Nutrena Safe Choice mite infestation buyer beware, manufacturer not responding

[Little.Wing]

Edit: Title should probably read: Tractor Supply Mid/North Atlantic mite problems. Safe Choice feed affected. Buyer beware.

Don’t know if maybe an admin can change the title since I can’t seem to.

MY LONG WINDED STORY: After a 5 hour excursion to swing by the feed store to do my monthly stock purchase for my 4 horses I’ve reached an all time low.

Located in north west Virginia, I’ve found mites infesting safe choice original of multiple lot numbers with dates from February to June.

Last month I put just under 100 pounds of safe choice original in the dumpster after discovering mites in my feed can. For good measure I tossed the contents of the containers on both sides, sanitized all containers inside and out as well as the ceiling, wall and floor in the feed room. I chalked it up to something getting into the feed after it was opened at home and was ready to let it go as a nuisance.

Today I discovered a massive infestation that had spread to a variety of other equine feeds stored or shipped in the vicinity of the crawling bags of safe choice original. While standing in my local tractor supply store I phoned the store in the next town for them to check their stock before I went there.

After being assured their feed was clean I arrived in the town 45 miles away to find a similarly massive infestation.

Several calls to Nutrena and promises of calls back same day later, I have heard nothing and my questions are going unanswered. Nutrena is so far responding by ignoring my complaints.

BUYER BEWARE: The outside of the bags appears dusty or dirty displaying an uneven coating of light tan/off white film. When examined closely one can see that every speck of “dust” is, in fact, crawling.

While it appears the mites are most prevalent in safe choice original, tractor supply ships in mixed pallets. Anything that may have been stacked/shipped/stored with or near an infested bag may carry the same mites.

From what I understand tractor supply stores in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine all get shipments from the same distribution center in Hagerstown.

Anyone else out there running into this? I want to know if this is a distribution level problem or a manufacturer issue being seen nationwide.

Will be happy to share photos of infested feed bags for anyone who’s curious.

[Ghazzu]

Haven’t seen any signs here inMA.

[Texarkana]

I run in to this just about every summer in TN with pretty much all brands of feed. It was also a problem when I lived in PA/MD, albeit to a lesser degree. Hot climates definitely bear the brunt of the problem.

I honestly think the majority of people don’t notice because the mites are so small and can just look like dust.

While feed stores will refund my money or replace the feed, usually the problem is wide spread and all bags will be contaminated. I’ve had clerks swear to me I was receiving a brand new bag with no mites with them crawling right on the outside of the bag!!! Then they usually try to say something like the mites are only on the outside and not the inside. Riiiight, because I was born yesterday.

For awhile, I was refusing to use any feed store with a mite problem… Then I literally ran out of feed stores. Now I just deal with it. I’ll return a bag if it’s really bad, but otherwise I use diatomaceous earth to keep the mites in check. Freezing the feed also helps. Mites love hot weather, so if you can keep your feed room cool, that often prevents a massive hatching.

It sucks.

[Minerva]

I got some mites over the winter from the feed store I used. I picked up a bag of Omolene 400 at the place I buy hay from instead of at TSC like I usually do and it was full of mites. Bought the next one at TSC as usual and no issues.

The mites have to have humidity to survive, which is why I think the local place was having trouble (wet winter here and they store the grain outside in a shed). I left the lids off my containers and once the temperature went back to normal (hot) with no humidity they vanished in a day.

[trubandloki]

I would guess it is more likely the storage at the store than the specific feed.

[SonnysMom]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;8736328]
I would guess it is more likely the storage at the store than the specific feed.[/QUOTE]

Except OP went to 2 stores and found mites at both stores. It may be the storage at the distribution warehouse for TSC that has the issue or it may originate with Nutrena.

[cloudyandcallie]

Another reason why I buy Seminole feeds and hay.

[Texarkana]

[QUOTE=cloudyandcallie;8736448]
Another reason why I buy Seminole feeds and hay.[/QUOTE]

With all due respect, it can happen with any brand. Just because you may have never had a problem does not mean a company is immune.

