Ever had that creepy-crawly feeling after visiting your chicken coop? You’re not alone! As someone who’s raised backyard chickens for years, I’ve dealt with my fair share of unwelcome hitchhikers. Chicken mites are one of those pesky problems that can make both your chickens and you miserable. But how long can these tiny terrors actually survive on human hosts? Let’s dig into the nitty-gritty details.
What Are Chicken Mites Anyway?
Before we talk about how long these pests can live on humans, it’s important to understand what we’re dealing with. Chicken mites are tiny arthropods (related to ticks and spiders) that belong to the Arachnida class. They’re not insects, despite their insect-like appearance.
The most common types that might bother your backyard flock include
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Red Mites (Chicken Mites/Roost Mites): These nocturnal bloodsuckers live in the coop and feed on chickens at night. They’re about 1mm in size and appear red when full of blood.
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Northern Fowl Mites These mites spend their entire lives on chickens usually within their feathers. A serious infestation can cause chickens to lose up to 6% of their blood daily!
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Scaly Leg Mites These burrow under the skin of your chicken’s legs and feet causing thickened scales and irritation.
Can Chicken Mites Live on Humans? For How Long?
Here’s the good news: most chicken mites cannot live on humans for long periods.
Different sources provide slightly different timelines, but the consensus is:
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Northern Fowl Mites: These mites aren’t interested in human hosts and will typically die within a day of trying to live on a human.
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Chicken/Red Mites: These can potentially survive longer on humans compared to Northern Fowl Mites, but they still can’t stay alive on human blood long-term. They require chicken blood to complete their life cycle.
The reason is simple – chicken mites are specialized parasites that need chicken blood, skin, or feathers to survive and reproduce. Human blood doesn’t provide the nutrients they need for their life cycle.
However, this doesn’t mean they won’t try to bite you or hitch a ride on your clothing or hair! They might attempt to feed on you temporarily if they can’t find their preferred host.
What Do Chicken Mite Bites Look Like on Humans?
If you’ve been bitten by chicken mites, you’ll likely notice:
- Small red bumps or dots on your skin
- Mild to severe itching and irritation
- A possible crawling sensation that can be painful
- Rash-like marks in some cases
- Swollen skin near the bite area
Everyone reacts differently to mite bites. For some, it’s just a slight itch, while others experience severe irritation. The bites themselves are usually harmless, and there are no known diseases that chicken mites can transmit to humans.
In rare cases, you might develop a secondary bacterial infection if you scratch the bites and introduce bacteria under your skin. If you notice signs of infection like increased swelling, warmth, or fluid leaking from the bite area, consult a healthcare provider.
Treatment for Chicken Mites on Humans
If you suspect you’ve been bitten by chicken mites, here’s what you should do:
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Cleanse thoroughly: Take a hot shower and wash your entire body with soap to remove any remaining mites. Don’t forget to wash your hair with shampoo too!
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Wash all clothing and bedding: Use hot water and soap to wash any potentially infested items.
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Apply anti-itch creams: Over-the-counter creams can help relieve the itching.
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Take oral antihistamines: These can help reduce inflammation and severe itching.
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Seek medical attention if necessary: If you develop signs of infection or severe allergic reactions (fever, trouble breathing, hives), see a doctor immediately.
Getting Rid of Chicken Mites in Your Home
If you’ve brought chicken mites into your house, don’t panic! These steps will help:
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Vacuum thoroughly: Pay special attention to carpets, furniture, and any cracks or crevices where mites might hide.
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Wash everything: Use hot water and soap for all clothing, bedding, and other washable items that might be infested.
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Consider professional treatment: For severe infestations, you might need to call in the professionals.
Remember, chicken mites need chicken blood to survive, so once they’re separated from their primary host, they won’t be able to establish a permanent infestation in your home.
Preventing and Treating Chicken Mites in Your Flock
The best way to avoid dealing with chicken mites on yourself is to prevent them from infesting your flock in the first place. Here are some effective methods:
Natural Treatments
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Diatomaceous Earth: Food-grade DE can be applied directly to your chickens, their bedding, and around the coop. It’s a natural, non-toxic way to kill mites.
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Neem Oil: Mix 1 tablespoon of neem oil with 2 liters of water and spray liberally around the coop and on your chickens. It’s a great non-toxic pesticide.
