6 Best Poultry Mite Treatments For Organic Farms Old Farmers Swear By
Combat poultry mites organically with 6 time-tested remedies. Discover how seasoned farmers use natural solutions for a healthy, chemical-free flock.
There’s a particular feeling you get when you pick up a hen and see those tiny, crawling specks near her vent. It’s a mix of frustration and urgency, a clear sign that poultry mites have moved in. Ignoring them isn’t an option; a small mite problem can quickly spiral, impacting egg production, causing anemia, and stressing your entire flock.
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Spotting Mites: Early Signs in Your Flock
You’ll rarely see the mites themselves at first. Instead, you’ll see the evidence they leave behind. Look for birds that are scratching more than usual, seem agitated on the roost at night, or have feathers that look ragged and broken, especially around the vent and under the wings.
A tell-tale sign is a change in behavior. A happy laying hen might suddenly stop using her favorite nesting box or reduce her egg production altogether. You might also notice paler-than-normal combs and wattles, which is a classic symptom of anemia caused by blood-feeding mites. Before you even try to find a mite, check the underside of your roosting bars in the morning. A fine, grey, ash-like substance is a sure sign of a northern fowl mite infestation.
Catching an infestation early is the difference between a simple dusting and a full-scale coop clean-out and treatment cycle. Make it a habit to do a quick flock inspection every few days. A quick look at their legs, a check of the roosts, and observing their general disposition will tell you almost everything you need to know.
Harris Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Dusting
Get 4lbs of HARRIS Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, a natural product with no additives, OMRI listed for organic use. Includes a powder duster for easy application.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is the first line of defense for many poultry keepers, and for good reason. This fine powder is made of fossilized microscopic algae whose sharp edges are harmless to chickens but lethal to mites. It works by physically scratching the mite’s exoskeleton and causing it to dehydrate and die.
When using DE, it is absolutely crucial to use only food-grade products. The DE used for pool filters is chemically treated and dangerous for animals to inhale or ingest. For application, you can work it into the bedding, add it to their dust bathing areas, or apply it directly to the birds. If dusting a chicken, be gentle and focus on the areas under the wings and around the vent, taking great care to avoid their eyes and respiratory system. A mask for you is a good idea, too.
DE is more of a preventative and a treatment for minor issues. It’s not a fast-acting solution for a heavy infestation because it doesn’t kill on contact. However, its persistent presence in the coop creates an inhospitable environment that helps keep mite populations from ever getting established in the first place.
The Old-Timer’s Fix: Using Hardwood Ash
Long before you could buy treatments in a bag, farmers used what they had. Clean, cool hardwood ash from a wood stove or fireplace is one of the most effective, time-tested mite treatments available. Like DE, it works by desiccating mites, but it also clogs their breathing spiracles.
The key is the source. The ash must come from plain, untreated hardwood only. Never use ash from charcoal briquettes, pressure-treated wood, or garbage fires, as these contain toxic chemicals that can harm your flock. Chickens will instinctively dust bathe in it, so the easiest way to use it is to add a shovelful to their favorite dusting spot.
This method costs nothing if you already heat with wood. It’s a perfect example of a closed-loop system on a small farm, turning a waste product into a valuable tool for animal health. While it won’t knock down a severe infestation on its own, incorporating it into your coop management is a powerful preventative measure.
Dyna-Gro Pure Neem Oil for Coop & Roosts
Neem oil is a botanical extract that works wonders on the coop environment itself. It’s not a contact killer but rather a growth regulator and repellent. When mites come into contact with it, it disrupts their hormonal systems, preventing them from molting and reproducing.
The best way to use neem oil is to target the places where mites hide during the day. Mix pure, cold-pressed neem oil with water and a little bit of natural soap (which acts as an emulsifier to help the oil and water mix). Spray this solution thoroughly on roosts, into cracks in the walls, and inside nesting boxes. This hits the mite population where it lives, rather than just treating the birds.
