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Fowl Tick Infestation

Other Names: Blue Bugs, Chicken Ticks

The fowl tick (Argas persicus) is a soft tick with a flattened, oval-shaped body. It is a common ectoparasite (external parasite) of chickens worldwide. As an adult, it is 6 to 9 mm long and a tan to reddish color before it feeds. After it feeds, it turns into a bluish color, hence the nickname given to the pest, 'Blue bug'.

The adult and nymphs hide in cracks and crevices in the coop, or tree bark, during the daytime. At night, they leave their hiding spot to feed on the chickens as they sleep. Usually, it takes them between 15-30 minutes to feed. They leave behind red spots on the bird's skin, often under their wings.

Fowl Tick Life Cycle

Fowl ticks undergo four developmental stages. The adult female will lay close to 500 eggs in their hiding spot, which will hatch 10-30 days later (depending on the temperature). Once hatched, the larve will feed on the birds, and remain attached for several days. Once engorged with blood, they go back into their hiding spot and molt into the nymphal stage, followed by adult stage. Fowl ticks can live for very long periods (up to 4 years) without a blood meal, which means you must find where they are hiding in order to get rid of them.

Effects of Fowl Ticks on Chickens

Anemia: As a result of blood loss from the ticks feeding on them at night.
Stress
Tick fever: Ticks carry the pathogen responsible for causing this disease.
Transient paralysis: caused by toxins released in the tick’s saliva.

How to Control Fowl Ticks in Chicken Coops

First find where the fowl ticks are hiding. Second, use a high-pressure washer or steam cleaner to spray into the crack or crevice in which their hiding, and wash out as many ticks as you can. Apply a pesticide in their hiding spot. Reapply several times. Inspect the chickens for tick larvae attached to birds. Remove with tweezers, followed by applying a triple antibiotic ointment.

Clinical Signs

Chickens changing where they perch

Chickens become restless in the evening and don't want to go into the coop

Pale comb/wattles (anemia)

Tiny dark specs (tick larvae) under the chicken's wings

Red spots on skin

Diagnosis

History
Clinical signs
Insect identification

Reported Cases

Case 1: Tick-associated paralysis in a Chickens White Leghorn pullets 20 weeks old submitted to the diagnostic laboratory were found heavily infested with the larval stage of the poultry tick, Argas persicus. The birds were severely depressed and recumbent. The signs were quickly reversed when the tick larvae were removed. The rapid rate of recovery and negative results in detailed diagnostic procedures suggested that the tick larvae caused the paralysis. Ref

Treatment

Name	Summary
Fipronil	Spray once on the back of the chicken's neck and repeat in 30 days	B Speer; Clinical Veterinary Advisor
Spinosad (Trade name Elector PSP)	Applied as a spray on all coop housing components.	B Mullens et al., 2017; A Murillo et al., 2017; Dow AgroSciences 2001
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) (food grade)	Apply to housing components. Replace bedding and nesting material.	A Murillo et al., 2016; C Martin et al., 2012; D Bennett et al., 2011, G Damerow
Sulfur	Applied as a dust to all housing components in coop	A Murillo et al., 2016, G Damerow
Malathion	Used as a spray or powder applied to all housing components in coop.	G Damerow
Carbaryl synthetic	Applied as a powder (5% carbaryl) or spray (4 ounces of 80% carbaryl mixed in a 5 gallon bucket of water) on all housing components. Replace bedding and nesting material.	G Damerow
Pyrethrum	Applied as a powder or a spray to all housing components. Bedding and nesting materials should be replaced.	G Damerow
Permethrin	Applied as a powder (0.24% permethrin) or spray (3 ounces of 10% permethrin is mixed in a 5 gallon bucket of water), on all housing components. Replace bedding and nesting material.	G Damerow

Support

Prevention

Discourage wild birds by removing bird feeders and bird baths.
Thoroughly clean any branches, stumps, or other tree parts taken from the woods. This tick often hides within the bark of trees.
Avoid coops built from rough sawn, unfinished timbers, especially tongue and groove styled.
Control rodent populations, as they can sometimes be carriers of mites and ticks.

Scientific References

Puvača, N., et al.. Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and its essential oil: antimicrobial, antioxidant and acaricidal effects in poultry production World's Poultry Science Journal 75.2 (2019)
Khalid, Salman, et al. Comparative Efficacy of Ivermectin and Fipronil on Controlling Tick Infestation in Commercial Layers: A Randomized Controlled Trial Pakistan Journal of Zoology 49.3 (2017)
Khater HF, Seddiek SA, El-Shorbagy MM, Ali AM.. The acaricidal efficacy of peracetic acid and deltamethrin against the fowl tick, Argas persicus, infesting laying hens. Parasitology Research (2013)
Montasser AA, Marzouk AS, El-Alfy SH, Baioumy AA.. Efficacy of abamectin against the fowl tick, Argas (Persicargas) persicus (Oken, 1818) (Ixodoidea: Argasidae). Parasitology Research (2011)
Pourseyed SH, Tavassoli M, Bernousi I, Mardani K.. Metarhizium anisopliae (Ascomycota: Hypocreales): an effective alternative to chemical acaricides against different developmental stages of fowl tick Argas persicus (Acari: Argasidae). Veterinary Parasitology (2010)
Dusbabek, F., J. Uhliř, and I. Borský. Age-dependent immune response of chickens to feeding by Argas persicus larvae Veterinary parasitology 51.3-4 (1994)
Rosenstein, M. Paralysis in chickens caused by larvae of the poultry tick, Argas persicus Avian diseases (1976)
Abdussalam, M., and M. M. Sarwar.. Trees as habitats of the fowl tick, Argas persicus (Oken) Bulletin of Entomological Research 44.3 (1953)

Good Overviews

P. Kaufman External Parasites of Poultry. University of Florida IFAS Extension (2012)

Blogs

Argas persicus. The Monster Hunter's Guide to Veterinary Parasitology

Risk Factors

Adding tree branches, stumps and other tree parts to the chicken run without thoroughly cleaning it first.
High populations of wild birds on the property.
Living near woods (or lots of trees).

Etiology

Argas persicus