Some of my biggest problems were when I was buying COTH favorite Triple Crown Senior. Not blaming the feed per se, just saying it can happen with even well-respected companies.

[Little.Wing]

UPDATE: Now up to 4 Tractor Supply locations. Mites seem to orginate in Safe Choice Original at every location, but spread to anything packed/shipped/stored/displayed in close vicinity.

Two more calls to Nutrena and a post tagging them on Instagram showing an active infestation on the sales floor of tractor supply. No viable response, though calls back have continued to be promised.

[Little.Wing]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;8736328]
I would guess it is more likely the storage at the store than the specific feed.[/QUOTE]

In multiple stores? Today’s shopping brings the total number of locations with a full scale infestation in every bag of safe choice original (and spreading to other types of feed and other brands) to 4.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=Little.Wing;8736643]
In multiple stores? Today’s shopping brings the total number of locations with a full scale infestation in every bag of safe choice original (and spreading to other types of feed and other brands) to 4.[/QUOTE]

Tractor supply ships from their warehouse to their stores, so yes in multiple stores.

It could be whatever mill makes Nutrena in your part of the world too. I am just pointing out that it is not so black and white that this is a Nutrena issue and not a Tractor Supply issue or a trucking issue.

[Nutrena]

[QUOTE=Little.Wing;8736637]
UPDATE: Now up to 4 Tractor Supply locations. Mites seem to orginate in Safe Choice Original at every location, but spread to anything packed/shipped/stored/displayed in close vicinity.

Two more calls to Nutrena and a post tagging them on Instagram showing an active infestation on the sales floor of tractor supply. No viable response, though calls back have continued to be promised.[/QUOTE]

Hello Little.Wing - We received your call at 4:50 pm yesterday, and our team has left you two voicemails so far this morning. We are more than happy to help! Please return the call from Becky, and our team will help get this straightened out for you. Thank you ~ Nutrena

[Little.Wing]

[QUOTE=Texarkana;8736117]
I run in to this just about every summer in TN with pretty much all brands of feed. It was also a problem when I lived in PA/MD, albeit to a lesser degree. Hot climates definitely bear the brunt of the problem.

I honestly think the majority of people don’t notice because the mites are so small and can just look like dust.

While feed stores will refund my money or replace the feed, usually the problem is wide spread and all bags will be contaminated. I’ve had clerks swear to me I was receiving a brand new bag with no mites with them crawling right on the outside of the bag!!! Then they usually try to say something like the mites are only on the outside and not the inside. Riiiight, because I was born yesterday.

For awhile, I was refusing to use any feed store with a mite problem… Then I literally ran out of feed stores. Now I just deal with it. I’ll return a bag if it’s really bad, but otherwise I use diatomaceous earth to keep the mites in check. Freezing the feed also helps. Mites love hot weather, so if you can keep your feed room cool, that often prevents a massive hatching.

It sucks.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like I’m not wrong to refuse to purchase bags with even a relatively small number of live mites on the outside thinking if they’re outside they are also inside and breeding en mass?

Can you explain a bit more about your use of diatomaceous earth? Where do you purchase? How much do you use and in what manner? (Mixed in with the grain I’m guessing?) I understand what it is and how it works to control bugs. I’m familiar with its use in human food in theory but have no reference for the details of the practice.

[Little.Wing]

UPDATE 2: Finally got a call back from a Nutrena representative for my area who was able to 1- tell me that there are independent dealers of Nutrena in Virginia. 2- connect me with the manager of the nearest independent dealer to special order my choice products since they are not stocked. 3- Told me the independent dealers, including the one they connected me with, receive delivery of feed direct from Nutrena, leaving out the distribution center that seems a likely candidate for the infestation problem I’ve been seeing in tractor supply stores.

Edit: Sounds like I’m getting hooked up with some free bags as well. Nifty, and far more than I expected after my initial calls yesterday.

