Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Chirpychick on May 20, 2012, 22:06
-
Hi we cleaned coop today after thinking we had chicken lice and found mites!!!!! We cleaned washed with poultry shield and then powder! I know we have to do it again next week but we were plastered so got home stripped washed clothes straight away and showered but I have long hair although it was tied up I found one on my face this evening and I had showered and washed hair, so I have showered and washed hair again but I'm petrified now I have mites in my hair! What do I do???? I don't want to go near the chicks again or clean if I'm going to be infested and have read that these are now living on people and in our homes!!! Any help great fully received
-
Can't help with removing the mites from your hair :lol:, I'm sure a lot of new hen keepers have had the same problem. What I do know is that using a Diatom Slurry will certainly help eliminate lice and mites, after battling redemites in vain for a year with various sprays & powders, it worked for me. Have a search for Diatom Slurry in this forum, may of been originated by Hillfooter. good luck.
-
This is why many of us have Eglu chicken houses. No dreaded red mite problems
When the mites get into the woodwork it's difficult to shift them but you have to persist as your hens will be very miserable with them in situ
You have to forget your own worries about creepy crawlies as you are a hen-keeper now and you have the responsibility for their welfare, so get a grip and carry on :)
Take time to read the information stickies here about red mite as all the information will be there :)
-
It's alright chirpychick I think I'd feel grossed out if they were in my hair too! :blink:
Here's Hillfooter's slurry mix
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=81422.0
and if you type disposable coveralls in goggle then you'll find some all-in-ones that you could wear when you do the coop that should protect your hair at the same time as your clothes.
-
I have some Diatomaceous Earth for the mites when my chicks get big enough to be let out. Can i just dust everywhere in their wooden coop and then leave dust in situ (in cracks and crevices etc)? Then will the dust stay active and keep on doing it's job?
-
digga, you would be better off making a slurry out of the DE as mentioned above in Hillfooter's post.
The slurry will dry very white looking, but it will last longer than just dusting the coop.
Looks a bit like Great Expectations, but works!
-
Thanks :)
-
Red mites won't live in the hair or attach themselves (like head lice) so a good shampooing will get rid of them - although it may take a couple of goes especially if you have thick hair. If you feel uncomfortable and want extra reassurance, use a headlouse shampoo/treatment with something like permethrin (but I wouldn't bother). If ever you think that you have picked up fleas/lice/mites/etc get undressed in the bath - never in the bedroom!
They don't carry diseases so no problem there, but as anything crawling over you is not nice best to assume the hazard and use a head covering and clothing to strip (in the bath) and put into the washing machine straight after "the big chook clean". Use a hot wash as fleas can survive economy temperatures.
A good story to tell if you want to get rid of unwelcome visitors.
-
My chicks are in their new coop and are only 2 weeks old. Should i slurry the inside on the 6th week when i open the doors for the first time? How long does the slurry last to be effective before it needs doing again?
-
2 weeks old? do they have a broody mum or heatlamp? I wouldn't treat the coop for a couple of months at least. Give the chicks time to build up a bit of strength in their little lungs first.
-
Heat lamp in a large wooden coop i made for them and boy are they growing.
-
This post reminded me of when I was a child & the nit nurse came to school Unfortunately for my sister & I we were found to have them. In my mothers wisdom she decided to virtually shave our heads. I cant tell you the shame we felt at school. It wasnt too bad for my sister as she could wear a type of head scarfe but my mother made me wear a home knitted balaclava............. It was August :wacko: :wacko:
-
Slurry is inactive so there is no "shelf-life". It will get worn away by the normal toings and froings so just repeat when you see bare areas start to appear. The problem is finding a slot in the weather when you can wash, dry, apply slurry and let it dry all in one day, so an autumn and spring schedule is probably OK. In truth probably just in spring is fine but have always stuck to twice a year. You can add Ficam as an extra protection for the high risk summer months, or some people use permethrin which is sold as ant powder by stores such as Homebase. I'm experimenting with using a cooking oil paint over clean areas then throwing on the dust. It seems OK, but I can't recommend it yet. If it works then the advantage will be no need for the slurry to dry and the oil will soak into the grain of the wood.
