How I FINALLY Got Rid of Poultry Red Mite

[@CSWRB]

I got red mites once about 2 years ago. They were awful, even bit me on the hands or anywhere else they got on my body. I put pure sulfur powder in the chicken’s dust bath at a high concentration and within a few weeks the mites were gone. I didn’t remove bedding or any other measures.

[@JustMe-jc2ft]

Thanks for this tip.

[@noralopez59]

Dalia as a suggestion you should look into First Saturday. It will kill fleas and mites. Neutralizes odors. I will sprinkle FS on bedding and then add my new layer of bedding onto. I also neutralize odors from my horse’s droppings near the coop. It works wonders. Happy researching 😅

[@allieville9864]

LOVE DE, I put it in their feed once a month and dust them occasionally as well!!❤

[@zuzanap6662]

I had to deal with red mites two month ago during a period of hot and dry weather. I used food grade DE for the whole coop, dusted hemp bedding, nest boxes, add it in dust baths and covered all sides and cracks of the roosts with a layer of DE. I repeated it every day for two weeks. The problem with red mites is that they are everywhere even in the grass around the coop and dust baths. I just accepted that I need to learn how to keep them under control. Checking my coop regularly is the key.

[@JD-dh7bk]

Did anyone else get itchy watching this video? Or just me? Just thinking about the bugs is uncomfortable.. We got over a whole bunch of bumblefoot a few months back. Then it was worms in the poo. They seem to have recovered from that. And now at least 14 are molting. Feathers are everywhere. I need to go do coop chores but it won't stop raining. And now I'm worried the coop will have tiny devil's. 🤯😳😱😨💀🤡👹☠️

[@robertaplatter6050]

I just want to give you what I use is full strength orange oil soap cleaner. Plus it smell good and since I started to use it works for 12 years now. Good luck

[@jandcschwartz]

@@robertaplatter6050 May I ask what is the name of the soap you use? Do you spray it in cracks and let it dry?

[@rustynails4597]

I really enjoy the info you put out. I learn more from you than the dozens of books I bought. Thank you so much. The 1st time I dealt with those critters, not red mites, I freaked out. Thru trial and error I made it through and so did my birds.

[@oddball-z]

Thanks Prez💚🐔

[@D4ni3773]

Thanks for sharing! Great video!

[@Deborah-vx2ik]

This video is one to save. So much information covered... as well as great comments!

[@coldhaven1233]

Knock on wood, I've not had a problem with DE. I use DE inside the coop, roost, and where they typically dust bathe. This limits the ecological exposure to just their run and coop. I haven't ever had a problem using DE, but you have to use food grade DE. You can't use the DE you'd put on your plants to kill pests. That isn't good for them. Make sure that the DE you get is food grade, and while you're at it, make sure any lime you buy is of similar quality. I can buy both from my local Tractor Supply. Its not expensive and last quite awhile. I just started a new bag of each a month ago, which lasted me at about two years.

[@suzannemartin1202]

Good info thanks for sharing. I appreciate your approach to things. Very encouraging!

[@lada152]

Just a suggestion. Every spring i kick thrm to the run clean coop i use old engine oil i paint roosts several coats. Soak in Also makes cleaning easy whitewash walls about a month later let them back in😊

[@jessicaj8148]

I always use DE.

[@misspersnickety3674]

Thank you so much!

[@blkmjcwmn61]

Great, now I'm itchy all over!😂😂

[@ShortbusMooner]

Yes! Speaking from experience- Thank God they're waaayyyy easier to get rid of than bedbugs!! 😖 I had a baby that was still sleeping in a tote at night, in the house. Ugh!! Just make sure you check under the puppy-pad daily, that's where mine were hiding. Washed everything, and they were eradicated quickly.. Double ugh!! 😬

[@songoftheblackunicorn666]

It also sounds like the deep bedding method is probably not your friend when it comes to mites

[@tcorrigan2687]

Thank you for all you do

[@robinham2796]

Had them a Couple of years ago! NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET!!! Tried Psp, permethrin is the ONLY thing that killed them!! They were EVERYWHERE!! Crawling on me every night after I did my count!! It was HELL!!

[@eleanorerosanova7538]

I'm itching just watching this. I don't have chickens now but I used to. My friend who's raise chickens said that they were told to paint everything in the chicken coop with lye.

