[Bodger]

How many times have you taken a perch off to find loads of redmite under the ends where its attached to the main frame of the shed? I know that's where I quite regularly find the little wretches hiding. These days, my perches are suspended from the ceiling with bailer twine. As well being just one less place for redmite to congregate, I also find that a swinging perch helps to keep the birds fitter.

[doganjo]

My hens are in my brick garage - dog runs for their pens.  Would the metal stop them too?  I have one perch inside and two outside slotted cornerwise across the weldmesh.  They do perch on top of teh wooden dog kennel though.

[Castle Farm]

Use stiff wire John. Red mite will get into the string..honest.

[Bodger]

That's a good idea Dave. Its something that I hadn't thought about.

[Castle Farm]

Use 4 lenths of wire (2 on each end) if you have the room in an upside down A frame. The perch doesn't move as badly when the birds jump up to perch.

[Marches Farmer]

I tried a similar setup but our large, soft-feathered breeds took to "roosting" on the floor in a crowd in the corner.  Didn't seem to care for perches that move.

[northfifeduckling]

great idea as ours keep on knocking the perches off...!
I would also grease the twine and end of perches with vaseline/petrojelly. Mites get stuck on it. For the rest of the house I use Diatomaceous earth either a a powder or in bad years make a paste and paint all the nooks an crannies. Seems to have worked so far.

[landroverroy]

As you say, the red mite, the red mite congregate under the perch at the end where it is supported by the body of the shed. However it is easy to lift the perch up and spray this area, or coat with diatomaceous earth  and kill an  appreciable number of them without too much effort.  I would rather have them easy to find and easy to kill than going further afield to look for somewhere to hide.

[mentalmilly]

My lot dont like perches that move either.  I have started to creosote the ends of the perches every month after doing the hut this summer, and the red mites seem to have gone for now, at last. The perches dry during the day and no smell for the chucks at night.  Works much better than mite dust and D Earth for me.