Richard Hack
Richard graduated from Clemson University with a Master of Agriculture in development and marketing of parasiticides. His areas of expertise include the development of parasiticides for livestock and companion animals.
How To Get Rid of Northern Fowl Mites
Mites are very small — up to 1 mm long — but they can have a large impact on your poultry operation. And there’s no shortage of ways for them to get into your poultry house, including:
- Wild birds and rodents
- Equipment from other farms
- People
One of the main lines of defense against mites is farm biosecurity. Properly reducing rodent populations and keeping wild birds out of your barn is crucial, as is ensuring that all equipment from other farms is sanitized and that you have a clean environment on your farm.
When untreated, a mite infestation can cause anemia and a reduction in production in your birds. The stress that an infestation causes your birds can also reduce their ability to lay eggs. During an infestation, birds will prioritize their own maintenance over egg production.
Consistent monitoring and effective treatment will help you prevent and control mite infestations and minimize the economic impact they have on your poultry operation.
Northern Fowl Mite
The northern fowl mite is the most common species of mite that poultry producers deal with in the United States. The northern fowl mite stays on the bird for its entire life and has four life cycle stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. The life cycle is short, reaching the adult stage in only a matter of days.
Even though mites only lay five to 10 eggs, the short lifecycle can lead to an outbreak of thousands in a short period of time.
How To Identify a Mite Infestation
Northern fowl mites are generally found around the vent region of hens but can be found all over the body. An early infestation can be difficult to see on a bird, but because of the short life cycle, numbers can build up quickly and then mites can be seen clearly in the feathers and running along the skin surface.
At very high numbers, mites can even be seen on recently laid eggs and may transiently infest the facility workers who handle these eggs. In many cases, poultry producers will start treating birds when workers identify high numbers of mites on the eggs but by this time the infestation will be very hard to control. Monitoring for mites, especially in the early life of a laying flock, can save time and avoid costly damage.
There are two ways to monitor your birds for mites:
- Turn your birds over and examine the vent region. Birds without mites should have clean feathers. On an infested bird, you will be able to see mites running along the skin surface and the feathers will appear “dirty.”
- Examine the eggs in the rollouts. Mites will show up as small, moving dark specs on the upper surface of eggs. This is less sensitive than checking hens but is faster and allows more of a house to be screened faster. Mites are rarely found on eggs unless a hen with a large infestation is nearby. Check 100 eggs throughout the house and if four of those eggs have any mites, it is a reasonable time to treat your birds.
How To Treat Northern Fowl Mites
As previously mentioned, the best defense against northern fowl mites is prevention through proper farm biosecurity practices. Once mites are detected, however, control tactics will vary by housing. In most cases, you will treat the entire infected house but not your entire farm or flock unless necessary.
Birds can be treated with an acaricide using a high-pressure application (at least 130 psi) to penetrate the vent feathers on the underside of the birds. These treatments work most effectively when mite abundance is less than 50 mites per bird, which makes early detection key.
For more information about preventing a mite infestation or to learn more about your treatment options, contact your Elanco representative today.
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Egg industry
Mites
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- McCrea B, Jeffrey JS, Ernst RA, et al. Common lie and mites of poultry: Identification and treatment. University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. 2005;8162.
- Mullens BA, Owen JP, Kuney DR, et al. Temporal changes in distribution, prevalence and intensity of northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) parasitism in commercial caged laying hens, with a comprehensive economic analysis of parasite impact. Veterinary Parasitology. 2009;160:116-33.
- Mullens BA, Soto D, Martin CD, et al. Northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) control evaluations using liquid formulations of diatomaceous earth, kaolin, sulfur, azadirachtin, and Beauveria bassiana on caged laying hens. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 2012;21:111-16.
