[hillfooter]

Well the chucks had a FL treatment today.  The dusting I gave them had reduced the lice but not cleared them.  I've had a really good scrape round the housing and no sign of the dreaded red mite, so hopefully that will sort all pest problems as they were wormed recently so covered all the bases.  

When mine had red mite they were reluctant to go to bed and not seen that behaviour since but am going to switch to HF's house mite deterrant painting technique rather than use the red mite powder I have used in the past.

HF - if you read this, do you dust your birds at all or just treat them with insecticide as needed.  Think I am going to struggle to get Ivermectin but FL is obtainable  

For red mite, which don't live on the birds at any stage of their lives, I just treat the house (not the birds) with one spray of a residual insecticide which lasts all year on a wooden house and I paint DE onto the roosts thoroughly on all surfaces.  Also I paint in the corners of the nestboxes and house and any seams.

I never dust the birds at all.  They should make their own dust bath which will keep they mostly free of lice and mites.  If lice look like becoming bad I spray with Ivomectin but Frontline is equally effective.  Apply to back of the neck.  Both are similarly expensive and zap scaley leg mites, fleas and lice.  

I used to dust nestboxes with Derris when you could get that but when that disappeared I used the Barrier products for RM & lice which I found very expensive and ineffective.  I've tried many red mite sprays (such as Mite Kill?) which are also very expensive and not noticably effective and eventually bit the bullet and used an insecticide which did the job for a fraction of what I was spending on ineffective spot treatments.

DE helps once the RM are eradicated and it also makes scraping droppings off perches easy too.  I don't like to dust birds or use loose powder in houses as dust particles in the air in a closed environment can irritate their air passages and also is a dangerous vector for viruses.  Birds are paricularly vulnerable to respiratory infections.

Best wishes
HF

[ehs284]

You don't say how many birds you have (or I missed it). If not a large number then a bath is useful. They seem to be happy having a bath once they're in the water.  Although the warm water won't itself kill the lice a small amount of washing up liquid and a brush will get most and frontline will deal with any others. Get them clean and blow dry before letting them back into a treated house. Some people won't use detergents as it removes oils, but I think that the benefits outweigh the  disadvantages.

[hillfooter]

You don't say how many birds you have (or I missed it). If not a large number then a bath is useful. They seem to be happy having a bath once they're in the water.  Although the warm water won't itself kill the lice a small amount of washing up liquid and a brush will get most and frontline will deal with any others. Get them clean and blow dry before letting them back into a treated house. Some people won't use detergents as it removes oils, but I think that the benefits outweigh the  disadvantages.

There are animal safe shampoos which i suspect will treat parasites.
HF

[New shoot]

Thanks for the advice HF. 

Think I will ring Bowden & Knights for a chat on my day off next week about red mite control.  Don't think I have it at present but prevention is better than cure   

I found my 6 year old Wyandotte was the worse for lice.  The winter took a bit out of her and she was looking knackered come this spring even though I have a bird the same age as her and 1 older that bounced right through and into spring full of beans.  I wonder if she was not preening and dust bathing as much   

I dusted her really thoroughly and that did kill loads, but the FL should clear the rest.  She's a good weight and decent condition but she just looks tired if that makes sense.  She's been wormed and has no symptoms of any illness.  Eating and drinking well. Anyway she was out in the garden yesterday and had a long dust bathe under a bush - she looked blissfull so if she is coming to the end, she is at least more comfortable now 

[New shoot]

The FL packaging said 48 hours for lice control.  Had a chuck check when I got home - that cost me a few mealworms  but......................wayhay we are lice free     

[feelingbroody]

Thank you for the link I have now the ficam W which they supply from one sachet up to 50 at a cost of £5.50 ish a sachet and is the cheapest I have found.

Prepare to die RM 

Thanks again folks

Broody

[Ruby Red]

A chicken breeder near me swears by bathing his hens in a flea shampoo you use for dogs. Just mix it as it says, rinse then let them run around. The dunking in a bucket gets more of the hen wet and treated than just dusting etc. It werks fer me !!

[feelingbroody]

Well the chucks had a FL treatment today.  The dusting I gave them had reduced the lice but not cleared them.  I've had a really good scrape round the housing and no sign of the dreaded red mite, so hopefully that will sort all pest problems as they were wormed recently so covered all the bases.  

When mine had red mite they were reluctant to go to bed and not seen that behaviour since but am going to switch to HF's house mite deterrant painting technique rather than use the red mite powder I have used in the past.

HF - if you read this, do you dust your birds at all or just treat them with insecticide as needed.  Think I am going to struggle to get Ivermectin but FL is obtainable  

For red mite, which don't live on the birds at any stage of their lives, I just treat the house (not the birds) with one spray of a residual insecticide which lasts all year on a wooden house and I paint DE onto the roosts thoroughly on all surfaces.  Also I paint in the corners of the nestboxes and house and any seams.

I never dust the birds at all.  They should make their own dust bath which will keep they mostly free of lice and mites.  If lice look like becoming bad I spray with Ivomectin but Frontline is equally effective.  Apply to back of the neck.  Both are similarly expensive and zap scaley leg mites, fleas and lice.  

I used to dust nestboxes with Derris when you could get that but when that disappeared I used the Barrier products for RM & lice which I found very expensive and ineffective.  I've tried many red mite sprays (such as Mite Kill?) which are also very expensive and not noticably effective and eventually bit the bullet and used an insecticide which did the job for a fraction of what I was spending on ineffective spot treatments.

DE helps once the RM are eradicated and it also makes scraping droppings off perches easy too.  I don't like to dust birds or use loose powder in houses as dust particles in the air in a closed environment can irritate their air passages and also is a dangerous vector for viruses.  Birds are paricularly vulnerable to respiratory infections.

Best wishes
HF

Hi HF

Ficam w all safely used in the coop and area as per your instructions ........lets hope we dont see any more of the blighters !!

Thanks again for all the advice, should have taken photo of my OH all goggled and masked up really made me chuckle!

Broody

[hillfooter]

I'm sure it will do the trick.  Let us know in 3 or 4 days if you can see any live RM.
Best of luck
HF

[feelingbroody]

HF

A couple of weeks now have gone by and I am diligently checking for any critters and so far all clear 

Your advice was truly appreciated and I am sure my girls are feeling the benefit too.

Broody