Chicken mites

About Poultry mites

Poultry mites (chicken mites) are parasites of chickens that breed up rapidly under warm, humid conditions. They cause the birds great distress and are also able to bite humans.

Poultry mite symptoms

Symptoms include unkempt feathers, obvious irritation, general malaise of the poultry, reduced appetite and a drop in egg production.

How to manage poultry mites

  • Clean your chicken coop regularly
  • Replace bedding with fresh material (including in nesting boxes)
  • Allow the birds to access dust as self-dusting is a strategy they use to protect themselves

Treatment options for Poultry mites

Introduce Hypoaspis mites according to the number of birds and the severity of infestation (refer our technical sheet on Hypoaspis for poultry)

Solutions

Hypoaspis miles predatory mite (Photo: Denis Crawford)

Hypoaspis for poultry

Hypoaspis mites are aggressive natural predators that help to suppress poultry mites in chicken coops.