Chicken Red Mites: Diagnosis, Treatment, & Prevention

Chicken Red Mites: Diagnosis, Treatment, & Prevention
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | October 1, 2024
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External parasites are never fun to deal with in the homestead flock. However, red mites are especially annoying since they can live on a chicken and they can live in the chicken coop and enclosure. Red mites have long been considered one of the hardest external parasites to control. But, there are some measures you can take and treatments you can have on hand to make dealing with red mites possible in the homestead flock. While preventing a red mite infestation to start with is always desired, it’s good to have effective treatments as back-up. Let’s take a look at how you can diagnosis red mites in the homestead flock along with ways to treat the mites and prevent red mite infestations.

What are Chicken Red Mites?

Chicken red mites are a species of external parasite that can live both on and off their host. Red mites are one of four common external parasites that commonly infect chickens. They feed off of a chicken’s blood and can cause serious health issues, like anemia and death, if not addressed quickly. Red mites like warm, humid environments. This makes them less of a threat in regions that are cold and dry. However, red mites can still become an issue when the weather warms up or in warm environments, like a brooder or a broody hen.

To identify red mites from other external parasites, you need to know the differences in body shape, color, and number of legs characteristic if each parasite species.

Types of External Chicken Parasites:

• Red Mites– oblong shape, eight legs, pale when young or not feeding, bright red after feeding
• Northern Fowl Mites– dark in color, eight legs, pale in color if young or not feeding, extremely tiny and barely visible to the naked eye
• Scaly Leg Mites– burrowing mite that only infects the legs of a chicken, not visible to the naked eye
• Lice– pale in color, long in shape, six legs, larger than mites

Chickens can get red mites, or any other external parasite, from their environment and other infected birds, including wild birds. If you are introducing new chickens to your flock you will want to inspect them carefully for external parasites. Chickens can also get mites if they are taken off your property and exposed to other birds, such as at poultry swaps or poultry shows. Wild birds and rodents can also spread external parasites.

Red mites spread extremely fast throughout a flock. Once one bird gets red mites, the mites will quickly spread to all the other flock members. However, some birds may have a more serious infestation than others depending on the bird’s hygiene and overall health.

Red mites are one of the only external parasite species that can live both on and off a chicken. They can live for up to 3 weeks without a host and will bury themselves in the cracks and crevices of the coop. However, red mites can only feed and reproduce when they have access to a host. They can stay in the environment or on equipment until they can get back on a living host (a chicken) to feed and reproduce.

Symptoms of Red Mites

Since red mites are so small, they can be hard to catch right away. Carefully watch your flock for signs of an external parasite infestation. Symptoms of an external parasite infestation can be manifested by a chicken’s behavior and appearance.

Symptoms of Red Mites:

• dirty vent feathers
• excessive preening
• pin size holes in flight feathers
• ratty, ragged feathers
• decreased egg production
• smears of blood on the roosts

Excessive preening and dirty vent feathers when a chicken otherwise appears healthy are two significant indicators of a parasite infestation. Chickens will preen more frequently and aggressively as they try to relieve themselves of the itchy, biting mites. Dirty vent feathers can result when the mites lay their egg masses in the vent feathers, which then collect debris and feces on the feathers.

The most common place for mites to live is in the vent feathers. However, as the infestation grows, the mites can move to under the wings and in the head feathers of an infested chicken. Chickens with crest feathers and beards or muffs are especially likely to have mites in their head feathers during an infestation. Mites that live under a chicken’s wings will bite through the feather vanes of the wing feathers. This can cause pin-size holes in the feathers, which can be seen if you fan the chicken’s wing out and backlight it.

Since red mites feed off of a chicken’s blood, smears of blood on the chicken’s skin or on roosts in the coop can be a sign of red mites. When a full red mite gets squished, it will leave a streak of blood on the surface. If you stick a sharp, thin object into the cracks and crevices of the chicken coop and they come out smeared with blood, you know you have squished some red mites.

How to Diagnose Red Mites

The surest way to diagnose a red mite infestation is to look for the parasites themselves. Red mites are very small, but they can still be seen with the naked eye. Mites who have just been feeding will be especially visible since they will be bright red from feeding on the chicken’s blood.