[Texarkana]

@Little.Wing;8736667

Sounds like I’m not wrong to refuse to purchase bags with even a relatively small number of live mites on the outside thinking if they’re outside they are also inside and breeding en mass?

If the bag is “crawling,” they are usually in the bag en mass and I will turn that away every time. If there’s just one or two, they are probably “not that bad” and unless I know I have a better option to purchase elsewhere, I usually will buy the feed and either mix in diatomaceous earth immediately or freeze it in small batches, just to make sure I don’t get a mite explosion.

In my area in the hot and humid summers, I have to calculate my risk. I prefer to buy my feed from places where I can inspect and choose the bags myself, instead of stores that keep their feed in the back and load it into the truck for you.

Can you explain a bit more about your use of diatomaceous earth? Where do you purchase? How much do you use and in what manner? (Mixed in with the grain I’m guessing?) I understand what it is and how it works to control bugs. I’m familiar with its use in human food in theory but have no reference for the details of the practice.

I bought a 10lb bag of food grade DE a couple years ago and it has lasted a long time. I honestly can’t remember if I bought it at a local store or ordered it online.

If I have a heavy infestation, I throw away all feed, wash the bins with soapy water, and sweep the feed room and spray the surfaces with Raid. I HATE doing this and try to avoid it at all costs.

When I replace with new feed, I sprinkle the inside of the bin with DE first. I also mix a cup or so in with the feed while pouring it and sprinkle the top surface of the feed (it will look like powdered sugar on a funnel cake). I do the exact same thing with the DE if I buy new feed and see a mite or two, but not so many that I feel there is a big problem. My theory is that it will hopefully kill any mites that are already present before they can reproduce. It really does seem to help, although sometimes I wonder if the powdered DE just makes it harder to see the mites.

I currently have a 50lb container of vit/min supplement in my freezer because I found a few mites crawling on the lid. Since my hawk eyes don’t see any in the actual supplement, and the prospect of trashing over a hundred dollars worth of product makes me a little nauseous, I’ll keep it frozen for a couple days (husband hates finding horse feed in the freezer!), then sprinkle in a bit of DE.

The good news is, while I’m not condoning anyone feeding products with a heavy mite infestation, a few odd mites does not seem to hurt the horses. Like I said earlier, I have to pick my battles, because when I tried raising hell the first few times it happened, I just ended up having nowhere to buy feed. In your situation, if it’s to the point where you have that nasty crawling mite dust covering all the surfaces, I would definitely replace it.

[Texarkana]

Also, TSC is the WORST about handling their feed products and caring about quality. While I appreciate their convenience, they definitely have a big box store mentality.

I’ve returned products with mites, weevils, and mold, then watched them tape up the bag and put it right back out on the shelf!!! They are great about refunding my money every time with no hassles, but quality and integrity just aren’t priorities. I would love to avoid purchasing from them altogether, but my options are so limited.

[cutter99]

As a former Cargill and Nutrena employee, I can tell you that 1) almost every feed dealer out there experiences mites this time of year, 2) mites do not necessarily come from the manufacturer, and 3) if you are finding feeds dated February and it is now July, you should not be purchasing them and you should be alerting the store manager that they have out of date product on their shelves.

If you want to make sure you do not infest your feed room at home with mites, take some pyrethrin based fly spray, put it on a rag or paper towel, and wipe down the exterior of unopened bags. If the bags show signs of mites inside, return them to the dealer. I do not know of any manufacturer who will not reimburse a customer for returned bags, unless it is a problem with that particular dealer that has gone unresolved!

[Kolsch]

I don’t buy grain from TSC because they usually have grain mites. All three “local” stores. Mid summer if I’m feeding something that I think doesn’t have much of a turnover I’ll go to the area dealer to make sure I’m not buying a bag that has been sitting around a hot grain room for a while.

[Simkie]

Thanks for starting this thread–I was veeeery careful to investigate the bags of SafeChoice Senior I picked up today. I don’t think there were any crawlies here in MN!

[Ghazzu]

Picked up some Safe Choice at the local TSC today–no sign of mites, and a milling date in june.