The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Housing, Health & Hatching
Frontline for mites and/or lice
Sharon Yorks:
--- Quote from: Beth C on March 16, 2013, 03:10:32 PM ---When I had that bad outbreak I was treating them once a week, then once a month, now I'm down to quarterly.
--- End quote ---
You actually put the Frontline (how much?) on the birds once a week (for how long) and you didn't see any bad effects from it? I am having a terrible time trying to get rid of mites right now. I Frontlined all of my birds twice now and am still seeing signs of them. Yesterday I found scaley leg mites on one of my hens. I just Frontlined 5 drops on all of my birds 17 days ago and 3 weeks before that, plus dusted Sevin, too. Frontline does not appear to be working on my birds. I must have bionic mites here. I'm open to other suggestions. I just bought some Diatomaceous dirt so they can dust themselves, too. I will probably try the Ivermectin next.
Is this what I'm supposed to use and how much: Ivomec® (ivermectin) 1% Injection for Cattle & Swine, 50 ml
As far as the scaly leg, I read that putting Vaseline all over their legs will smother the mites. I coated and rubbed in a lot this morning. I'm going to keep researching this, but I had it on hand so I used it.
Beth C:
--- Quote ---You actually put the Frontline (how much?) on the birds once a week (for how long) and you didn't see any bad effects from it?
--- End quote ---
Oops - should clarify that. I was treating with the UltraShield EX once a week. That was the year Frontline spray was a scarce as diamonds (remember when they changed the design of the bottle and ceased production for what seemed like and eternity?) so I used it very sparingly. What they are resistant to probably varies from one region to the next, but I've found dust to be totally inaffective on mine. DE, Sevin, Bengal dust, same result, just made them easier to see as they continued to crawl around in it days later. >:( I'm still having good luck with Permethrin but sounds like people in other areas are seeing a lot of resistance. That's why I'm so interested in the Spinosad. It's too new for resistance yet, and as an added plus, it's considered organic. But I haven't found any info yet about applying it directly to the birds, only treating their environment.
John:
--- Quote ---I am having a terrible time trying to get rid of mites right now. I Frontlined all of my birds twice now and am still seeing signs of them.
--- End quote ---
Maybe use the Sevin, DE, and whatever in and on every crack and crevice you can find in the coop along with in any straw or hay that they may hide inside off. I use straw on the floors in my coops because it is cheaper than wood shavings, but do use wood shavings with some DE or Sevin in the next boxes that the hens lay in. I also powder the roosts with Sevin. One reason I push for my 100% plastic nest boxes is because wood nest boxes have the "cracks & crevices" that mites and lice hide in until it is safe to climb back up on the birds. Another plastic nest box uses the wall of the chicken coop for its back...a great place for mites to call home. In the old days the farmers would "white wash" the walls to help seal up the wood.
I remember back about 45 years ago visiting the chicken coop at my cousin's place, up near Rose City. Near the coop door (wood barn type lumber), about eye level there was something off-colored and about the size of my hand...as I got closer and studied it I could see it was thousands (?) of itty bitty bugs...lice, mites, I'm not sure but they weren't a pretty site. Kind of like that old Brook Benton song about the Boll Weevil.."lookin' for a home".
Sharon Yorks:
Yikes! My coop is 8x20 and is basically wall-to-wall straw with 11 pens and 17 hen boxes. Talk about cracks and crevices. I guess I'll have to keep the nasty little critters at least whipped back until it warms up some and I can get all of the birds out (for more than just a few hours), strip the coop, and set off a dust bomb. I wonder if they make anything to kill mites like they do fleas with those smoke bomb things. I've heard Malathion is good for killing mites. I'm looking into that, trying to find some and read up on it. Sounds like some strong stuff. I was really hoping the Frontline would work and get the hiding ones when they decided to come out. I know it has helped, just doesn't seem to last very long and I'm a little afraid of using it too often.
Beth C:
--- Quote ---I wonder if they make anything to kill mites like they do fleas with those smoke bomb things.
--- End quote ---
You may be one to something. The flea bombs I got from my vet were rated safe for my parrots as long as I removed them, food & water bowls, etc. same as the dogs & cat, and for the first few months after I put those things off even the pesky house flies were toes up in the window sill. Only thing with a chicken coop would be sealing it up enough for a fogger to work.
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