I use Garden & Poultry dust to help prevent (not treat) mites and lice. Although there are several different types of chicken mites, including those that live on the chickens themselves as well as others that hideout in cracks and devices in the coop, they’re all problematic. Totally clean your chicken house or chicken coop and remove/replace all light materials like nests lining and other garbage like carton boxes. You may also find it prudent to dust your chickens with food-grade diatomaceous earth. It’s times like these that chicken mites can easily get the upper hand. Treatment 1: Warm Water – Drying – Petroleum Jelly. The only way to know for sure though, is to check. Chicken mites are definitely not fun – in fact, adults can survive for up to four months without feeding, meaning it can be incredibly difficult to eradicate a population once it’s settled into your coop. You might also consider mint, lemon balm, and lavender – not only are these herbs aromatic and good at resisting mites, but they’ll also freshen up your coop! There are other treatments like poultry sprays. To apply, hold the chicken's wings away from its body and, whichever dust you're using, sprinkle it thoroughly underneath the wings and in the vent area. A coop spray is a good way to get rid of chicken mites in the coop. Permithrin and several other good treatments exist. It has a great kill rate and will work for 24 hours after being applied to your birds. Clean your coop thoroughly (at least once) with this mixture before putting your chickens back in the coop. Copyright © 2021 Backyard Chicken Project. Your email address will not be published. Some other herbs that are effective at repelling mites are garlic, chamomile, and thyme. You may not want to pick them up and cuddle them for a while, though! KnowYourChickens.com does not intend to provide veterinary advice. So we have a pretty big chicken … Normally, chickens will be able to remove mites by rolling in their dust baths. Natural Mite Garlic Juice Spray Chicken mites, like many other parasites, absolutely hate garlic. Chemical treatments like Sevin dust are not safe to use on chickens in any form. These small parasitic mites often live in the chicken coop during the day. If left untreated, red mites can cause anemia and even death. How to treat chicken lice and mites Remove your birds from their usual living quarters. This will help you spot pests before they can get the upper hand. After the coop has dried, sprinkle either Diatomaceous Earth  or wood ash (completely cooled of course) all over the floor, nesting boxes, and roost. This means removing any and all bedding and dousing the floors, walls, roost bars, and nest boxes with a mixture of water, cooking oil, and dishwashing liquid. If you do find your flock infested with chicken mites, don’t fret, there are plenty of ways to treat your flock and get rid of those pesky pests stat! Changing the bedding frequently, even if you use deep litter, will ensure your flock is healthy and happy. Being vigilant about your chickens and what kinds of behaviors and appearances are normal is absolutely vital. If you have a secondary coop or chicken tractor, move your chooks there while you clean out their current one. You want a powerful jet of water to spray in every crack and crevice to drive the mites out. Depluming mites are similar to the scaly leg mite and are actually closely related. Chicken Mites Treatment: 4 Steps For Prevention. Let me tell you a little bit about my flock and coop first. They are usually spread by wild birds that come into contact with your chicken coop. Not all mites lay eggs here, but some do – it can be a good confirmation of a serious infestation. Therefore, it’s important to understand there are over the counter medicines you can use to treat chicken lice and if you’re more comfortable with this method, you should know what’s available. Be sure to keep checking your chickens for mites or nits every time you dust the birds. Just don’t get the dust in their eyes or lungs. This means removing any and all bedding and dousing the floors, walls, roost bars, and nest boxes with a mixture of water, cooking oil, and dishwashing liquid. When chickens are infested with mites, they become anemic because they lose blood to these blood-sucking parasites. Diatomaceous earth contains tiny particles that kill mites when they come into contact with them. If you raise chickens, you’ve likely heard all kinds of horror stories about these unpleasant creatures. Although they sound benign, with a life cycle that lasts a maximum of seven days, a single chicken mite can lay more than 100,000 eggs during this time – meaning they have the potential for some pretty serious devastation. There are several steps you will want to take. Poultry dust that contains permethrin is another very popular product used by chicken owner to treat chicken mites. All you need to do is get it into the crevices and let it dry before the hens are let back in. This Facebook follower of mine had to have her hen put to sleep from a severe mites infestation that she had been trying to control with DE, aka: diatomaceous earth , which failed to work as usual. You should soak your chicken’s legs in warm and soapy water to try to get some of the debris from under the scales – do not pull off scales or poke around underneath them. How to Raise Mealworms for Chickens (Step-by-Step), 17 Best Hatcheries to Buy Chickens Online, Can Chickens Swim? The trick is to keep it up long enough to kill every mite that’s old enough to lay