Mites in shavings???

[KrisCVT]

I didn’t even realize I had mites until I noticed some on eggs in the nesting boxes (just milk crates). My normal routine- Poop gets scooped daily, full change of bedding every 10-14 days. I sprinkle DE in the crevices.
After finding mites- I checked a couple birds- no one is showing signs other than a couple dirty bums. I could find the occasional mite on the birds I checked.
So I :
-Gave each bird a bum bathe, and dusted them with permethrin powder.
- cleaned out coop, shop vacuumed the interior, sprayed down with Ultrashield equine spray, let coop dry for about 4 hours
-filled crevices, corners, cracks with permethrin powder.
-refilled with new shavings, new layer mats in nesting boxes. Sprinkled more powder in boxes.

then today, I take 2 eggs out and set them in shavings on floor of coop for a minute- they get mites crawling on them immediately!! Put my hand in the shavings- same outcome! WTH??
Are these red mites in the shavings? What do I do now??

 

[DobieLover]

I didn’t even realize I had mites until I noticed some on eggs in the nesting boxes (just milk crates). My normal routine- Poop gets scooped daily, full change of bedding every 10-14 days. I sprinkle DE in the crevices.
After finding mites- I checked a couple birds- no one is showing signs other than a couple dirty bums. I could find the occasional mite on the birds I checked.
So I :
-Gave each bird a bum bathe, and dusted them with permethrin powder.
- cleaned out coop, shop vacuumed the interior, sprayed down with Ultrashield equine spray, let coop dry for about 4 hours
-filled crevices, corners, cracks with permethrin powder.
-refilled with new shavings, new layer mats in nesting boxes. Sprinkled more powder in boxes.

then today, I take 2 eggs out and set them in shavings on floor of coop for a minute- they get mites crawling on them immediately!! Put my hand in the shavings- same outcome! WTH??
Are these red mites in the shavings? What do I do now??

Wow. You did everything correct with the permethrin.

Do you still have any of the new shavings you put in after the clean out that you could check? I assume that you sprayed the nest boxes with permethrin too? How soon after the cleanout did you find mites on the eggs? You do have to repeat the entire cleanout/spray and rebed 10 days after the first one to kill all the mites that hatch from the eggs that don't get killed with permethrin.

Have you looked into trying Elector PSP? It's very pricey but the reviews on it are great. and it will kill the eggs too. When I do my annual cleanout, I'm going to spray the entire thing down with it along with the birds just as a preventive measure.

 

[Nigel27]

Sounds like they’re in you shavings, where do your shavings come from?

 

[KrisCVT]

Shavings came from Tractor Supply- the flake version in the plastic bag. It’s literally the only kind I’ve used in 6 years of owning chickens. Of course this was the bottom 1/4 of the bag that I used up so I don’t have anything to compare to. The bale was open for less than a month and stored in my garage.
I did sprinkle permethrin in the nest boxes. I found mites again literally 24 hours later (I did the whole clean out yesterday).
I might suck it up and buy the elector. Also thinking about painting the interior of my coop and caulking everything.

 

[Nigel27]

Mites blow

 

[Millelau000]

I am having the same issue! Ugh they seem to have gotten significantly worse worse in the last 3 weeks I'm wondering if this is just a bad spring with perfect conditions? My chickens look wonderful and healthy. But it seems like after cleaning the coop it was almost worse. We have Northern fowl mites.

 

[Riv-6]

Shavings came from Tractor Supply- the flake version in the plastic bag. It’s literally the only kind I’ve used in 6 years of owning chickens. Of course this was the bottom 1/4 of the bag that I used up so I don’t have anything to compare to. The bale was open for less than a month and stored in my garage.
I did sprinkle permethrin in the nest boxes. I found mites again literally 24 hours later (I did the whole clean out yesterday).
I might suck it up and buy the elector. Also thinking about painting the interior of my coop and caulking everything.

How is it going with the mites? Personally, the elector PSP did not work for me. What worked for me was spraying the whole coop with Permectin solution once a week for 3 weeks. I dusted the birds one time as well.

I haven't had a problem since (knock on wood) but will be taking preventative measures this early when I do a spring cleaning.

 

[KrisCVT]

How is it going with the mites? Personally, the elector PSP did not work for me. What worked for me was spraying the whole coop with Permectin solution once a week for 3 weeks. I dusted the birds one time as well.

I haven't had a problem since (knock on wood) but will be taking preventative measures this early when I do a spring cleaning.

Still there. I’m out of permethrin dust and need to buy more. I find mites on some eggs each day- I have a broody chicken currently so I’m assuming she’s a culprit. Weather has been uncooperative (pouring rain now below freezing again) but I’m hoping to clear everything out and retreat this weekend. All my hens are healthy, eating, laying and look great but the thought of mites creeps me out. I feel like I have the creepy crawlies after doing anything in the coop. Good to know about the Elector- I was about to dish out the $$ to buy it.

 

[Riv-6]

Still there. I’m out of permethrin dust and need to buy more. I find mites on some eggs each day- I have a broody chicken currently so I’m assuming she’s a culprit. Weather has been uncooperative (pouring rain now below freezing again) but I’m hoping to clear everything out and retreat this weekend. All my hens are healthy, eating, laying and look great but the thought of mites creeps me out. I feel like I have the creepy crawlies after doing anything in the coop. Good to know about the Elector- I was about to dish out the $$ to buy it.

Yes, the creepy crawlies part is the worst. Im sorry to hear you are having a hard time with them.

You will want to use the solution, not the dust to treat the whole coop. Many people have had success with the Elector but it was not working for me. Once use with the permethrin spray and I had dead mites all over the next morning. I continued with 2 more treatments to kill anymore that had hatched since it does not kill eggs.

Here is a great thread on the dilution for the permethrin:

Thread 'Permethrin Dilution' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/permethrin-dilution.1448295/

 

[chicken1234]

I used 1cc ivermec pour on for the big girls and 1/2cc for bantams then repeated in 10 days. Cleaned out everyone twice and dusted everything with DE. It cured leg mites. Dirty bums can be a sign of mites or lice. they lay eggs at the base of the feathers. I use the ivermec on my goats as well. Down the top line. Had good luck with it here. I wonder how the shavings got contaminated?!