The backyard poultry boom has introduced millions of homeowners to a pest ecosystem they've never dealt with: poultry mites that feed on birds at night, flies breeding in manure, rats attracted to feed, and predators exploiting inadequate coop security. These pests affect bird health, egg production, and can spread to the family home.
Poultry red mites hide in coop crevices during the day and feed on birds at night — causing anemia, stress, and reduced egg production. Northern fowl mites live permanently on the bird. Both are tiny (barely visible) and reproduce rapidly in warm weather.
Treatment: Dust birds with poultry-safe permethrin powder (following label for food animals). Treat the coop with CimeXa or food-grade diatomaceous earth in cracks, roost joints, and nesting boxes. Clean the coop thoroughly, removing all bedding, before treatment. Repeat in 7–10 days to catch newly hatched mites.
Rats and mice are attracted to chicken feed, eggs, and water. They also kill chicks and spread diseases to the flock. A rat population around a coop can explode from a few to hundreds in one season.
Prevention: Store feed in galvanized metal cans with tight lids (rats chew through plastic). Use treadle feeders that close when chickens step off — denying rodent access. Collect eggs daily. Secure the coop floor with hardware cloth buried 12 inches deep to prevent burrowing under.
Treatment: Snap traps around the coop perimeter (away from bird access). Never use rodenticide near poultry — chickens eat dead or dying poisoned rodents, causing secondary poisoning. Dogs and cats are also at risk.
Manure attracts house flies and stable flies. Manage manure through regular removal (compost away from the coop), deep-litter method maintenance, or fly parasites (Muscidifurax — tiny wasps that parasitize fly pupae, available commercially). Fly traps and fly paper supplement but don't replace sanitation.
Poultry lice are species-specific — they won't infest humans. They live on the bird continuously, feeding on feathers and skin. Check around the vent, under wings, and at the base of feathers. Treat with permethrin dust (poultry-labeled formulation) and provide a dust bath area (sandbox with DE mixed in) — chickens self-treat through dust bathing.
While not "pests" in the traditional sense, predators are the #1 cause of backyard flock losses. Use 1/2-inch hardware cloth (not chicken wire — raccoons reach through chicken wire). Secure doors with raccoon-proof latches (carabiners or padlocks). Install an automatic coop door that closes at dusk. Bury hardware cloth 18 inches deep in an L-shape around the coop perimeter to prevent digging predators.