infestation
Alektorophobia keeps infestation in one place: 3 stories so far. The section currently leads with “Tiny brown hitchhikers on your spoon: mites or just mystery dust”, “Feathered friends got fleas? Don't chicken out: we've got the cluck-tastic scoop”, and “Mites are having a full-on fowl party in my coop and I'm not invited”. Okay, so you're scooping up chicken feed and suddenly the spoon looks like it's covered in tiny brown hitchhikers. So your feathered friends have fleas? Chickens. Everything there is to know about chickens and the fear of them. The list below is every infestation story on Alektorophobia, newest first.
Tiny brown hitchhikers on your spoon: mites or just mystery dust
Okay, so you're scooping up chicken feed and suddenly the spoon looks like it's covered in tiny brown hitchhikers. Are they mites, or just mystery dust that's been loitering on the bag? It's a classic moment of fowl play where your brain immediately goes to the worst-case scenario. I've been there, staring at those specks and chickening out of dinner prep. The good news? More often than not, it's just harmless dust or grain fragments. But if those little dots start moving, you've got a case of food mites. They're gross but not a disaster. For more on keeping your flock's world clean and cluck-tastic, check out our guide on *Help Your Flock: Pullet or Cockerel, and What Breed Is That*.
Feathered friends got fleas? Don't chicken out: we've got the cluck-tastic scoop
So your feathered friends have fleas? Don't chicken out, we've got the cluck-tastic scoop. It's a fowl situation, sure, but nothing a little know-how can't fix. I've been there, staring at my own flock with that panicky "what now?" feeling. But here's the thing: treating chicken mites doesn't have to be intimidating. We're keeping it light, practical, and a little bit punny because honestly, if you can't laugh while wrestling a grumpy hen for a dust bath, you're doing it wrong. And if you're suddenly questioning your hen's identity too, check out "When your gorgeous hen turns out to be a handsome rooster, the love stays the same", because this flock drama never ends.
Mites are having a full-on fowl party in my coop and I'm not invited
Well, you've got yourself a full-on fowl party in the coop, and you're definitely not on the guest list. Mites have moved in, and they're treating you like an all-you-can-eat buffet every time you step inside. You've dusted, deep cleaned, and locked the birds out while sprinkling permethrin and DE, but those little freeloaders still crawl on you like you're the main attraction. Your birds are itchy and one refuses to roost, so something's clearly off. Since you can't spray Poultry Protector in freezing temps, try adding a pinch of food-grade DE directly to their dust bath and check the roost bars at night with a flashlight, mites love to hide there.