Treating feather lice without permethrin

Are there any treatments for feather lice that aren't permethrin-based? (Not including DE or other natural remedies.)

I’ve tried permethrin and ivermectin and neither has worked. These are lice that feed on feathers, they don’t drink blood. I’m willing to bathe my birds in something if it will really get rid of the lice, it’s hot where I live so they’d be fine.

Some folks use Spinosad (Elector PSP).

Ivermectin has not worked? Did you apply topically or?

Permethrin isn't effective either? Are you treating housing and birds in 7 days intervals to break the cycle?

You say feather lice, are they depluming lice or lice you can actually see on the birds?

Wyorp Rock said:

Some folks use Spinosad (Elector PSP).

Ivermectin has not worked? Did you apply topically or?

Permethrin isn't effective either? Are you treating housing and birds in 7 days intervals to break the cycle?

You say feather lice, are they depluming lice or lice you can actually see on the birds?

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I applied ivermectin both topically and orally (on different occasions). I believe it usually doesn’t work for feather lice.

I’ve used permethrin twice at different times (the 2nd time it was a more diluted version). I did re-treat in a week and treated the bedding.

I can see the lice. It’s definitely not a bad infestation, but there’s enough lice that they’re causing mild feather damage on some of my birds. Every time I’ve used permethrin, I thought I got rid of them until I picked up one of my white birds and noticed the lice crawling on them.

RoostersAreAwesome said:

I applied ivermectin both topically and orally (on different occasions). I believe it usually doesn’t work for feather lice.

I’ve used permethrin twice at different times (the 2nd time it was a more diluted version). I did re-treat in a week and treated the bedding.

I can see the lice. It’s definitely not a bad infestation, but there’s enough lice that they’re causing mild feather damage on some of my birds. Every time I’ve used permethrin, I thought I got rid of them until I picked up one of my white birds and noticed the lice crawling on them.

Click to expand...

Ivermectin is ineffective against lice because lice dont suck blood. Use Permethrin dust to dust your birds. Use coconut oil to remove lice eggs from feather shafts or they will hatch and re-infest your birds and coop.

Remove all bedding from the coop, including nest boxes and dispose of it. Ensure there arnt any birds in the coop. Close all vents and put a pile of Permethrin dust at the entrance door to the coop.
Wear a mask and get your leaf blower. Turn it on full blast on the pile of dust at the entrance to the coop, then close the door to the coop.

It will look like a smoke bomb went off inside the coop. The dust will get in every crack and places you cant see, everything will be covered in dust inside the coop. Do this in the morning because it takes time for the dust to settle. I usually open it up in the latter part of the afternoon.

Then put fresh bedding inside the coop, including nest boxes. Sprinkle some Permethrin dust on the bedding and pat it down with your hands.
I used to use hay or shavings for bedding but I dont use that stuff anymore. I use sand. Sand is easy to keep clean, stays dry, easier to scoop poop and replace as needed. It deters parasites also. I have sand in the nest boxes as well.