# White “bugs” on my chicken coop



## Mrybhstn1 (Aug 16, 2021)

Hello! I am new here, and semi-new with chickens. Over the last few days I have seen an accumulation of extremely small white-ish “bugs” crawling all over the framework of my chicken coop. What are they, and how do I get rid of them without harming my ladies?


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

I don’t have experience with those, so hopefully someone else can chime in. I wonder if a spray with some neem oil would work?


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)




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## Mrybhstn1 (Aug 16, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> View attachment 41978


Good thing I need to go to tractor supply today anyway to get dog food. Adding a few more things to my list. Thanks so much!


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Mrybhstn1 said:


> Good thing I need to go to tractor supply today anyway to get dog food. Adding a few more things to my list. Thanks so much!


Someone local at the store might have a recommendation too. Good luck and let me know how it turns out!

Have you had a lot of moisture where you live?


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## Mrybhstn1 (Aug 16, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Someone local at the store might have a recommendation too. Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
> 
> Have you had a lot of moisture where you live?


We have had an exceptionally wet summer this year in Texas. I am positive this has something to do with it.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Mrybhstn1 said:


> We have had an exceptionally wet summer this year in Texas. I am positive this has something to do with it.


Yeah, it looks like something that thrives with moisture.


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## Mrybhstn1 (Aug 16, 2021)

ChickenMom24 said:


> Yeah, it looks like something that thrives with moisture.


It does. Usually by mid-morning they are all gone.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That is the weirdest thing I've ever seen. I even lived in TX for several years and never saw that. 

The neem oil is a good idea. There is also permethrin premise spray.


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## Mrybhstn1 (Aug 16, 2021)

robin416 said:


> That is the weirdest thing I've ever seen. I even lived in TX for several years and never saw that.
> 
> The neem oil is a good idea. There is also permethrin premise spray.


I will try anything to keep my ladies safe and comfortable.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, it's something TSC carries. Can be used on them and is very safe. 

Whatever those are I don't think they're on your birds. Just infesting the structure. I wonder if they are anywhere else.


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## fuzzies (Jul 27, 2021)

These look like mites to me, but I agree that they do not look like fowl mites. You can confirm this by looking at your birds, especially around their vent; they should have bugs actually on them and have flaky, red, inflamed patches around the vent if they have a fowl mite infestation. Fowl mites are usually gray, though, so that's why I'm thinking these are not them.

This reminds me of grain mite infestations I've dealt with in the past. Grain mites originate from infested feed lots, whose feed is then sent out to stores loaded with these mites. The TSCs in my area are horrible for this, and they don't seem to care enough to correct the issue. The mites come out of the feed once they've reproduced too much to be fed off of the amount of feed left, and then they seem to just wander upward to the highest point they can find. Do you notice them especially around the feeders or wherever you store their feed? They could also be mold mites from the wet weather, though those seem to be less common in my experience. Neem oil or DE should discourage them from hanging out in your coop either way. DE turns into a useless paste when wet, so it is best applied by mixing it dry into their bedding, and into their feed if they seem to be grain mites. You'd have to reapply it after every rain if using DE on the outside of your coop.

As a side note, if they do somehow turn out to be fowl mites, DE does next to nothing against fowl mites, so you'd want to look into other treatments for that. I have no experience with neem oil, so I couldn't tell you how well it works in this case.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The permethrins would work, so would pyrethrins. They can be mixed with water to either spray the permise completely or mixed with water to spray the birds. 

Permethrins have a bit longer half life. Pyrethrin becomes ineffective in sun.


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## Mrybhstn1 (Aug 16, 2021)

fuzzies said:


> These look like mites to me, but I agree that they do not look like fowl mites. You can confirm this by looking at your birds, especially around their vent; they should have bugs actually on them and have flaky, red, inflamed patches around the vent if they have a fowl mite infestation. Fowl mites are usually gray, though, so that's why I'm thinking these are not them.
> 
> This reminds me of grain mite infestations I've dealt with in the past. Grain mites originate from infested feed lots, whose feed is then sent out to stores loaded with these mites. The TSCs in my area are horrible for this, and they don't seem to care enough to correct the issue. The mites come out of the feed once they've reproduced too much to be fed off of the amount of feed left, and then they seem to just wander upward to the highest point they can find. Do you notice them especially around the feeders or wherever you store their feed? They could also be mold mites from the wet weather, though those seem to be less common in my experience. Neem oil or DE should discourage them from hanging out in your coop either way. DE turns into a useless paste when wet, so it is best applied by mixing it dry into their bedding, and into their feed if they seem to be grain mites. You'd have to reapply it after every rain if using DE on the outside of your coop.
> 
> As a side note, if they do somehow turn out to be fowl mites, DE does next to nothing against fowl mites, so you'd want to look into other treatments for that. I have no experience with neem oil, so I couldn't tell you how well it works in this case.


Hmmmmm….. I am thinking now that it could be grain mites. I recently switched from all organic feed to a non organic feed. Never had an issue with the organic feed.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It really isn't about the type of feed but how it's stored. And how old is it. Do you check bag dates? Organic should be more prone to mites because it's organic.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Fyi- pure neem.oil is very very strong. Never use full strength need oil on any animals as it will burn them. Neem.oil should always be cut with olive oil so it doesn't burn the skin..  just mix some need oil with olive or coconut oil and then use on animals.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

Actually I think I've seen those in my coop too weirdly, I don't know what they are either.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

In the old days farmers used to spray dilute kerosene but the Neem or permethrins are the modern choice. The mechanism of the kerosene was that it clogged up the breathing apparatus of the bugs' exoskeletons and they die, while being less toxic to the birds than the other poisons they used to use in the bad old days.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> In the old days farmers used to spray dilute kerosene but the Neem or permethrins are the modern choice. The mechanism of the kerosene was that it clogged up the breathing apparatus of the bugs' exoskeletons and they die, while being less toxic to the birds than the other poisons they used to use in the bad old days.


See you really are useful.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> See you really are useful.


Like a Swiss army knife.


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## Mrybhstn1 (Aug 16, 2021)

The combination of diatomaceous earth and the permethrin spray has made the white “bug-things” go away. 😃😃🥳🥳


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Hang on to that spray, chances are you'll need it again.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

Mrybhstn1 said:


> The combination of diatomaceous earth and the permethrin spray has made the white “bug-things” go away. 😃😃🥳🥳


That's great, but like Robin said keep it you might need it later on.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Animals45 said:


> That's great, but like Robin said keep it you might need it later on.


It seems that this is an extreme year due to extreme weather, heat and humidity in many parts of the U.S. It's bad for humans and birds but good for insects.


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## Mrybhstn1 (Aug 16, 2021)

Poultry Judge said:


> It seems that this is an extreme year due to extreme weather, heat and humidity in many parts of the U.S. It's bad for humans and birds but good for insects.


Indeed it is.


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## ChickenMom24 (Feb 14, 2021)

Poultry Judge said:


> It seems that this is an extreme year due to extreme weather, heat and humidity in many parts of the U.S. It's bad for humans and birds but good for insects.


We have been so dry up north we have had an almost mosquito and deerfly free summer, which never happens. Good for humans, but I can’t imagine it is good for the birds dealing with already reduced food sources.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

Poultry Judge said:


> It seems that this is an extreme year due to extreme weather, heat and humidity in many parts of the U.S. It's bad for humans and birds but good for insects.


Oh yes..


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