Red mites have a fairly short lifecycle. They live, feed, reproduce, and die all within about 7-10 days. However, a single mite can reproduce a hundredfold even within the short period that they live. Red mites will lay their eggs, called ‘nits’ at the base of a chicken’s feathers. The mites favor areas on the chicken that are warm and hard for the chicken to reach, such as around the vent, under the wings, and in the head feathers. These are the places you should look when inspecting for a red mite infestation.

Where to Look for Mites:

The best place to examine for red mites is around the vent. Securely hold the chicken and part the feathers around, below, and above the vent. You should be able to see patches of skin where you can look for crawling mites. You may also see masses of nits, or eggs, stuck to the bases of the feather follicles. Most chickens will have a bare patch of skin about an inch above the vent where there are no feather tracts. This bare patch of skin is a great place to watch for crawling mites.

You can also take a piece of tape and gently stick it against a patch of bare skin. Gently pull the tape away and see if any mites are attached to the tape. If there are mites on the tape, you can use a microscope or magnifying glass to more accurately identify the species of mite. Red mites may also be present in the chicken coop. They will be the most active at night when they come out to feed on the roosted chickens.

You use the tape method on the roosts to get any mites crawling on the roosts. You can also wipe a piece of white cloth or paper along the roosts and look for blood smears, which indicates you smooshed live red mites.

How to Treat Red Mites

Since red mites live both on and off a chicken, they are one of the most difficult parasites to get rid off. It can be hard to treat every crack and crevice in the chicken coop and enclosure thoroughly enough to kill the parasites. Additionally, a treatment may be effective against the living parasites but ineffective against the nits. Once the nits hatch, they need to be treated as soon as possible before they mature and start reproducing. The cycle can be hard to track and control!

You will want to start treating the red mites as soon as you diagnosis the infestation. The longer an infestation is left untreated, the more serious it will become. Serious red mite infestations can cause a chicken to loose too much blood, become anemic, and die.

There are both natural solutions to a mite infestation and synthetic products you can use to control mites. Which methods you use may depend on the level of infestation you are dealing with. Natural solutions will take longer to work and require more dedicated application. Many synthetic solutions work more quickly, but they too must still be re-applied since they are not effective against un-hatched nits.

Red Mite Treatment Options:

• Diatomaceous Earth
• Garlic Juice
• Permethrin
• Poultry Protector
• Flea & Tick Dips & Sprays
• Spinosad (Elector PSP or Fraxel PSP)

For a deeper dive into how effectively each one of these treatments works, check out my article on How to Treat Northern Fowl Mites. For now, I’ll just mention which treatment I have found to be the most effective against red mites. When my flock had a red mite infestation in the spring, I found Elector PSP (Spinosad) got rid of the mites quickly and thoroughly.

While not completely all-natural, spinosad is a naturally-derived insecticide. It works by killing both the adult mites and the nits, so a second treatment is generally not necessary, although I do a second treatment anyways just to be on the safe side. Elector PSP is safe to use on laying hens, broody hens, and young birds. You will need to treat your entire flock even if you don’t see live mites on all of the birds.

The dilution ratio for treating red mites with Elector PSP is: 3 mL of Elector PSP mixed into 32 oz. of water.

Since red mites can live off of a chicken, the chicken coop and enclosure will need to be treated as well. If the coop is not treated, the mites can hide in cracks and crevices and crawl back on the treated birds, causing a re-infestation.

How to Treat the Coop for Red Mites:

Elector PSP can be sprayed thoroughly in the coop and enclosure as well. Removing the coop litter is technically not necessary when using Elector PSP, but it is a good idea to replace the litter anyways when dealing with a red mite infestation since the mites live both on and off the birds. Clean out the coop, thoroughly wet down the coop with Elector PSP, allow the coop to dry, then put fresh litter back in the coop. You should only have to treat the coop once.

The dilution ratio for treating the chicken coop for red mites with Elector PSP is: 1 oz. Elector PSP per every 2 gallons of water.