Prod - that's awful, poor you. BTW lots of people swear by vinegar as an anti-insect shampoo.
-
If weather is too damp to dry coop, what is wrong with dusting the stuff (dia/earth) everywhere?
-
please only use items that are for poultry, we cannot promote things like ant powder as there is no proof that inhaling it will not harm your poultry.
Ficam W is for professional use and not for the backyard poultry keeper so please do not promote it on here.
If you cannot get your coop dry over winter then when cleaning use a powdered disinfectant like Stalosan F which will dry the coop and then use DE, I use mine as a powder but I know many others use it as a slurry and it does dry fast anyway :)
-
This post reminded me of when I was a child & the nit nurse came to school Unfortunately for my sister & I we were found to have them. In my mothers wisdom she decided to virtually shave our heads. I cant tell you the shame we felt at school. It wasnt too bad for my sister as she could wear a type of head scarfe but my mother made me wear a home knitted balaclava............. It was August :wacko: :wacko:
Oh no. Poor you. I had a little lad in my yr 4 class wearing a hat in class and when I said to take it off asked to speak to me in private.
He explained that he had had a really bad hair cut. he took me outside to show the haircut and we agreed that he should certainly keep his hat on. Bless him :wub:
-
Re Ficam W - yes it is (for most forum members) illegal to use it because it is a professional use product (users should be trained and competent). Nor is it approved for use in poultry housing (so a competent person wouldn't use it here and I should not recommend it - apologies). Confusingly, it is not an offence to sell these products (in their original containers and packaging) to anybody.
Having said that, it seems normal to suggest using Frontline on chickens a purpose for which it is not approved (vets can go on professional discretion), so there is always a conflict in the minds of we chook keepers
Permethrin is legal and fine to use on chickens and humans - it is sold as ant powder, wasp killer, human louse killer, scabies treatment and so on. No danger if used sensibly by ordinary people.
I too scatter powder when it is inclement, but worry a little about the birds breathing the dust hence the trial with vegetable oil to keep it from being lifted. Will update after a winter's use.
-
With frontline I always say to get it from a vets like I do as it isn't licensed and I have to sign a form every time I get it so it is on record that it has been approved by my vets.
-
Thank you all for your replys! I have used DE in powder form and also used mitex dilution spray but still lots of mites driving me nuts!!!! Have changed bedding three times washed and dried with poultry shield and mitex plus powdered birds and coop but still mites!!! What do you do with the vinegar then? Any other things I can do as it bothers me and the poor birds plus little one coverd in mites after running into coop! Seems like I clean it and it's fine next day but then boom!!! Back again only did it Sunday and yesterday lots of mite grrrrrr oh and the johnsons powder is that the same as de???? Thanks
-
I'm not sure if frontline helps with fighting off red mite. I use it on my hens and although a have seen evidence of red mite a couple of times it has been on a very small scale. I wonder if the frontline helps keep them at bay in the same it it does with lice and fleas?
-
Oh dear, sounds serious. Frontline won't help; it works by killing the parasites as through the blood they take in. It seems that you are dealing with the bedding, but generally they will spend the day in crevices in the coop structure. Check, however that the bedding is not infested just in case. What did you wash and how?
I'd suggest a deep clean for the coop inside and outside, doors, ramps and surrounding areas. Take the birds away and let them dust bathe for the day. Pull out everything from the coop and pressure wash (some people steam clean) inside and outside with normal detergent. Dry and rake area around coop to move debris away. Change your clothing. Now it's clean to handle so go through the possible places such as under roof covering, ends of wood etc and make repairs or change the material say from bitumen to plastic where appropriate. Make as much as possible removable for cleaning (perches, boxes etc). Some people try to fill gaps between surfaces, but I'd rather have big gaps into which DE or oil can be put. Change again. Treat all ends of wood with oil or grease/vaseline.
