bugs, or something more horrid

[tlck9]

They are small creatures about 3mm in length, thin/long, grey they seem to crawl and sometimes hop, they seem to have tentacles. they have set up home on the outside of the coop, I have used mite powder and lice powder but they are still there

Any ideas on what they could be and do they effect the chucks

I cant get a photo as they are so tiny

[chris]

Possibly thunderbugs? Like you get in raspberries/elderflowers? If so, I've them everywhere - I had them before I had chickens - but when I did see them on the run door i did think "eek".

Or I think they're also called thrips. I've not seen them black, but various books I have have them in light brown - which I'm pretty sure are the same colour as the grey I see them as.

[tlck9]

Thanks Chris, sounds as though they do not cause a problem to hens then...thew! I've had red mite in the past, got rid and then lice - which seem to be hanging around but not on the chucks.....so I was just thinking what next is going to "land on me" literally!

[chris]

I'll see if I can get a pic of them, to make sure we're talking about the same thing I normally am covered in them when I've been rooting around the garden.

[tlck9]

These things ar taking over my chicken coop. They are thinner than wood lice, smaller, only 2-3mm long, poss only 1mm wide, they have tenticles like a wood louse and are light brown/grey in colour they seem to hop or run at speed, they dont seem to be on the chickens - they are in the coop and on the coop.

Lice powder has some effect but not much.

What the heck are they as they are mulitplying rapidly




I have checked my decking and they are on the decking too, chucks are at the allotment so possibly not a issue for the chucks but need to get rid of them

[Suechooks]

Have you tried something like Ant Powder? No idea what they are but I'd go for either that or one of the insect sprays for starters or Diatom?

[RichmondHens]

It's not clear from the picture but could they be baby earwigs? My coops are full of them, but there are adults present too. The chickens love them and I scrape them out of the crevices for them to eat. If they are earwigs they are seasonal and will disappear when the colder weather comes (and are harmless to chooks).

[tlck9]

Okay I think I am getting a bit obsessed with creepy crawlies, however then I went into my garage where the chicken food it kept and found millions of these little things, though they were black mite, I've sprayed ant killer and this has killed them dead, put down louse and red mite powder as there are no chucks at home, only their food and bedding is kept here

The photos isnt clear but I hope someone can help me id it, to look at it is not your number beetle, thunderfly etc, I havent seen anything simialr since I had red mite

I think I need to get a life, but then I have never seen a floor move before my eyes

[jessmorris]

That looks like a click beetle possibly...or a weevil...do you keep flour or anything like that in your garage? Its probably a herbivore as its not on an animal, but if you have a floor heaving with them it does sound like an infestation...are they in the food?

Hmm.

[tlck9]

I've checked out some photos on google of those beetles and I;ve seen these at the allotment, the garage infestistation is much smaller, more mite sized, but not being able to get a good picture to compare to its hard to say what they are.

[petal]

oooh I hate bugs....