Chicken Mite

Category: Fleas/Ticks/Lice

Scientific Name: Dermanyssus gallinae

 

Identification:

Color: Body is close to white when unfed, red when fed, and gray or black when meals are partially digested

Size: Body is .75 to 1 mm long

Region: Found throughout the US and the World

Important Considerations:

  • These mites get their name because they are ectoparasites of different birds, but especially chickens
  • The development stages of a chicken mite include the egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult
  • In a preferred environment, development time from egg to adult may only take 7 days
  • Fed adults can survive around 4 to 5 months without feeding
  • These mites are dangerous to humans because they have pathogens that have been implicated in the transmission of encephalitis, and also they cause skin irritation when they attack

 

Where to Find Them on Your Property?

You will find Chicken Mites entering bird nests that have been recently abandoned. If outside, they can leave the nest and work their way through places like windows and then down the wall. Feeding occurs primarily at night, but mites can be found in nests or crevices during the day time.