. Inspected one final time before being refilled and returned to the coop.
The coop also requires attention before returning the feed.
If you do not have access to Coopex or other recommended products, at least use the pest dust on the floor and spray with household fly spray through the cracks.
Keep an eye on the coop regularly to ensure that the mites have been eradicated. Repeat as necessary.
And then go and have a good shower and wash your clothes immediately after to make sure that you are not transferring the mites into your home. Once they are in your soft furnishings they can breed quite successfully.
If you have a successful method in controlling mites in your coop I would love to hear about it in the comments section below.
I followed this by blasting a high pressure hose through the feeder to help eradicate all the dead bugs and flush out any that may not have come out. Thoroughly wiped it out with disposable paper towels (also placed in the garbage bag with old infected feed), and left to air dry. Inspected one final time before being refilled and returned to the coop.
The coop also requires attention before returning the feed.
If you do not have access to Coopex or other recommended products, at least use the pest dust on the floor and spray with household fly spray through the cracks.
Keep an eye on the coop regularly to ensure that the mites have been eradicated. Repeat as necessary.
And then go and have a good shower and wash your clothes immediately after to make sure that you are not transferring the mites into your home. Once they are in your soft furnishings they can breed quite successfully.
If you have a successful method in controlling mites in your coop I would love to hear about it in the comments section below.
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