[zeeteecee]

OMFG!
Ive kept hens for 11years and NEVER had any infestations of any kind till recently.  We've got a small henshed with such a huge redmite infestation in my small shed that it has moved into our bedroom too-obviously on one of us.  I have begun to find them in my bed!
How realistic is it ot think I can keep them out of my other larger hen shed, (which has only been used for about 3weeks so I know it is mite-free so far.)

I will paint the inside and outside of the new shed with creosote suppliment at the weekend, I dont think the Barrier Red Mite Concentrate will be enough, even though i am spraying it in there every few days.

Ive also made the decision not to try to kill the mites in the little shed, but to burn it and try to keep the large henhouse free of little visitors.

Has anyone had good reslts from POULTRY SHIELD?  Ive tried this but was disappointed with the results.

ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR MY PROBLEM GRATEFULLY RECIEVED PLEASE!

[doganjo]

I use diatom earth on the floor, in their nesting box, on their perches every time I clean the shed out, and spray the ends of the perches and the nesting box with pink mitekill before replacing their bedding.(it smells so nice and fresh!)  I keep touching wood every time I speak about these horrid creatures.  They make me itch just thinking about them.  How will you get them out of your house?

[zeeteecee]

i havent found diatom earth...what is it?  i am going to try creosote replacement on my new shed and hope that keeps em out.  i also have pink mitekill but hasnt kept em at bey for me!  i will try to keep the family from going within a ten mile radius of the hens at all end constant showrs before and after i visit the hens might help stop the transferrance.  thankfully they wont live on us or our blood but they r horrid!

its a huge worry for me but i hope we'll get it sorted before i get infested in the big henhouse too.... love my hens and need the egg cash!

[Fleecewife]

Although they are supposed to live only in the sheds and not on the hens, the mites haven't read the manuals so they do hitch a ride on the hens.  This means it's worth dusting the hens for parasites as well to try to prevent the transference.
We had a huge infestation a couple of weeks ago in one of our sheds - OH wore one of those CSI suits (from B&Q or similar) and burnt it afterwards, showered etc.  The house itself was flame gunned in all the places mites might hide - much sound of popping mites - then painted with the creosote substitute whose name I keep forgetting   CUPRINOL    and then we also sprinkled powder round.  The other houses were done too and all the hens were dusted.  A few days later we found that a broody had some companions ie mites so we redid that house.  At every mucking out we use the flame gun extensively, although it has been discussed in a similar thread that using steam might be safer and less likely to burn the house down.  As you say, the mites don't live for long on us but they are horrible to find running up your arm and to realise that the itchiness is not your imagination  

[zeeteecee]

thankyou, I don't have a flame gun but think it may be worth investing!
I'll try the mite-popping thing as it sounds therapeutic!!!
I'll creosote (i think its called creotine?) both my sheds, and dust 'everything with feathers'!

and every couple of days i'll dust&spray too.
and fingers crossed for a mite-free life!!!

(itch!) (scratch!)

[jaykay]

You never completely get rid of them but you can certainly reduce them. I had a house last year with a plague like you've never seen  got them in my hair cleaning it <shudder>

 I used diesel and closed up the house for months.

Since the I'm back to the usual small infestations which I keep down using Total mite kill each week and diatom powder. Poultry shield can help but you also have to use it every week.

Real creosote is much more effective than the substitute.

[Dizzycow]

I'm scratching away just reading this! Where do you get the flame guns from?

[jaykay]

You can buy them for burning off weeds.

[doganjo]

I use a steam cleaner. I'm safer with that than a flame gun

[NorthEssexsmallholding]

red mite sound horrible, I creocoted the outside of the shed but I think I'm going to get something to paint the inside as well.

[Chrisw]

i dose my hens with eprinex pour on for beef and dairy cattle and it works increadable well as the mites cannot survive on the birds so die from loss of their food source. you can usually obtain it from your local vets

[zeeteecee]

You can creocote the inside too!
Does Frontline spot/spray on work this way too as thats what my vet has told me to use for lice etc.

[zeeteecee]

Oh, and the flame gun, was called a grass burner from Machine Mart-£19 ish!  Seemed to work a treat-just amazing how much better the shed is-and no bbq'd birds either!

[Fleecewife]

That's a bargain    It's probably worth doing it again in 2 or 3 days to catch the new hatches. 

[Womble]

i havent found diatom earth...what is it? 

Don't think anybody's answered this question. Basically it's a brown-ish powder made from crushed up coral. At a microscopic level, this is very sharp and abrasive. It cuts through the waxy protective coating on the mites' bodies, and they then dehydrate and die. The nice thing about it is that it's non-toxic. You can even buy food grade DE, which some people add to animal (and human!) food for various reasons.

Practically, you can buy it from various poultry supply shops, ebay etc. Just search for "Diatomaceous Earth". We had good success in the past by making a muddy paste with it and painting this on the walls and perches etc. This dries to form a protective layer, and worked to get rid of our red mite when other things had failed.

Hope that helps!