I called total nonsense on the garlic in water trick for chicken mites

For years, I saw people online saying to crush garlic into their flock's water to prevent mites. I thought it was pure old wives' tale stuff, no better than waving a crystal over the coop. Then, last summer, my girls in Austin got hit hard with mites right during a heat wave. I was desperate and didn't want to use chemicals in that heat. I crushed two whole bulbs into their 5-gallon waterer as a last-ditch effort. Within three days, the scratching had almost stopped. I checked under wings and the mites were gone. I still don't know the science, but I can't argue with the results. Has anyone else had a weird home remedy actually work when you were sure it wouldn't?

2 comments

2 Comments

hernandez.robert3d agoMost Upvoted

Maybe the garlic just made the chickens taste bad so the mites left.

the_henry3d ago

That "last-ditch effort" feeling is so real. I wonder if the heat wave played a part. Maybe the mites were already stressed and the garlic water was the final push, where in cooler weather it wouldn't have worked as well.