How do you get rid of chicken mites? Here is all you need to know.
Chicken mites aren’t unique to chickens but also infest birds like ducks, turkeys, guineas, and geese.
As expected, these tiny parasites cause discomfort ranging from irritation, itchiness, and swelling. One thing that makes these mites especially problematic is their ability to affect humans.
How to Get Rid of Mites on Chicken
To get rid of the problem, you’ll need to figure out several things, including symptoms, treatment strategies, and prevention.
If you think your chickens have this problem, you may want to find urgent solutions to the issues. Here, you’ll find tips on all of that.
Symptoms of Chicken Mites
When faced with a pest problem such as this, it’s necessary to look for common signs to apply appropriate treatment techniques carefully.
Chickens or birds with mite problems are likely to itch more. You’ll notice this by frequent scratching, which tends to be much more than usual.
Pale comb, feather loss, tiny red or brown specks in nesting boxes and on bodies, a decrease in appetite, and a decrease in egg production are signs you’ll notice.
More signs include raised leg scales, a dirty look for birds with lighter feathers, lethargy, and even death.
Chicken Mite Control Guide
Chicken mites can be gotten rid of using a variety of treatment approaches.
You might want to start by calling for professional help. Other control techniques include natural remedies like garlic, apple cider vinegar, dawn dish soap spray, diatomaceous earth, and frequent coop cleaning.
Neem oil treatments have also been effective in combating chicken mite problems. Asides from active treatment strategies, preventive control can also be adapted for chicken mite control.
Let’s discuss each of these points.
i. Calling for Professional Help
Professional help with chicken mite treatments is among the most reliable options available.
This requires calling the attention of a veterinarian. These pros are trained and experienced in diagnosing and providing treatment to livestock.
You’ll surely need such help for your chicken flock to keep them in good health. Pay close attention to the assessment results and recommended treatments are essential.
Also critical is the need to pay close attention to advice on adopting preventive measures to keep your chickens mite-free.
ii. Garlic Treatment for Chicken Mites
Using garlic for chicken mite control is one natural alternative you can try out.
This has been tried and found effective against various pests, including mites. The compounds contained give it the pest repellent effect it’s known for. So, how does one use garlic to get rid of chickens?
This objective can be achieved by adding it to chicken drinking water or making a garlic spray. To add garlic to drinking water, you’ll need to crush about 3 to 4 cloves into a gallon of water.
This treatment can be repeated twice a week until results are seen.
After applying garlic to water, have the water replenished when it’s finished, but this time without the garlic. Wait for two days before repeating the treatment.
Its (garlic) juice will be needed to make a garlic spray. A tablespoon of garlic juice should be added to 10 oz of water. To this solution, you may add a tablespoon of cinnamon or lavender.
Mix and pour into a spray bottle.
Now have your mixture sprayed on your chicken. You’ll need to raise its feathers when applying to ensure it touches its skin. Also, spread around the neck region too.
Repeat treatment each day for about two weeks. The results should be noticeable by this time.
iii. Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Chicken Mites
With apple cider vinegar, a powerful spray for chicken mites can be made.
This is applied to these chickens, and other surfaces like floors, roosting bars, nest boxes, and walls are also treated with the spray product. To make this spray, you only need to mix equal amounts of water and apple cider vinegar.
When applying directly to chicken, target the skin while spraying on chicken feathers. For your apple cider vinegar spray to get the job done, push back the chicken feathers to allow for contact with the skin when spraying.
In some cases (especially in the warmer months), chickens are dipped in apple cider vinegar baths.
iv. Dawn Dish Soap Treatment
Make a solution containing 10 oz water and a teaspoon of dawn dish soap. Mix and empty into a spray bottle.
Armed with this repellent, have the contents sprayed on your chicken(s). This should be done while pulling back the feather to allow for better penetration or drenching.
v. Diatomaceous Earth Treatment
Food-grade diatomaceous earth is a powerful ally you can use in your fight against chicken mites. This fine powdery-looking substance is sharp and tears the bodies of chicken mites, causing them to die by dehydration.
Diatomaceous earth will cause no damage or harm to your chickens.
So, have this sprinkled on their body or extend treatment to the coop. This slowly takes its toll on ridding all chicken mites. You may have to apply multiple times for this treatment to take full effect.
vi. Frequent Coop Cleaning
Once in a while, have your bird’s free range for a day while cleaning their coop.
A thorough cleanup will require clearing the floor, washing it, or scrubbing with soapy water and rinsing. This cleanup helps rid your coop of chicken mites.
vii. Neem Oil Treatment
This essential oil has been found helpful in eliminating pests like chicken mites.
It disrupts the lifecycle of different bugs, including chicken mites. To prepare your neem oil spray, mix equal parts water & apple cider vinegar. To this solution, add two teaspoons of neem oil.
Now have the coop sprayed with this mixture. Also, treat chickens with this spray. Before treatment, it’s necessary to seek the professional opinion of a veterinarian.
This helps with better treatment.
viii. Preventive Control
In the points discussed above, we’ve mentioned some preventive strategies that help keep chicken mites at bay.
These include coop cleaning. Other strategies you can adopt include avoiding flock contact with other birds and having a dust bath for fast relief from chicken mites.
Getting rid of chicken mites doesn’t have to be complicated. We’ve seen the different ways to go about this. All you have to do is get to work by carefully implementing your preferred strategy.
