Insecticide

[Suki]

Anyone try this or something comparable?  Total Mite Kill.  From the UK.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/RUMENCO-LTD-NET-TEX-POULTRY-TOTAL-MITE-KILL-LIQUID-CONCENTRATE-500ml-24451-/400974407851?var=&hash=item5d5befe8ab:m:mEO7zPiIovT4jr2v4Eus9dA

[Cesar Villegas]

Anyone try this or something comparable?  Total Mite Kill.  From the UK.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/RUMENCO-LTD-NET-TEX-POULTRY-TOTAL-MITE-KILL-LIQUID-CONCENTRATE-500ml-24451-/400974407851?var=&hash=item5d5befe8ab:m:mEO7zPiIovT4jr2v4Eus9dA

I use Premethrin 10% diluted from concentrate. I dip my birds and spray the coops, clothes, curtains, bedsheets. It kills everything on contact, and I've never had a problem.


http://www.amazon.com/Martins-Permethrin-10%25-32oz-Quart/dp/B00061MSS0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459205591&sr=8-1&keywords=permethrin+10

[Tailfeathers]

This product looks to be a "natural" vice chemical solution.  I wouldn't personally waste my time or money on it.  I've watched mites literally swim in Permethrin and Pyrethin.  If one does a search on here they can real about my 3yr battle with mites a few years ago.  Since using the Fipronil back then I've never had another recurrence.

[Beth Curran]

I second the fipronil. Another good one is the horse fly spray, UltraShield EX (black bottle). I had such a bad infestation of lice and mites birds were dying and, knock on wood, haven't had a reoccurance since I started alternating these two products.

[Suki]

Dunno fipronil.  I've never tried anything to be honest, but last year ticks were tough with all the rain so I'm thinking of being pro-active.  Thanks everyone for the good information.  Much appreciated.

[Tailfeathers]

For ticks get guineas.  When I first moved onto this place I had ticks on all my critters.  Ain't seen a tick now in years.  Knock on wood...

[Suki]

Thanks for the tip.  But to be honest when the chickens could be totally free, I didn't have any troubles.  They did great insect control, but people complained that they weren't on a leash and so I had to fence the property up into sections, and now in the area they don't visit, it's rather bad.  Oh well, what can you do? 

In the meantime,"Scientists found that fipronil is highly toxic to sea and freshwater fish, and highly toxic to sea and freshwater invertebrates. Two fipronil metabolites were also tested in freshwater fish and invertebrates and were more toxic than fipronil. Also, fipronil was found to be highly toxic to some birds, but practically non-toxic to ducks. Fipronil was also found to be highly toxic to honey bees, but not toxic to earthworms."

I no longer raise bees so that's not a problem, but I'm 100 ft away from the big lake, so I'm passing on that one.  Thanks though.
http://www.npic.orst.edu/factsheets/fipronil.pdf

[Shari Nees]

I unknowingly moved to a heavily tick infested area little over 4 years ago.  So bad, I couldn't walk from my house to the garage on the gravel without getting a tick on me.
Started from scratch with the chickens and as long as I keep at least 38 free ranging around the house and two close pastures, no ticks on the humans or animals, or chickens for that matter.
Chickens are great tick eaters.  Much more quite than Guineas, won't run off like Guineas, sit on the roof of the house like Guineas... LOL 

[Suki]

Well it's true that Ameraucanas won't fly to your roof, though I did have one that did, for the most part they don't though I have a few boys that fly pretty high in the trees.  Now Swedish Flower Hens or Icelandics are another story.  Glad to hear though that you too are a fan of the chicken as bug eater.  when I was allowed to have my birds go totally unleashed, we could bbq without a bite.  Now right before the weekend, i let them out that Sat morning to do what they can so it does help some.

Brownie.

[Shari Nees]

I have horses, sheep, goats...etc...  so I had to fence.  I dealt with Bears, Cougars, Bobcats(they wiped out 21 years of d'Uccle breeding) packs of coyotes....etc.  In NW Oregon.   DH got tired of running out in the middle of the night with the Shot Gun, so we build fence to keep most things out.

Here, it's packs of hunting dogs.  I am using Cattle panels with many lines of hot wire with a predator rated charger. 
Have two very grumpy turkey hens, that do not like strange things in their pastures and a family of crows to keep the hawks at bay.

  None of mine seem interested in flying any where, which is nice.

[Lance Capozella]

Dunno fipronil.  I've never tried anything to be honest, but last year ticks were tough with all the rain so I'm thinking of being pro-active.  Thanks everyone for the good information.  Much appreciated.

I use Frontline spray which contains some fipronil but only use it when I notice a problem.  It seems to work and within only a week of applying the bugs are gone.  I wouldn't recommend doing it on a regular basis because of the chemicals.