Be prepared for the smell—it’s strong and often described as a nutty, garlicky scent. It’s best to apply it in the morning after the chickens have left the coop for the day, allowing it to air out. Neem oil is a fantastic tool for breaking the mite life cycle within the coop’s structure, making it a critical part of an integrated pest management plan.
Elector PSP: A Powerful Organic-Approved Spray
Sometimes, an infestation gets ahead of you. When you’re facing a severe mite problem that is visibly harming your flock, you may need to bring in a more powerful, fast-acting solution. Elector PSP is a go-to for many organic farmers because its active ingredient, spinosad, is derived from a naturally occurring soil bacterium.
This is a treatment you dilute with water and spray directly onto the birds, ensuring you get good coverage around the vent and under the wings. It kills mites quickly and has the significant advantage of also killing their eggs, which is essential for breaking the life cycle in one or two applications. Unlike many treatments, there is no egg withdrawal period, which is a huge benefit for small operations.
The primary tradeoff is the cost. Elector PSP is significantly more expensive than other options on this list. However, for a severe infestation where the health and welfare of your birds are at risk, its effectiveness and speed can make it a worthwhile investment. Always double-check with your specific organic certifier before use if you are a commercial operation.
Manna Pro Poultry Protector Herbal Dust Bath
If you prefer a ready-made solution, products like Manna Pro’s Poultry Protector offer a convenient way to create a pest-resistant dust bath. These products typically combine DE with pest-repelling herbs like peppermint, thyme, and lemongrass. It’s a simple and effective way to enhance your flock’s natural desire to dust bathe.
This approach is best used as a preventative measure. Sprinkling it in the coop, nesting boxes, and dust bathing areas creates a constantly hostile environment for mites. The chickens do the work for you, coating themselves in the protective dust as they go about their daily routine.
Think of this as a tool for maintenance, not for eradication. It won’t clear up a heavy infestation on its own, but it’s an excellent way to keep mite populations low and prevent small problems from becoming big ones. For busy hobby farmers, the convenience of a pre-mixed, balanced product can be a real time-saver.
DIY Garlic Juice Spray for Direct Application
For a targeted, natural repellent you can make in your own kitchen, a simple garlic spray is surprisingly effective. Garlic contains sulfur compounds that are repellent to mites and other ectoparasites. It’s particularly useful for dealing with scaly leg mites, which burrow under the scales on a chicken’s legs.
To make it, simply crush several cloves of garlic and let them steep in a quart of water for a day. You can add a few drops of a mild oil or soap to help it stick. Strain the liquid into a spray bottle and apply it directly to your birds’ legs, vents, and other affected areas.
This is not a cure-all. A garlic spray is a repellent and irritant to mites, not a fast-acting poison. It works best as a supplemental treatment used in conjunction with other methods. Its main benefit is that it’s completely safe, cheap, and can be used frequently to make your birds less attractive hosts for pests.
Combining Treatments for Long-Term Control
The most important lesson old-timers know is that there is no single magic bullet for mite control. A lasting solution always involves a multi-pronged approach that targets mites on the bird, in the bedding, and in the structure of the coop itself. Relying on just one method is a recipe for a recurring problem.
A successful strategy involves breaking the mite life cycle, which is typically about a week long. This means you need to be persistent.
- On the Bird: Use a direct application like a garlic spray or a careful dusting with DE. For severe cases, use Elector PSP.
- In the Environment: Treat the roosts and cracks with a neem oil spray.
- In the Bedding/Dust Bath: Maintain a constant defense by mixing hardwood ash or a product like Poultry Protector into their dust bath and coop litter.
The goal is to create overlapping fields of defense. A deep clean of the coop followed by a spray-down with neem oil, combined with providing a DE-and-ash dust bath for the flock, hits the mites from every angle. This integrated approach is the only way to move from constantly reacting to mite problems to proactively preventing them.
Mites are an inevitable challenge in keeping poultry, but they don’t have to be a crisis. By learning to spot the early signs and using a combination of these proven, practical treatments, you can keep your flock healthy, happy, and productive. Vigilance and a multi-layered defense are your best tools.
