# questions about mites



## dragonlover1 (Feb 2, 2018)

Okay so we have free range chooks,but we want to put our snakes on the grass.My son is worried the chicken mites will infect our snakes.We have had problems with mites before.
Are they the same thing or is there no problem?


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 2, 2018)

As far as I know, your chicken mites would only affect your birds if you have any, not your reptiles.

Spray your chooks with a garlic juice mixture, it has a 100% kill rate... (on the mites) not your chooks.


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## bluedragon (Feb 2, 2018)

Aussiepride83 said:


> As far as I know, your chicken mites would only affect your birds if you have any, not your reptiles.
> 
> Spray your chooks with a garlic juice mixture, it has a 100% kill rate... (on the mites) not your chooks.


thanks for the tip garlic juice never heard of it but yea my chickens are infested with them might try it


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 2, 2018)

bluedragon said:


> thanks for the tip garlic juice never heard of it but yea my chickens are infested with them might try it



*Garlic Juice Spray*
Garlic juice spray may be used to control northern fowl mites.

To make garlic juice spray, peel cloves from one head of garlic and crush them in a garlic press or whirl them in a food processor. Drain out the juice by pressing the pulp into a mesh strainer over a bowl. To remove small bits of pulp that get through the strainer and might clog your sprayer, strain the juice through a piece of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter. One head of garlic should yield about ¼ cup of juice. Combine ¼ cup (about 55 mL) of garlic juice with 2¼ cups (500 mL) of water to make a 10 percent garlic juice spray.

To control northern fowl mites, apply the spray to the affected chicken’s vent weekly for 3 weeks, and thereafter as needed to maintain control. If fresh spray irritates the skin around a chicken’s vent, age the spray a couple of days before using it.


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## bluedragon (Feb 2, 2018)

can u spray the chicken feathers and body


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 2, 2018)

bluedragon said:


> can u spray the chicken feathers and body


Yeah you can, I would try to not get it in their eyes though.
[doublepost=1517575741,1517575573][/doublepost]You can put crushed garlic cloves in their drinking water too at the rate of 4 cloves/gallon.

Also, get some Diatomaceous Earth and sprinkle it around everywhere in your chicken's coop. That'll kill them on the ground quick smart.





Diatomaceous Earth (pronounced: di-a-tom-aye-shus) is a extraordinary poultry product that many chicken lovers are buying by the truckload! In an eggshell, food grade Diatomaceous Earth is finely ground and processed fossilized algae, otherwise known as diatoms, which essentially helps eradicate nasty parasites like mites, lice and worms from your flock’s plumage or digestive system. To use Diatomaceous Earth simply dust it around the inside of the coop, perches and nesting boxes or mix it through your flock’s chicken feed to reap the excellent benefits. You will soon find the Diatomaceous Earth helps prevents mites, lice and worms, neutralises “fowl” odours, repels ants from the coop, as well as boosting the overall health and well being of your flock. Also, Diatomaceous Earth can be used to help protect other pets like cats, rabbits and guinea pigs from any nasty creepy crawlies that might be lurking in your backyard.


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## bluedragon (Feb 2, 2018)

thanks ive got a whyandotte rooster thats why i want to get rid of the mites hes young but this is what he is going grow up to be i dont know if its true but apparently the mites destroy feathers


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 3, 2018)

bluedragon said:


> thanks ive got a whyandotte rooster thats why i want to get rid of the mites hes young but this is what he is going grow up to be i dont know if its true but apparently the mites destroy feathers


That is a nice looking rooster! Yeah mate, mites are easily eradicated and controlled.


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## Foozil (Feb 3, 2018)

Aussiepride83 said:


> Yeah you can, I would try to not get it in their eyes though.


Just get a pair of these bad boys for your feathered friend:


**yes, they are aviator goggles, but they still work**


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## pinefamily (Feb 3, 2018)

Spray the coop and nesting boxes as well when you spray your chooks, DL. And change all the bedding/straw/etc.
Get hold of the book, "Happy Hens". It's full of good ideas and tips. It's put out by the ABC, but I borrowed it from the library.


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## Bluetongue1 (Feb 3, 2018)

Brilliant looking fowl there.
Just to reaffirm, bird lice are entirely different to snake mite and will definitely not infest your reptiles. 

I have heard good things about the garlic spray, but you will need to repeat it as it does not have a long-lasting residual effect. I don’t know how often though. Garlic spray is also available commercially as a plant insecticide/repellent. Wormwood (Artemisia sp.) or chrysanthemums are great mite/lice repellents. Use some at base of nest boxes and hang bouquets over roosts.

You can also get commercial sprays which have a residual insect growth inhibitor which lasts about 6 weeks.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 3, 2018)

Garlic juice spray should be administered once/week, repeatedly weekly.


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 3, 2018)

bird mites can be killed off using "Pestene"
[doublepost=1517637224,1517637093][/doublepost]


bluedragon said:


> thanks for the tip garlic juice never heard of it but yea my chickens are infested with them might try it


garlic spray is also handy in the garden to get rid of bugs


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## bluedragon (Feb 3, 2018)

there is another way which i will not do because this is old my dads dad used to spray petrol on them and it will kill all the mites but this was back 50 years ago but it worked but yea weve got lease dangerous ways and specifically formulated sprays so dont try it this was when there wasn't natural ideas and formula sprays


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 3, 2018)

bluedragon said:


> there is another way which i will not do because this is old my dads dad used to spray petrol on them


Hahaha next minute he tosses his cigarette butt and lunch is served. BBQ chicken.


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 3, 2018)

Aussiepride83 said:


> Hahaha next minute he tosses his cigarette butt and lunch is served. BBQ chicken.


I once had to rescue a neighbour who was spraying petrol as a weed killer down the side of her house,BUT she had forgotten about the pilot light on the water heater.
WHOOSHKA up in flames,I jumped up on my bbq and dragged her over the fence.What a nightmare,,she was never the same again,hospital stuffed up her meds.Poor woman never recovered .


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Feb 4, 2018)

dragonlover1 said:


> I once had to rescue a neighbour who was spraying petrol as a weed killer down the side of her house,BUT she had forgotten about the pilot light on the water heater.
> WHOOSHKA up in flames,I jumped up on my bbq and dragged her over the fence.What a nightmare,,she was never the same again,hospital stuffed up her meds.Poor woman never recovered .


Gee mate, that's awful. I can't imagine much worse than being burned by fire. I'm always horrified by scenes of wildlife like koalas and wombats etc trying to escape/outrun a bush-fire.


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## pinefamily (Feb 4, 2018)

One of my mate's dad starts his weber kettle with kero. The chicken sticks sure tasted funny.


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## Bluetongue1 (Feb 4, 2018)

Yuk! Not not a nice choice at all. I think I'd be busy for those dinner invitations in the future. 
If he's too impatient to use newspaper and has to use an accelerant, good ol' metho (aka alcohol) is a much better option. It evaporates quickly and the additives put into stop people drinking it do likewise, at about the same temperatures so that it cannot be easily distilled to remove them.


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## dragonlover1 (Feb 4, 2018)

pinefamily said:


> One of my mate's dad starts his weber kettle with kero. The chicken sticks sure tasted funny.


did he pour the kero over the chicken sticks? lol
My mothers second husband did something similar,had a Weber put the fuel over the beads didn't wait for them to burn in properly ,put the plastic snags straight on top---blggh worst BBQ ever


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