Now use the DE slurry, getting lots into the cracks and corners. You don't need the Mitex/johnsons (must be costing a fortune). Vinegar will act as an insecticide whilst fresh and acidic, but soon becomes ineffective and takes ages for the smell to go.
That should do it. A safety net would be to use a greenhouse smoke bomb which would leave a fine layer of food-safe insecticide on the "ceiling" of the coop.
Best of luck.
-
I removed everything bedding nest boxes, brushed out and then pressure sprayed with a bottle sprayer the poultry shield and let dry I then used the mitex soaked everything everywhere in and out I then let that dry dusted birds and put new fresh bedding in and dusted coop with de all over everywhere, I have used three bottles of de one bottle of johnsons and am on the second bottle of mitex! Yes it is costing a lot! We have chicks at the allotment and so don't have eletric so can't use a jet wash, going to it again today so that's two times in a week and once last week! I think mites are in the soil and as its been so hot the keys I'm putting in the ground is just soaking up on the first layer, I have two birds that feel thin although food is out constantly! I'm at witts end honest even thinking of giving up !
-
Jays fluid in the ground*
-
No electricity is making it difficult, so perhaps the smoke answer might work - here is a link to one provider:-
http://www.regencypoultry.com/heathcare/redmite_and_Lice/fortefog_mini_fumer.htm
To be honest, I would use Ficam W - of course, nobody on this forum could recommend breaking the law, so I'm just saying what I personally would do - as i've used it in houses occupied by humans for years (I've also used the smokes ; sometimes up my trouser legs before getting in the car).
The area around the coop may be the true source, but I wouldn't use Jeyes fluid as it is toxic, corrosive and probably wouldn't help.
You say that you have food out all the time; do other wild birds or pigeons call in for a snack? Are there pigeon lofts/coops near the allotment? If so you may have to rethink your strategy, but before going further, are you absolutely sure that you are dealing with red mite? Any chance of a photograph?
-
The pen is closed so no birds can get in, the mites are light gold sort of colour that are on our skin and the ones under the news paper under the bedding are red so I think they are red mite, what's best for the ground if the jays no good as I found a lump of red mite in a ball of soil! I will try the slurry and a low torch this weekend plus the earth shield and mitex, can't move coop as its fixed, will have a look at the link, many thanks for replys and my pm!
-
If you can keep the birds out of their coop for a few hours, I agree with ehs284, get the fumer. We had a REALLY bad infestation last year in our big henhouse. It is 32 foot long, and as I refused to look after the chickens at this time (long story), OH hadn't noticed the mites. He complained the hens weren't laying well, so I went in there, and Oh My, there were zillions of the mites. They were falling on my head, all over my trousers and blouse!! :ohmy: :ohmy: :ohmy:
So in desperation, I bought some of the biggest fumers, shut the hens out, closed the doors and popholes and cut open feed bags to cover the vents up. Took ages on such a big house. Then I set off the fumers. Left them a couple of hours then went back to inspect. Most of the mites were at the back of the house as that is where the perches were, the house is made of shiplap at the back, and the dead and dying mites were falling out of the joints in clumps! I've never seen anything like it. I still have one left for the smaller house we are using at the moment, just in case.
Then I swept everything out, poultryshielded again, and made the DE slurry u and painted ever crack and joint I could find.
All looks good at the moment, although we are only using one end of that house for 5 shaver blacks for now.
Shame there is no electric, I also bought a little steam cleaner. It isn't big enough for the large house, but I did steam clean the removable perches from another coop with it, and the boiling steam killed the motes on the perches.
Munty told me once to fill all the cracks and joints with vaseline, which I also did a few times. Any mites inside the cracks suffocate as they can't get out, and the others can't get in.
For the ground outside, what about one of those weed wands, like a flame thrower, but the modern ones use the little gas canisters??