[@jandcschwartz]

I was told by the makers of elector psp that it doesn't have a tolerance build up. Mites do build a resistance to Permethrin.

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

That’s interesting because it says on the bottle to rotate it with other insecticides including pyrethroids! But maybe that’s just for flies and not mites.

[@jandcschwartz]

@@WelcometoChickenlandia Well it was two years ago. I was so frustrated I called and specifically asked that. Things could have changed since though.

[@chriswillock2177]

I had one infestation of mites. Found them on the birds one night when I went looking for them. Mother inlaw mentioned I should check them and the coop. Sure enough the birds had them all over as did the perches and nesting boxes. Went to one of our local farm suppliers and bought a spray called Doctor Doom. Clean out the coop. Then sprayed the boxes and perches. Sprayed the walls and fogged the coop. Sprayed under the birds wings and near their vents as per instructions on can. Sealed up the coop for the day. Haven't had mites since. O don't let the birds in to the coop. And wear a mask while spraying. Its wicked stuff.

[@christinae.burlison936]

I am so freaked out now!!!

[@BlueberryStinkFinger62]

I use poultry dust..and pine shavings for the bedding..so far so good

[@ne0tekk1]

I was cleaning my backyard weeds that hasn't been cleaned out for 10 years to make my chicken coop and didn't even realize they were on my clothes and my legs were completely covered in bites the next day. This happened a couple weeks ago and I'm still consistently washing all my clothes and bedding, using a steamer and hair dryer. The chickens are still in doors but I used cimexa thats positively charged and worked on flea infestations in the past.

[@christiethomas6905]

Could you store those roosts and rotate them back in once the mites are gone? Or keep them stored incase the new roosts get infested?

[@Baxfam1]

Whaaat Redmond has salt with garlic in it for livestock?! That’s amazing

[@ds755]

Would you please do a video on depluming mites? I adopted two chickens that were almost naked. The other chicken is still missing a lot of feathers

[@iwona4685]

Crazy thought... I read on one of the chicken groups that somebody brought red mites in with the hemp bedding

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

🤔

[@Shelzbells]

So sorry this happened to you. This makes me want to go out tonight and check my coop again. I have not seen any mites so far and I hope to keep it that way. I want to try the Redmond salt with the minerals for the chickens. What a great idea.

[@PennyPincherPantry]

I'm not able to find the Redmond Agriculture 10 Fine with Garlic on the link provided. Is there an updated link you can provide?

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

Oh my goodness I'm sorry. I just realized I had the link wrong across all my videos!! Thanks for letting me know. Here's the correct link: bit.ly/4dsYK1P

[@hoosierpioneer]

Northern Fowl Mites gave me a nasty skin irritation/itchy bites.

[@hoosierpioneer]

Permethrin will cause muscle tremors in cats, leading tofull seizures. Get the cat in to a vet at earliest symptoms. I watched a cat die at my job because the owner refused to have him treated😢

[@Clydesmith2119]

Hi Dahlia. Just got done dealing with our first mite infestation since we had our flock in six years. Question on the Elector PSP. Have you actually dipped your chickens versus just using the spray bottle?

[@gloriasmith5764]

Dahlia you mentioned your chicks will not go back in the coop until spring. Where will you house them for the winter?

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

I only left them out of the coop for a few weeks. They are back in now!

[@pnhnut]

Gosh I have had chickens for twenty years and have never experienced mites. I don't know if I am just lucky or stupid and had them and didn't know and had strong hens or what. But how do you get them, where do they come from?

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

Well, you'd have to be cursed, like me.

[@CobraMeliss]

I’m also struggling with mites at a new location. I think my problem is at our old location they were only allowed to free range supervised and the run had 1/2” hardware cloth on it so the wild birds couldn’t get in. This new house they’re exposed to a lot of wild birds. And they get into the run. Grrrrr. I think the tip they leave at the end of their meal is mites. 😖😖😖

[@anotherchangedlife]

I was reading an old article and it said that painting the walls of a coop with a whitewash with lime would help control pests. Has anyone ever tried this? I’m seriously considering it after struggling with mites last winter. I might add some DE. I have started putting a low light in, which does seem to help.

[@rainbowconnected]

I did this when I built my coop. I had zero issues with mites for years. I rescued some hens and I think they brought in mites (I suspect they're Northern Fowl mites). I do think the limewash has helped keep the coop free of bugs and I will refresh it soon to make sure there's no hidey places for the red mites. I do also use First Saturday lime in the coop and run.

