The hen was slightly under weight. Her energy, however, seemed normal once she was out of her coop and in a <\/span>strange environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n O<\/span>ne spring afternoon, I noticed that one of my bantam hens seemed a little lethargic. Concerned, I made an appointment with my veterinarian and took the hen in for an exam. <\/span><\/p>\n After determining the hen wasn\u2019t egg bound (suffering from an egg trapped in her oviduct), my vet mentioned she would probably prescribe an antibiotic, thinking the bird may be battling an infection. The hen was slightly under weight. Her energy, though, seemed normal once she was out of her coop and in a <\/span>strange environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As the vet continued to exam her, looking in her mouth, at her feet and around her face, she suddenly made a discovery. \u201cLook at this,\u201d she said, holding out one of the hen\u2019s tiny wattles. <\/span><\/p>\n Deep in the folds, I saw what looked like dark brown splinters covering the inside of the red wattle. The vet scraped some of the brown matter off and put it on a slide, then went out of the room to look at it through the microscope. <\/span><\/p>\n As soon as she returned, she gave me the diagnosis.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYour hen is infested with sticktight fleas,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re attached to her comb and wattles. See?\u201d She lifted the hen\u2019s comb up, showing me dark spots all along the underside.<\/p>\n I had never heard of sticktight fleas before\u2014fleas that attach themselves! I thought fleas jumped around. Wasn\u2019t that what they were known for? Leaping from one part of a cat or dog to the next, and jumping to new hosts after hatching in carpets or grass?<\/p>\n As it turns out, the sticktight flea is a very different creature from the cat and dog flea that most pet owners know. Sticktight fleas are technically fleas, but they almost seem like a cross between a flea and a tick, attaching themselves to their hosts.<\/p>\n Chickens and other poultry rank among their favorite victims.<\/p>\n I felt guilty I hadn\u2019t spotted these parasites attached to my hen, but turns out I had a good excuse. Sticktight fleas\u2014scientifically known as Echidnophaga gallinacea<\/i><\/a>\u2014are very small, even for a flea.<\/p>\n \u201cSticktight fleas are smaller than typical dog and cat fleas,\u201d says veterinarian Heidi Watkins, with Wagly Animal Hospital in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. \u201cIn fact, they are about half the size of the fleas most people are used to seeing. It requires close inspection of chickens to detect them.\u201d<\/p>\n Sticktight fleas tend to like the soft areas on combs and wattles. They can also attach around the vent area, according to Watkins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou have to look in wattle folds and under flaps, as they will often cluster there,\u201d she says. \u201cSticktight fleas embed their mouth parts into the flesh. You will not see them running around on the skin like a cat or dog flea.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more: Controlling ectoparasites greatly improves the health of a flock.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n If you look at a sticktight flea under a microscope, you\u2019ll see that it looks very much like what you would expect in a flea, with one exception. An elongated mouthpart helps it stay in place after it bites and takes blood from a host.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The month-long life cycle of the sticktight flea resembles that of other fleas. Females lay eggs on the host animal (in this case, while attached), which then fall to the ground. Once the eggs hatch on the ground, the larvae live on digested blood left behind by adult fleas, along with whatever organic material is in the environment.<\/p>\n This is why chicken coops are a favorite place for these parasites. The organic bedding we provide for our chickens makes a perfect nursery for flea larvae.<\/p>\n When the larvae are ready, they the form a cocoon made of silk and dust. Then they pupate inside. The adult fleas that emerge from the pupa are ready for a host and can jump 200 times their size to land on unsuspecting animals.<\/span><\/p>\n Some flea species, of course, are famous for spreading disease, such as the bubonic plague. Sticktight fleas aren\u2019t known for this. <\/span><\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t do significant damage, though. They irritate birds to the point of driving them crazy with constant scratching and cause enough blood loss to result in anemia. If a bird is already unhealthy, a sticktight flea infestation can put her over the edge.<\/span><\/p>\n You don\u2019t want your chickens to endure the suffering of sticktight fleas. Luckily, there are ways to get rid of these parasites if they do show up in your flock.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere are poultry-labeled products for the treatment of sticktight fleas and mites,\u201d Watkins says. \u201cThese are typically made with permethrin, which is synthetically derived, and pyrethrin, which is naturally derived. These topical products are for use directly on the birds and can be also used to treat their immediate environment, like a coop.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Products made with these active ingredients don\u2019t require a prescription from a veterinarian. Pyrethrin is naturally derived from chrysanthemum flowers and is considered an organic insecticide as long as it is not combined with other synthetic ingredients.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to not only treat the individual birds but also their coop area,\u201d Watkins says. \u201cRemove and destroy contaminated litter, which will contain eggs and larvae. Then spray the permethrin or pyrethrin product all around the coop and nesting areas.\u201d<\/p>\n Because the life cycle from egg to adult is about four weeks in warm temperatures, Watkins advises retreatment of the coop in about a month.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen using these products, keep in mind that permethrins and pyrethrins are toxic to cats but not dogs,\u201d she says. \u201cAlso, make sure to check the product label for egg or meat withholding times after treatment. This is true for any product used to treat and control parasites.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Some chicken keepers also kill sticktight fleas by applying petroleum jelly directly on the bugs by using a cotton swab. This takes advantage of the fact that sticktight fleas are attached to the host. They won\u2019t jump from place to place on the host\u2019s body to avoid being touched.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If putting petroleum jelly right on the fleas is your preferred method, you\u2019ll still need to remove all of the bedding in the coop. This is where unhatched and pupating larvae will wait for their chance to infect your birds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n“Look at This”<\/h5>\n
![\"sticktight](\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/AdobeStock_411579020-web.jpg\")
What Are Sticktight Fleas?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\nAll About Infestation<\/h5>\n
![\"three](\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/shutterstock_1190838808.jpg\")
Significant Damage<\/h5>\n
How to Kill Sticktight Fleas<\/b><\/h2>\n
Treat the Whole Coop Area<\/h5>\n
![\"sticktight](\"https:\/\/img.hobbyfarms.com\/2016-10-01_Chicken_has_Echidnophaga_gallinacea.jpg\")
Other Treatment Options<\/h5>\n