The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Mammyshaz on August 02, 2013, 12:12:54 am

Title: Red mites and compost
Post by: Mammyshaz on August 02, 2013, 12:12:54 am

I've been reading a few posts recently regarding REDMITE. I've became paranoid about looking for them but, touch wood, have not yet seen them ( though part of me wants to see them to know what I'm looking for !).
if I do have them I assume they will also be in the bedding. Do people still compost the bedding or is it a case of burn all  in summer just to be on the safe side?
Sorry about my ignorance  ::)

Title: Re: Red mites and compost
Post by: HesterF on August 02, 2013, 12:29:39 am

I had one case of red mite under a broody (was awful - you couldn't miss it in those quantities, lots of tiny scurrying dots) and I binned all of that bedding plus the bedding I moved her onto while I was clearing up the coop. Didn't even want to keep it long enough to burn it! But I'm putting all the rest of the bedding onto the compost heap as normal if I've not seen any red mites from the other houses.

I'm gradually creosoting all of the poultry houses (as well as painting them all on the outside - all very pretty to look at now) and haven't seen any mites since. Mind you it's now all so dark, they'd be harder to spot so maybe I just deluded.

H

Title: Re: Red mites and compost
Post by: Fleecewife on August 02, 2013, 01:41:17 am

Normal poultry bedding goes on our muck heap, but we burn any with red mite.  Our hens go scrapping around in the muck heap, so better safe than sorry.
 
Whoever cleans out a mitey house (OH hopefully  :roflanim: ) wears one of those SOCO-type white paper suits with the hood up and boots, then the suit is burnt too.   Fire - the great cleanser  :sunshine: