[sheepandponies]

Can I get some advice on how to deal with red mites in my hen house! 

[Hassle]

Diatomaceous earth and red stop solution work or seem to and creosote for long term (not creocote)

The sales blurb

I have heard two explanations of how diatomaceous earth works.

    One is that on a microscopic level, the diatomaceous earth particles are very sharp looking. These particles stick to an insect and get stuck between its exoskeleton joints. As the insect moves, it gets physically cut up.

    The other explanation is that diatomaceous earth sticks to the insect and somehow causes them to dry out. I think this approach involves scratching the insects waxy layer which then allows precious moisture within the insect to get out. So their teeny tiny bug-innards turn into teeny tiny bug-innards-jerky.

Red Stop Solution is different from any other red mite 'eradicators' because it eliminates all red mite by starving them to death. The solution is added directly to the bird's drinking water. After consuming the water, the chickens’ blood becomes completely unpalatable to red mite resulting in them dying of starvation over a period of time - and because they can't feed, they can't breed.

[chrismahon]

i wouldn't add anything to drinking water in warm weather as it will discourage, or even stop, them from drinking. Red Stop sounds very dodgy stuff. May affect the eggs and hatch ability.


We use Smite to flush the eggs and mite out of the wood joints as it has a detergent content. Not a good killer though -we use Nettex Total Mite kill for that afterwards. Creosote we use on all the coops but mite will still nest in the bedding. You need a spare coop if applying creosote and I would recommend at least a month drying time and that the perches and nest boxes are not treated.


There is an alternative 'nuclear' treatment. A biocide called Elector, which we have found 100% effective in one application for a year. Then the mites evolve immunity and normal chemicals must be used for the following year. £70 is a lot for the small bottle but it has a long shelf life and we spent far more than that on other treatments. We have 8 coops though. It is sprayed liberally everywhere -no need to take bedding out as the mites are killed on contact. It affects their nervous system so they can't find their hosts and starve.


We have never used diatomaceous earth but is sounds like a good idea in a coop already creosoted.


In France the recommendation is to add potash (wood burner ash) to the soil baths. We add it to dry sand at 5 -10%. It is very fine dust and suffocates the mite on the birds, sticking in the feathers. Trouble is add too much and you may be facing respiratory infections S&P.


Plastic coops are probably the way to go, but cracks and gaps in those will still house red mite.

[jaykay]

I use Total Mite Kill, sprayed under all the perches and in every crack and crevice, every week.

Then I put diatomaceous earth under the perch ends, to stop the little buggers crawling back there.

One time I forgot the put the diatomaceous earth under the perch and the next week, that perch had way more mites than the other one.

Proper creosote (or diesel ;-) ) are the answers to remove them completely but then you can't use the house for months - and they come back anyway.

The Total Mite Kill keeps on top of them.

[Daisys Mum]

Just found one of my houses infested with the little bu££ers , swept it out and went to spray with total mite kill only to find my sprayer isn't working so have had to brush it all over the surfaces but won't have the same effect. I do find total mite kill does work though.

[chrismahon]

We had varying results with NettexTMK. Some coops and they rolled over when I showed them the sprayer. Most died after 10 minutes. Some just laughed at it and enjoyed the bath. I think they evolve immunity to the active chemicals if the same ones are used regularly.


We then resorted to a steam cleaner. Totally effective and no real expense. A fine nozzle gets the steam into the joints and you can hear them pop. The wood absorbs little water so the birds can go in immediately. i would recommend that environmentally friendly approach.

[sheepandponies]

Many thanks for all your replies; all useful advice; will try the 'steam' option as I have a steam cleaner and then use a chemical if they are still in residence. I do have a 2nd house (small one) and it was because my birds were using this and not roosting in the original one that I realised that the problem with the red mites might be bigger than I had realised.  The white sheet in the house overnight confirmed that I had red mites in residence. I did a wash out with jeyes fluid but this did not appear to do much!

[Anke]

Cresosote - the old stuff, which you can still get if you "use it for fences". We do it once a year, when I change over my flock. Not seen a mite for a few years now...
 
Just make sure it's dry before the hens move in. It's lot less labour intensive...
 

[Hevxxx99]

The most effective thing I have found is formaline. 

This is for the house, NOT the hens who will have to be housed elsewhere for a couple of days.

Put about a pint in an old tin raised up on bricks with a night light under it, seal the henhouse up and leave it to become a toxic sauna for 24 hours. Then give the place a good airing.  I tried alsorts and this was the only thing that really worked.

Not sure where you can get formaline in small amounts though: mine was from a big drum used for sheep footbaths.