eggs, and every mite that hatches from those eggs. Dry the legs well and then cover them in Vaseline (petroleum jelly). A bonus is the fact that they also cure blemishes and black heads, leaving the skin clean and radiant. Write us at info(at)knowyourchickens.com with any questions or concerns! There are a lot of signs that your chickens have mites. However, during the hottest, most humid months of the summer, your chickens might not want to bathe – or they might not get the opportunity to do so. Then, add some food-grade diatomaceous earth and wood ash to help prevent parasites. Wash all clothing immediately after returning home, and definitely don’t head out to your own chicken coop without changing first! Mites are tricky and love to hide, so make sure you’re getting every crack and crevice! While that means they can sometimes be easier to treat, it also means that their effects on your chickens will be much more pronounced. Lice and mites are terms that are often used synonymously, but the reality is that lice and mites, as they pertain to chickens, are two separate beasts. Hold your hen under your arm and keep her wings securely by her side, tip her gently down and examine the feathers around her vent. Both of these are harmless to chooks, but you should wear a dust-mask to avoid irritating your lungs. This is especially true if you notice significant feather loss around the wings or vents. No matter which kinds of treatments you use, you are going to want to supplement your chickens’ iron for a few days. Mites don’t like the scent of wormwood and will stay far away. Garlic is not just effective at getting rid of chicken mites – it’s also great at preventing them, too. Mites: 3 days to hatch; 7 days to adult; 90-day lifespan; Most mites that like chickens can rapidly reproduce after just 7 days. However, these pests spend their entire lives on your chickens instead of in darkened corners of your coop. To treat the chickens themselves, spray them with a garlic juice mixture. Looking to get rid of bird mites or chicken mites? Also known as poultry mites, these pests typically feed on all types of birds, including sparrows, pigeons, starlings, and of course, chickens. Your flock can contract chicken mites by picking them up from rodents or wild birds, by coming into contact with infected birds or even if you bring them into the coop on your clothing or shoes. Of course this is definitely easier said than done – however, it’s vital. Found in warmer climates, this pesto is more common in places like the southern United States, Australia, South America, and other tropical locations. Also, keep in mind that mites can cause your chicken to be anemic. The chickens use it daily! In particular, avoid the head area. KnowYourChickens.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Over the years as a backyard chicken keeper and breeder, I’ve heard lots of claims and remedies for how to safely treat mites or lice on chickens and other poultry; such as products like ivermectin, Maldison 50, Permethrin (synthetic pyrethrum), Carbaryl (Sevin), pest powders, dipping solutions. Diatomaceous earth can help prevent chicken mites just as well as it can treat them. Treat by spraying on the chicken and on the roosts, nesting boxes, everything. Here are some of the most common. al. We’ve also had luck using wood ash in place of DE, it’s free and readily available to us year round. The cycle of dusting the chickens can take a month or more. When the night comes, they begin to feed off the blood of the chicken. Spread Vaseline thickly on the legs of your chickens to help it penetrate deep into the scales and suffocate the mites. You likely won’t be able to see them. If you spray your chickens with garlic, be sure to concentrate it around the wings and vent, where mites like to hang out. How to Get Rid of Chicken Mites. Before we delve into how to cure chickens with mites, let’s take a few moments to better understand how to prevent them (as much as humanly possible) in the first place – and make sure your coop is rid of them after an infestation has been detected.. However, if you’re smart about taking preventative steps to guard against these pests, you shouldn’t have to worry about them invading your flock. If you’re purchasing new birds be sure to quarantine them until you’re sure they’re free of disease and pests like mites. I hope this post has helped you to detect, treat, and prevent the chicken mites that are hounding your flock! Put them into a chicken tractor or let them roam while you decontaminate the space. If none of these insecticides work, contact your vet who may be able to prescribe you another poultry dust. All of these tactics will help if you haven’t yet found mites in your coop, however, if you find your flock to be infested with mites, preventative measures aren’t going to solve your problem. Chicken mites don’t just sound disgusting – they are disgusting. Learn how your comment data is processed. Don’t forget under the roosts and nesting boxes! You’ll want to boost their immune system by feeding them greens, meat, and eggs. Plus, they can subject your chickens to a ton of unnecessary pain and suffering. So, sit tight and I’ll tell you exactly how to treat your chicken coop for mites! We publish weekly guides and articles written by experienced chicken enthusiasts! Both lice and mites are often transmitted by wild birds, although that’s not the only way these pests can get into the coop. This will help boost their iron levels. An infested chicken is usually going