— POULT MMT 
how to control them 
Poultry mites retard the growth of poultry, 
lower vitality, damage plumage, and reduce egg 
production. Fowls heavily infested by mites 
sometimes die. 
Mites reproduce rapidly, especially in sum- 
mer, when tremendous numbers may occur. 
They are spread from yard to yard in infested 
crates and coops, and by poultry and wild birds. 
Persons who work with infested poultry may 
carry mites on their clothing. 
Mites most commonly found on poultry are 
the chicken mite (or roost mite) , the northern 
fowl mite,’ the scaly-leg mite,’ the depluming 
mite,‘ and chiggers.° The adult mites are 14, 
to 44) inch long. 
Several insecticides are used in controlling 
poultry mites. They are used in dusts, sprays, 
roost paints, dips, and ointments. A dust is 
ready for use when purchased. A spray, roost 
paint, or dip is made by mixing an emulsifiable 
concentrate or wettable powder with water. 
Apply sprays with a small power sprayer or 
a garden-type compressed-air sprayer. If you 
apply a wettable-powder spray with a com- 
pressed-air sprayer, agitate the liquid fre- 
quently to keep the powder in suspension in 
the spray mixture... . For treating small 
surfaces, such as a roost, use a paintbrush and 
acan. ... Use a rotary-type hand duster for 
dusting an entire flock. 
The insecticide to use, its strength, and the 
method of applying it depend on the kind of 
mite to be controlled. 
Do not depend on an insecticide to do the 
whole job. Eliminate hiding places by remov- 
ing loose boards and rubbish. Use roosts and 
nests of the knock-down type: they are easy to 
clean and easy to treat with an insecticide. 
Provide good ventilation in the poultry house. 
CHICKEN MITE 
Chicken mites attach themselves to poultry 
during the night and suck blood. During the 
day they hide in cracks of poultry houses and 
coops. Their excrement looks like a salt-and- 
4 Knemidokoptes gallinae. 
5 Eutrombicula alfreddugesi. 
1 Dermanyssus gallinae. 
2 Bdellonyssus sylviarum. 
3 Knemidokoptes mutans. 
pepper mixture. If you examine cracks, you 
may see masses of mites, their eggs, and the 
silvery skins cast by the immature mites. 
Females require a blood meal before laying 
eggs. Under favorable conditions, eggs hatch 
and mites mature in about 10 days. Several 
generations a month are produced in the sum- 
mer. In winter the mites develop more slowly, 
and may be dormant in northern regions that 
are exceptionally cold. 
In heavily infested coops, fowls have pale 
combs and wattles. They become droopy and 
weak and are more susceptible to other parasites 
and to diseases. Some fowls die. 
Control 
Use a 2.5-percent DDT spray or a 0.5-percent 
lindane spray. Apply it to roosts, nests, and 
inside wall surfaces. Pay particular attention 
to cracks and rough spots. A second applica- 
tion may be necessary in 10 to 14 days. 
Lindane or malathion, applied at 1-percent 
strength, can be used as aroost paint. One pint 
of paint will cover about 150 feet of roost. The 
insecticide on the roosts kills mites crawling to 
the chickens, and the fumes kill mites that are 
already on the chickens. 
The percentage of insecticide in commercial 
preparations of wettable powders and emulsifi- 
able concentrates varies. The chart below shows 
how to prepare a 0.5-percent spray. (To make 
PREPARING A 0.5-PERCENT SPRAY 
Amount of product to 
Purchased mix with water 
product = 
With 5 gallons With 1 gallon 
Wettable powder: 
20-percent______- 1 pound 1 ounce | 3% ounces 
25-percent_______ 13 ounces 2% ounces 
50-percent______- 6% ounces 14% ounces 
75-percent______- 44% ounces 1 ounce 
Emulsifiable con- 
centrate: 
20-percent-_____-- 2 cupfuls 6% tablespoonfuls 
25-percent_______ 1% cupfuls 5 tablespoonfuls 
50-percent______- 3%4 cupful 2% tablespoonfuls 
75-percent______- 14 cupful 1% tablespoonfuls 