External Parasite Treatment Protocols

Applying Dusts:

When applying a mite treatment that is a dust (like diatomaceous earth) you will to individually catch and treat each bird. Put the dust in a container that you can easily use to shake the dust into the chicken’s feathers (I like to use upcycled Redmond sea salt shaker bottles). Focus on dusting the vent feathers, under the wings, and the head feathers. Part the feathers so that the dust can also reach the chicken’s skin. Be careful when using dust treatments around a chicken’s head. Avoid getting the dust in the chicken’s eyes and nostrils and prevent the chicken from breathing in the dust which can cause respiratory issues.

Applying Sprays:

As with dust treatments, spray treatments will need to be applied to each bird individually. You will want to part the feathers and spray the treatment on the chicken’s skin and around the base of the feathers. Focus on the vent feathers, under the wings, and the head feathers. Be liberal with the spray in order for the spray to be effective. The chicken should not be soaked, however the skin and the base of the feathers should be damp. Shake the spray bottle after treating each bird to remix the contents of the spray.

Using Dips:

When using a dip treatment, you will need to be prepared to manage lots of wet birds! Basically, you will be bathing each chicken in the dip treatment. This should be done in a warm location or on a warm, dry, sunny day. You can bath several birds in the same dip solution as long as the dip water looks fairly clean. However, you will want clean rinse water for each bird you bathe. Follow the directions on the bottle for properly diluting the dip treatment in a water bath. After each bird has been bathed, make sure they have a clean, warm, dry area to preen and finish drying.

Treating the Coop:

You can use dust treatments and spray treatments for treating the chicken coop. However, I don’t recommend using dusts in the coop since it will make the litter very dusty and can present a respiratory hazard to your flock. Sprays should be thoroughly applied inside the coop, including the walls, roosts, nesting boxes, flooring, ceiling, and any other surface inside the coop. Pay special attention to cracks and crevices in the coop. In most cases, the litter in the coop should be removed and completely replaced.

Re-Treatment Schedule:

With the exception of Spinosad, all other red mite treatments will need to re-applied 5-7 days after the initial treatment. This is when the nits will start hatching. You want to catch the nits before they fully mature and start reproducing. It is a good idea to check your birds every 2 days after the initial treatment to catch the nits as soon as they hatch. In some cases, a third and fourth treatment may also be necessary depending on the strength of the treatment you choose to use. It is a good idea to check your flock every week for a month after dealing with an infestation. This will allow you to catch any beginning stages of a re-infestation before it gets hard to control.

How to Prevent External Parasites

When it comes to red mites, taking every preventative measure you can is well worth the effort! Thankfully, there are several ways you can prevent exposing your flock to red mites:

• Quarantine New Birds– Quarantine new birds and birds who left your property completely away from your flock. Inspect them thoroughly for external parasites and nits.
• Dust Baths– Make sure your flock has access to a dust bath at all times. Dust bathing is a natural way for chickens to smother external parasites.
• Wild Birds & Rodents Control– Prevent wild birds and rodents from entering the chicken coop and enclosure. Don’t feed the wild birds near your flock’s free-range territory.
• Health Checks– Do monthly health checks and look for signs of external parasites to catch the beginning stages of an infestation before it gets serious.
• Preventative Sprays– You can periodically use preventative sprays or dusts to discourage external parasites from living on your birds. Poultry Protector, garlic juice, and diatomaceous earth can all be used as preventative measures. Save stronger products, like spinosad or permethrin, for treating infestations.
• Garlic– Garlic is a natural supplement you can give your flock once a week. It can help your chickens maintain strong immune systems and may even help make their blood less palatable to external parasites.
• Herbs– Planting insect-repelling herbs around the coop is always a good idea for a healthy coop and enclosure environment. Hang bundles of the herbs in the coop, sprinkle herbs in the nesting boxes, or add herbs to your flock’s dust bath. Insect-repelling herbs include: lavender, mint, oregano, lemon thyme, chives.

Red Mite Prepardness

Red mites are an obnoxious external parasite that can be hazardous to the homestead flock. Dealing with an infestation requires a thorough treatment of your flock and the chicken coop. Red mites can live on and off a chicken, making them one of the hardest external parasites to control. Thankfully, by implementing preventative measures and having an effective parasite treatment on hand, you can be prepared to keep your homestead flock healthy and bug-free. My go-to treatment to have on hand for treating external parasites in the homestead flock is Elector PSP, and it is a good product to have stashed in your homestead poultry first aid kit!

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