someone,,please help! bugs question

17 years ago

ok,,I have found tiny bugs all over the feed bins in the feed shed,again.had them last year too,but went away after winter. I found them again,they look like lice,but their not on my hens,just the bins..all over. I also found some under the sink in the kitchen!!!! What the H--!?? I'm going nutts with these bugs,to the point of just getting rid of everything outside,including the hens. Does anyone else have this? or know wht thiey are? If you look up "book lice" they look exactly like that. But would book lice be found on feed bins??? PLEASE HELP!I'll try to post a pic

{{gwi:42791}}

this is magnified by a lot!!

thanks in advance

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Comments (3)

seramas
17 years ago
Could not see the picture, but it sounds like a tiny grain insect. Feet are on the front end of the body just behind the head. These are an indication that you are buying feed that is over 1 year old. They are harmless to your birds. Just feed up all your existing feed. When you get new feed in leave it in the bags that it came in. If you can clean out your bins and put them out in the hot sun for a few days. If any eggs are there they will bake in the hot sun. These little critters can not survive intense sunlight. If you can not put you feed bins out in the sun than carefully try a heat lamp. If the bins are in an area that the birds can not go sprinkle some seven dust about the area around and under the bins. This should prevent their return. It is always a good practice to clean bins between fillings-one should never add new feeds to old feeds. All you end up doing is possibly allowing some of you feed to get old and possibly infested with insects and molds. Old feed can have dangerous mold in it that is not visible. If this continues to be a problem check the temperature of the area that you are storing your feed in. If it is above 85F move your bins to a cooler place. Feed looses it nutritional values when stored in warm places and the warmth hastens the incubation of all kinds of insect eggs that are always present in feeds. Hope this helps. Virgil
beeliz
Original Author
17 years ago
yes,this was helpful,,thank you! I've been readding scary things like straw itch mites ect...but these aren't mites,,definitely.
any breakout of bugs freaks me out!! I feeli like they're all over me!!
thanks again,,
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velvet_sparrow
17 years ago
I couldn't see the pic either, but what Seramas says makes sense. Around the house (away from children) you can also spray using the Adams Flea & Tick Mist with IGR (Insect Growth Regulator), it's safe for birds but I wouldn't spray it on their food. It kills not only the adults, but hatching eggs as well, and keeps them down for three months.

When I bring home anything grain-based from the market, or small bags of parakeet seed, I always freeze it right away for three days--it kills anything living in it. :)

There is a product called Oxine (AH) which works as a sanitizer for both birds and surfaces, if you Google it you'll find more info, but Shagbark Bantams talks about it here, very good article:

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

I don't know if it works on adult pests, but it may on their eggs, and it's supposed to be safe for animals and humans, even to breathe. I'm going to be trying the Oxine (AH) this coming month.

Velvet ~:>