to eat much less food. Mites are brought to your flock from the outside, usually from other chickens or wild birds in the area. Mites lay eggs around the base of the feather. These pests are more common during the summer months, but they can thrive in colder weather, too. The first step for preventative chicken mites treatment is to squelch the introduction of lice and mites into your coop. I based the diagram below on the work of Sparagano, et. Often referred to generally as just chicken mites, red mites are incredibly irritating to deal with. Get all of your birds out of the coop, and remove anything that will move. So, how do you even tell if your chickens are suffering from mites? Birds and other wildlife are generally considered the biggest carriers of chicken mites and lice. The name sounds like something out of a nursery rhyme, but when all is said and done, chicken mites are something that no chicken keeper wants to have to deal with. Most chicken mites chemicals actually aren’t approved as safe to use on chickens, so using them is off-label. There are several types of mites that can infest your flock of chickens. You can also treat scaly leg mites with a garlic juice solution. This mixture will suffocate the chicken mites when you mix it at a ratio of two cups of water to one cup of cooking oil to one tablespoon of dish soap. If you own chickens for poultry or to have fresh eggs at home, the last thing you want is a case of mites, lice, or other pests taking over your coop. Make sure wild birds aren’t coming into contact with your chickens. Tropical Fowl Mites are not very common in most of the world. Keep a close eye on your chickens to make sure they’re staying healthy and mite-free. Please seek advice from a certified veterinarian in a case of emergency. They are one of the most common chicken pests. Removing the chickens is the first step in taking control back from the intruders. Your chickens have no natural defense against these insects without the availability of a dust bath! Red mite life cycle. It’s up to you. 1 It shows the life cycle of the female red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae. It is terrible for your birds and creates a lot of extra work for you as well. They also have small hairs along their backs and whip-like mouthparts. Start by building a dust bath area for your chickens filled with dry loose dir tor sand. They have flat, oval-shaped bodies that are white when unfed but are bright red when the pests are fully engorged after a blood meal. We do it outside in the fresh air, so the air inside of the coop stays clean and dust free. We’d love to hear them in the comments below! Also, if you introduce new chickens to the flock, make sure you quarantine them immediately upon their arrival to make sure they aren’t infested with mites that can infest your existing flock. In a study done at Clemson University, mite infestations were successfully dealt with using the topical application of garlic. Spray this onto the floor of the coop and in the nesting boxes. For a more detailed look at how to naturally treat chickens for pests, don’t miss our post on natural lice treatment! We keep it under the covered roof so it doesn’t get wet. Here are some key indications. The most popular DIY treatment applied to treat Scaly Leg Mites on chickens is the use of petroleum jelly. While any of these treatments will be effective no matter what time of day you use them, it’s best to use most at night. How do I treat mites and lice? Yep, another old favorite! You will want to start by thoroughly cleaning out the coop. There are several telltale signs that you have an infestation of chicken mite in your backyard flock. In addition to getting rid of mites, it’s also known for getting rid of other pest like ants, aphids, beetles, caterpillars, and plant bugs on a variety of vegetable and ornamental plants. Herbs, with their natural oils and extremely strong scents, can be used to defend against mites as well as other pests. This can be used as a treatment and also as an ongoing preventative. Chickens vs Guinea Hens: How to Choose Which to Raise, Introducing New Chickens to Your Flock (How-To Guide). Most chicken keepers have to deal with them at some time or another. Wormwood is one such example. Give your chicken coop a thorough cleaning, and I mean thorough! You can use it on the roost bars and in the nest boxes. Don’t worry. Scaly leg mites infest the legs of chickens instead of the vents or wings. These tiny insects are a nuisance, nonetheless. All it takes is one mite-infested chicken joining your flock to spread them to everyone! Now, how do you prevent them from coming back ever again? The professional will conduct an interior and exterior inspection to locate the nest and work with you to develop a chicken mite treatment plan. Your article shared a lot of experiences for me, I will always support you. You’ll have to repeat this wood ash/DE treatment every week for at least four weeks to kill all new mites that have hatched. Chicken mites are tiny little creatures, with adult females of the species only about 1/32” long. Chicken mites can cause your birds serious discomfort as well as health problems such as anemia and, in extreme cases, even death. Creeping, crawling, disgusting little buggers, chicken mites are external parasites that pose problems not just for chickens, but for all kinds of poultry. , or you can also treat scaly leg mite used interchangeably with chicken lice, will... 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