[@anotherchangedlife]

@@rainbowconnected Thanks! I actually have some FS Lime, so I’ll try this! I spread it around the outside of the coop and haven’t had any issues with flies this year. Thanks again!

[@austibella1992]

I dust my entire coop nest boxes the chicken run with first saturday lime once a month. It's calcium carbonate and safe

[@dc.9035]

I buy Vics from Dollar Store. Treat mites on chickens. The mites disappear immediately.

[@AltyTheShinyToxtricity]

I found a single mite on my tablet. I sprayed all my chicken, but I looked at them first. And not a single one had mites. I sprayed them aways. But how did a mite get on my tablet???!!!! (Coop is cleaned too)

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

There are so many species of mites everywhere. It’s possible it was just some other kind of random mite and not a poultry mite. It’s also possible that there is a mite presence in your flock (this is totally normal) but your chickens are so healthy that the mites can’t really infest.

[@AltyTheShinyToxtricity]

@WelcometoChickenlandia only ever had a bad infestation once and it was with one of my sick roosters. And so now I have a method of looking for mites before they ever become a problem (at least it's worked so far it seems) what I do is hold a few chickens that have been sitting on eggs longer then others and rub my hands all over. Ruffle all the feathers, then I examine my hands. So far it's been 100% I always get at least 1 mite on me when doing that so then I know my babies have them. And then I start treatment. Dust mite bath lol

[@medtronicmom]

I wear a long sleeve oversized flannel shirt over my clothes when I go out to the chicken yard to try to keep my clothes from getting poo germs on them. I feel kinda stupid out in 100 degree weather wearing a flannel shirt buttoned up to my neck. Does anybody wear any kind of over-clothes or am I just being weird? I am not OCD about germs. Just trying to be safe. I also need to be able to tell my daughter-in-law with a straight face that there are no chicken germs in the house when my new grandson visits. My chickens kinda wallow all over me when I sit outside with them. So at the very least I should probably change clothes--but the problem is that I go hang out with them several times a day. I don't have the energy to be changing clothes all the time, so I came up with the flannel shirt. I literally hangs down to my knees and covers me pretty good. Anyway, just wondering. Julie rocks! I need a Julie. I do have a great husband who does all the things. ❤ him more than the chickens!!

[@lilyavery8230]

I wear long pants and I bought these arm bands for gardening to cover my arms bc I hate laundry…but a nut about being clean with the girls… not weird! I also have to worry about poison ivy on them and they love to cuddle and I’ve gotten the ivy on me from them…no more…long pants and sleeves…in 100 degree weather. Playing it safe. The garden arm bands are breathable in the heat and saves me from laundry… 😊

[@medtronicmom]

@@lilyavery8230 I have seen those. Thanks for the tip! I will get some! My flannel shirt is great for winter--but not summer. It is just the only long coverall size shirt I have.

[@rainbowconnected]

Not weird at all. I have chicken shirts and hoodies that I wear over my other clothes. All that dust isn't good for our lungs! I'd highly recommend looking for a long sleeved linen shirt for summer. Linen is awesome for warm weather, so much more breathable. Plus it's naturally antibacterial!

[@medtronicmom]

@@rainbowconnected I hadn't thought of linen. I had thought of using one of my husband's cotton blend dress shirts, but they are still fairly heavy and hot on hot days. I should be able to find some linen things on sale with the weather changing. Thanks!

[@Alluvial.]

I have always had barn clothes and indoor clothes. I change every single time I am going to head for the barn, and I leave the barn clothes hanging in the mud room in between. (That’s not paranoia, that’s EXPERIENCE lolol) If I know there is a current problem I will bag the clothes instead of just hanging them, and wash them even more frequently. I also spray Sawyer permethrin on my shoes and sun hat every 6 weeks- they say even just treating your shoes will totally reduce the number of ticks people pick up outside (I do my hat too because that keeps mosquitos from biting my head and neck!) and it makes sense to me that it would reduce the odds of getting other crawlies on you. I know they sell jackets (and pants!) just made out of mosquito netting, too, which can be treated with permethrin to make a more full-coverage barrier that wouldn’t trap heat as much as flannel. Spraying my clothes/shoes with permethrin freaked me out at first, especially re: how to control overspray and not end up with a patch of random death in my yard! But I cut down an old tarp and it’s my dedicated backdrop now (roll it up in between uses and it keeps overspray away from the innocent. I also spray at night on my porch so all the bees are asleep, and they have no reason to be on my porch anyway. So glad The President emphasized that wet permethrin is deadly to cats. Everything I’ve read agrees it’s safe for them once it’s dried (but I might not trust that if I had beloved cats!).

