Due to OSMOSLAY having a short lived physical mode of action, rather than being a lingering poison, it will only kill active pest stages, not eggs or pupae. For these reasons the key to the pest control strategy is to repeat the application after pests hatch or emerge. We have included the strategies to control a few key pests. The same logic can be applied to breaking the lifecycle of any pest if you assume OSMOSLAY will not kill any egg or pupal lifecycle stages.
Red Poultry Mite (Dermanyssus gallinae).
Red Poultry mite is a blood sucking species of mite that hides in the poultry house during the day and feeds on poultry during the night. They reduce bird health, cause dermatitis, mange, and spread disease. They infest chickens, turkeys, pigeons and various wild birds so are easily spread into your chicken coop. They are also easily spread on personnel and equipment moving from shed to shed.
During the day it conceals itself, primarily in the dark, in cracks and crevices, under lumps of dirt, and even in the nesting materials of the birds. here it lays eggs. The house should be cleaned and treated with Osmoslay.
The mite lifecycle takes only 7 days in warm weather, and a house may remain infested up to 9 months after the chickens are removed. For this reason the recommendation would be to treat the house with OSMOSLAY twice with a 10 day interval between applications.
Scaly leg mite (Knemidocoptes mutans).
When found it is usually due to lameness, raised scales on feet and legs, or irritated and thickened legs. It is generally found on older birds, and if found the birds should be isolated and treated with the appropriate veterinary medication (often containing Ivermectin). Scaly leg mite has a lifecycle of about 21 days that is completed on the bird, however the mites can be spread between birds via their bedding/enclosure. Once the birds have been treated it would be best practice to discard all of their bedding materials.The hen house should then be throughly cleaned with OSMOSLAY before introducing new, pest free, bedding.
