Author Topic: Red Mites outbreak & diatomaceous earth  (Read 8627 times)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Red Mites outbreak & diatomaceous earth
« Reply #15 on: July 28, 2021, 12:54:55 pm »
The best cure for red mite is setting a light to the house and watching the whole thing burn to the ground. Obviously must build a new house before you do this  :roflanim:  but make sure the new house is treated inside and out with creosote, and given time to air before you move hens in.


We did that once many years ago - very satisfying  ;D   But you must make sure your birds are pest free before they go into the new house, or you might as well not have bothered.


We do use an annual creosote wash, as well as DE and a flame gun.  We also put wood ash in their favourite dust baths when the weather is dry.  Right now we have the remains of a wood bonfire which they spend ages batheing in.  White hens? None of those  :innocent:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Red Mites outbreak & diatomaceous earth
« Reply #16 on: July 28, 2021, 01:24:27 pm »
The shed we burnt down was 10ft x 8ft. I had spent the summer trying to control the red mite with DE and poultry shield spray, but they were in the roof felt, nest boxes and just kept multiplying. It was so satisfying seeing it go up in flames  :idea:

Q

  • Joined Apr 2013
Re: Red Mites outbreak & diatomaceous earth
« Reply #17 on: July 28, 2021, 08:06:41 pm »
i am sure someone posted on here that they threw the pen into a pond (obviously minus the chickens) and when they fished it out 2 weeks later there were still red mites.

All my bedding goes on the compost heap so I can claim to compost my red mites.
If you cant beat 'em then at least bugger 'em about a bit.

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Red Mites outbreak & diatomaceous earth
« Reply #18 on: July 29, 2021, 11:23:58 am »
So many pyromaniacs! Whilst I have to admit after weeks of battling red mite, watching them all burn would give some satisfaction. But it isn't necessary as leaving the coop/shed empty for 30 weeks would be sufficient to kill them all I read. Based on my experience that's true. We left a red mite infested shed in the UK and 6 months later there were none- but it was full of woodlice!?! Literally thousands of them, all dead, forming a carpet on the floor. I thought woodlice ate wood?

Cornish man

  • Joined Mar 2021
Re: Red Mites outbreak & diatomaceous earth
« Reply #19 on: October 11, 2021, 08:46:06 pm »
Use ivomectic on the back of the neck, the other option is very expensive but it works it’s called Exzolt put in drinking water it’s superb.

 

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