[@reggankoopmeiners2670]

I did! It was a nightmare, got on my dogs, furniture, my house, and me. Not red mites, but a bird mite similar to NFM. WE FOUGHT FOR MONTHS... ALL MY ANIMAL AND MY HOUSE. it was crazy. Promise I am not a disgusting person and my animals are very well cared for. They came from a sparrow nest. Nightmare!!

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

Omg I’m so sorry!!!

[@jeancoody5993]

How did you discover your mite problem?

[@lisagayhart2482]

I use DE but I have used seven dust on my birds . I just do not if I do not see any mites . I use DE as a preventative

[@huguebegin4274]

hi future chicken owner here and i was wondering where did uou purchase yout permethrin... i tried to find here in montreal ..... impossible to find thx great channel by the way!

[@Alluvial.]

I believe some of the hiking you-tubes (discussing FYI’s re using permethrin to avoid getting ticks out in the woods) have mentioned that the Canadian rules are much stricter than the US rules re sale and use of permethrin products.

[@justinewhite-hadley3138]

Loooooord have Mercy.....mites have been the bain of our existence. We have had the one's that are ON the birds. Not in the coup. We've used permethrin dust, sprays, baths, even vaseline. (The Vaseline worked great to killed any that were alive. I don't know if it prevented hatching. But it also made the girls a mess. Chicken butt, feathers, dirt, Vaseline. 😜) We do chicken checks, as we call it, every couple weeks and literally comb over each girl and use Poultry Spray if need be. Not toxic. We check their vents, heads and legs. In drier weather its the best.

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

We've been dealing with both, roost and fowl mites, at the same freaking time! I'm tripping. We free range since we haven't built much infrastructure yet. What a nightmare! I found stuff that helps, but they never seem to just go away. I dipped the rooster in castor oil. 😅 It seemed to help him, but then he rolled in the dust bath. He was so dirty he looked like pig pen. 😂

[@Deborah-vx2ik]

This is off of the subject...but, I'm looking for a chicken (dog?)crate, like the one behind you. It's sturdy!

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

Do you have a time stamp? I'm not sure which crate you're referring to as I have a few different ones!

[@Deborah-vx2ik]

17:28​@@WelcometoChickenlandia

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

@@Deborah-vx2ik Hmm the video is 17:27 long... Can you double check that?

[@sdoddles4533]

@@WelcometoChickenlandia I bet she means 7:01 or so, there's a wire kennel in that one.

[@Deborah-vx2ik]

Got it backwards... just after you put chick down.... 1:15-1:18. In front of green building.

[@AngieParker-qr5lv]

Do you think if the coop is dusted with food grade DE that that would keep mites away?

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

It helps.

[@iwona4685]

This is a quote from DE group. I wish this controversy was resolved once and for all Admin/Group expert Breathing DE into the lungs Unfortunately people get food grade Diatomaceous Earth mixed up with pool filter crystalline DE and they have no idea what they are talking about so the food grade is demonized with the crystalline silica even though they are both diametrically opposite from each other and not even close to being the same thing at all. One is most healing and the other most harmful. As long as people live they will confuse the two. There is no end to it. If food grade Diatomaceous Earth gets in your lungs they will absorb it and use it but cannot and will not use crystalline silica because it was heated up to over 1800 degrees and purposely made crystalline or calcined in form and is extremely dangerous. While food grade Diatomaceous Earth is completely harmless. This does not mean people should snort it and treat it like it's cocaine. It should be treated with respect like anything else. But perfectly harmless. No one should be inhaling loads of dust in the first place. But if so get some fresh air and relax. Apply it to your animals outside and it's not a big deal. Cancerous or very damaging to lungs is a direct reference to crystalline silica not food grade amorphous silica as the lungs will absorb the silica and remove the rest unless you are a smoker whose cilia is not functioning because of the smoking. Crystalline silica is heated up to over 1800 degrees Fahrenheit to make it crystalline in structure thus non-amorphous silica. Huge difference. I wouldn't allow that stuff anywhere near those I love at all. Even outside my home. What you are doing is comparing cancer to a mineral supplement. There is no comparison. By Kathy Allen I’m going to step out on a limb here and throw some science at this group. I’ve been seeing a lot of confusion about Food Grade DE vs Bug Killing DE vs Swimming pool and industrial cleaners....here’s the truth, easily confirmed with chemistry. Amorphous silica and crystalline silica are chemically different minerals. Amorphous silica is in DE and natural bug killers. Crystalline silica is in pool/ industrial cleaners and can be toxic. It should not be eaten or inhaled. An example is oil....while olive oil and motor oil are in the same family known as oil, one will bathe your skin and joints in beautiful deliciousness, and one will make you sick (unless you are a car) Amorphous silica is safe and healthy to eat, breathe (although any dust can make you cough) roll around in, make a facial, put in the bathtub, brush your teeth with, have a spa day with, rub on your pets and put in smoothies. Crystalline silica can make you sick. Silica is an essential trace mineral no longer found in our diets due to poor soil conditions. Essential by definition means “must be obtained from food” Big Pharma helps perpetuate these myths cuz well...money. DE is cheap, can’t be patented, keeps peeps healthy and strong which cuts into profits. I’ll step off my soapbox now. 🤷🏻‍♀️🔬. I'm a recently retired college prof...my main content area is Human Nutrition and my biggest guilt trip is the dispensing of false/misleading info disguised as science to my students. Big Pharma is in bed with the FDA, USDA, and other government agencies and think tanks. The suppressing of information is real, folks.... Diatomaceous Earth is such an amazing, effective and inexpensive supplement I was literally stunned when I discovered it last year. Companies like Walgreens don't want us using it because the health and beauty benefits are so vast it would put them out of business. I've turned back the clock by a good 20 years using DE both externally and as a dietary supplement. Closest thing to a miracle I've ever seen and costs about 2 bucks a pound. I received an email from Larry Smith, the President of Earthworks, who wanted to clear up the misconception about any dangers of inhaling food grade diatomaceous earth - here’s what he wrote: ‘This is a misunderstanding about food grade DE. There are 2 kinds of DE-food grade and filter grade (used in swimming pool and other filters) Only the filter grade is dangerous to breathe. The “dangerous” part of DE is the amount of crystalline silica that is in it. Filter grade is 65% crystalline silica while food grade is less than 1/10 of 1%! The world health org. has said that diatomaceous earth is safe to breathe as long as the crystalline content is under 2%. Food grade is 20X lower than even that level!!’ So no need to be concerned about any danger associated with using DE for pets, bedding, consumption or anything else - as long as it’s FOOD GRADE!

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

100% agree! I think you would like my blog post and would love to know what you think: welcometochickenlandia.com/uncategorized/i-use-diatomaceous-earth-and-my-chickens-arent-dead/

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

There's that group leader from the chicken group on Facebook shaming everybody who uses de. She prefers poisons and guilts everyone else into it too. I'm not on there anymore or I'd call her out by name.

[@lindalilly5086]

Can they get on your dogs? And be carried in your house, via dog???😮

[@rh5022]

100 chickens no eggs for weeks now moulting time. What will help i don't want to buy eggs

[@lisagayhart2482]

I fed more protein to get those feathers on faster . I sometimes give meat a few times a week

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

My chickens have wanted protein badly! They eat canned cat food (beef), plain yogurt, ground beef, even scrambled eggs 😬 just to keep them laying.

[@CountryKirby.]

Another chicken problem 😂😂

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

Right??? Drama!! 😭😂

[@CobraMeliss]

@@WelcometoChickenlandia I found Captain Jacks Dead Bug Brew at the hardware store. It’s used in organic gardening. It has spinosad in it but it’s way cheaper than Elector PSP.

[@songoftheblackunicorn666]

So what you are saying is that this is the chicken equivalent of bed bugs

[@WelcometoChickenlandia]

Yessss 😭

[@rogueskiss3794]

Serious question: would there ever be a reason to euthanize chickens if the infestation is that bad.

[@theurbanthirdhomestead]

I mean, they can die from it. They can also get better. I had a girl who lost every feather on her back before I figured it out. We're still dealing with the problem, but she's grown her feathers back.