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Garlic Oil: Crush a head of garlic, mix it with about 2 cups of water, leave it for a day, and then use it as a spray. Garlic has strong anti-parasitic properties.
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Coop Recuperate: This product contains organic eucalyptus and lemongrass essential oils, along with diatomaceous earth to reduce odor and moisture.
Prevention Tips
- Clean your coop regularly, removing bedding, droppings, and debris weekly.
- Check your chickens frequently for signs of mites (feather loss, visible mites, scaly legs).
- Quarantine new birds before introducing them to your flock.
- Keep wild birds away from your coop with pinwheels, reflective tape, or sun shades.
Common Questions About Chicken Mites
Where do chicken mites come from?
Chicken mites come from various bird species, including chickens, pigeons, starlings, sparrows, and bird nests. They’re found worldwide and are more active in warm weather.
Who’s at risk for getting chicken mites?
People at highest risk include:
- Poultry farmers
- Employees at pest control stores
- People who live near chicken nests
- Anyone who handles infested chickens regularly
Can chicken mites spread to other animals?
Yes, mites can transfer between different animals. If you raise multiple types of poultry or have pets, proper mite control is crucial to prevent spreading.
My Personal Experience
Last summer, I noticed my hens were unusually restless at night and egg production had dropped. After inspecting the coop with a flashlight after dark, I discovered tiny red dots moving around – red mites! I immediately started treatment with DE and neem oil spray.
A few days later, I noticed some itchy red bumps on my arms – the mites had found me too! I took a hot shower, washed all my clothes, and applied some anti-itch cream. The irritation was gone within a couple of days, confirming that these mites couldn’t survive long on me.
In Summary
The bottom line is that chicken mites prefer to be on chickens, not humans. They may bite you and cause temporary discomfort, but they can’t establish a permanent infestation on human hosts because they need chicken blood to complete their life cycle.
Most chicken mites will die within a day or so of trying to live on a human host. The red mites might hang around a bit longer, but they still can’t thrive without chicken blood.
If you’re dealing with chicken mites, focus on treating your flock and coop while taking precautions to avoid bringing them into your home. With proper treatment and prevention, you can keep both your chickens and yourself mite-free!
Remember, raising backyard chickens comes with some challenges, but don’t let the fear of mites discourage you. They’re a manageable problem, and the joy of fresh eggs and quirky chicken personalities far outweighs these occasional pest problems!
Have you had experiences with chicken mites? How did you handle them? Share your stories in the comments below!
What are chicken mites?
Chicken mites feed on blood to survive, making them external parasites. Typically, it only takes 7-10 days for a mite egg to become an adult. Plus, they can lay up to 100,000 mite eggs in their life cycle. This means a lot of mites in a little time!
Once fed, an adult mite can survive without feeding again for another 4-5 months. Different mites live best in different temperatures, so be on the lookout for chicken mites year-round. Many species remain on their host bird for their entire lives, only moving hosts if the bird dies.
In this blog, we’ll mostly talk about chickens. However, it should be noted that if you have any other birds in your backyard, like ducks, turkeys or peacocks, this information is equally applicable! These birds can suffer from mite infestations too, and can be treated by similar methods as chickens.
Types of Chicken Mites
Like we mentioned, there are several different types of chicken predator mites. They are very similar in how they’re identified, prevented and treated, so we will talk about them generally here. Below is a quick breakdown of the different types of mites that can feed on chickens in your backyard.
The scaly leg mite is pretty aptly named. They live underneath the scales on chickens’ feet and can make a chicken’s legs look crusty. These mites cause pain specifically in the feet.
Northern fowl mites are some of the most common mites to find in an infestation. According to Poultry DVM, they can potentially cause chickens to lose about 6% of their blood each day of an infestation. You can even see signs of a northern fowl mite when hens lay eggs that have blood spots on them!
Unlike other mites, red mites are nocturnal. They can hide in a chicken coop during the day, only emerging at night to feed on your birds. They also have a longer life cycle, around 2 weeks as opposed to 5-7 days.
Lice and mites are similar in that they externally feed on chickens and cause them discomfort and vulnerability. However, lice are not blood feeders- Instead, they feed on skin, feathers and scales. Their life cycle is 1-2 weeks long, and a lice infestation is usually caused by direct contact between chickens or infected equipment.