Author Topic: I won the red mite lottery - 23 million (Read 5649 times)

Q · « **on:** June 21, 2014, 03:38:51 pm »

Ok I didnt count them but crikey there were a lot of them.

This is my first experience of red mite in 5 years so didnt really know what to expect - I spotted a few in one of the pens and gave them a quick blast with a blow torch - waited for the rest to come out of hiding and blasted them too. Dusted with the Diatomic Earth - job done - or so I thought.

The next day, the chickens in a second pen wouldnt go to bed in the pen - no problem, thought I would check for red mite in that pen the next day and blast them too.

So, started the next day to have a look - couldnt see the massed ranks of red mite I had heard about but after an hour of blowtorch - they were still seething out of the wooden crevices.

I decided to dismantle a few bits and found all the clusters - NOW I know what to look for! Poor chickens - no wonder they didnt want to go in the pen.

Blasted with the blowtorch and will be getting a big bag of diatomic earth tomorrow.

Guess what my weekend job is going to be for a few weeks!

bloomer · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2014, 03:44:24 pm »

its such a satisfying sound hearing them crackle in the blowtorch,

if its an option treat the houses with genuine creosote as well, the little blighters don't like it!!!

happy hunting :-D

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2014, 09:00:21 pm »

We've had red mite in a small garden shed that we adapted for winter housing. I checked it thoroughly when I cleaned it out a fortnight ago (it had only two non-breeding hens in it) and yesterday when I checked again it was alive! We rehoused the hens and put ivermectin drops on their necks under the hackle feathers. Then we put a chain around the house, dragged it into the middle of the farmyard and burned it. Fortunately it was well away from our other poultry houses and the two hens were fenced off in a corner of the yard.

In the past I've sprayed an infected house with insect killer, power-hosed, submerged in the pond for three weeks and left empty all winter - and still found red mite in it the following Spring! Now I just burn it.

nimbusllama · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2014, 10:07:07 pm »

A few years ago I had a big problem with an infested poultry house..... so I moved the chickens, dismantled the house, steam cleaned it, and then painted the outside with creosote and the inside I varnished! It cost quite a lot but was worth it.... the varnish seals all the little b******s in the cracks and kills them and fills the crack up to help in the future. I have only had the odd few since then and treat them with Diatom and dip the end of the perches in creosote. Happy mite hunting!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2014, 11:46:37 pm »

Q I hope you checked yourself all over after attacking the red mites. They don't know you're not edible for them until after they've run up your arms, dropped onto your head and generally colonised your body

and boy can they move

chrismahon · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2014, 06:48:49 am »

We won the same prize a few months ago Q. Have dismantled and creosoted 3 coops but they are still getting in. The ground is dry here and I think they are happy outside, hitching a lift into the coop on the birds. The mite are happy walking over creosote (unless it is fresh) but hopefully they won't lay eggs in it.

We have used a hot air gun and a steam cleaner plus a host of chemicals. The problem with a wooden coop is the eggs are laid in the weatherboarding joints, so unless you turn the panels upside down, you can't get the chemicals to them.

Dipping the ends of the perches in creosote works really well. Any mite are effectively trapped on the perch and can be seen in the morning. We check the perches daily and kill any mites on them. At the moment the numbers are falling-except in one freshly creosoted coop, which is really puzzling me.

Ants will help you because they eat mites. You just need to encourage them into the coop. The birds are unaffected.

Q · « **Reply #6 on:** June 22, 2014, 10:58:15 am »

Thanks for your replies and yes, thanks fleecewife, I have been busy finishing off the ones I imported - didnt use the blowtorch though

Itchy little buggers aren't they?

Been back out this morning and there are many more red mite casualties lying in the diatomic in pen 1 - all red though so I assume these could have come off the birds overnight.

In the second (worse) pen I had the blowtorch out again but surprisingly few compared to yesterday.

The birds didnt go to sleep in the pen again - my fault this time - forgot to open the door again after putting the pen back together oops.

Ordered another 5kg pack of diatomic but my thoughts are heading towards cheap, disposable chicken pens.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #7 on:** June 22, 2014, 12:07:27 pm »

I'm working on perfecting a coop design - now on Mk 6 .All my others have been based on as few cuts as possible through a sheet of 8 x 4 external ply, topped with onduline. Take the onduline off and hose it down then burn the rest.

Q · « **Reply #8 on:** June 22, 2014, 01:06:44 pm »

Quote from: Marches Farmer on June 22, 2014, 12:07:27 pm

I'm working on perfecting a coop design - now on Mk 6 .All my others have been based on as few cuts as possible through a sheet of 8 x 4 external ply, topped with onduline. Take the onduline off and hose it down then burn the rest.

I think once the red mites are here then this has to be the only option.

A question though on your coop design, that is relatively expensive base material - how often were you planning to dispose?
I was thinking of once per year and switching pens at the height of the red mite season (ie now).

I was thinking of leaving as large a gap as I dare without creating drafts - maybe a re-usable metal joint with a washer as a spacer rather than close fitting wooden ones.

chrismahon · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2014, 03:05:44 pm »

Why not a plastic coop Q ? Just strip and jet wash and reassemble. Problem is the flimsier it is, the less fox proof it is. We can't use Onduline here -it melts. Locals use corrugated steel.

ScotsGirl · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2014, 01:20:09 pm »

Boy am I itching and scratching right now! Actually I am, due to blooming little grey mites, currently walking over my screen too as we speak. I think someone mentioned before they are dust mites, problem is I'm not sure where they are getting on me. It could have been from goat shelter (where chickens go too) or my feed shed where I have put a bale or two of hay.

What kills them? Also reference red mite, I have moved to mainly plastic houses but latest one has wooden perches!! Guess what, heaving with mites on the ends and under plastic nest boxes. No more! Painted with creosote, haven't checked but doubt they survived. Sprayed whole house.

I agree easier to clean and treat but they still get in. solway houses might not be best design but have never had a problem with them.

suziequeue · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2014, 04:40:43 pm »

My problem is that we only have the one big hen house which cost a fortune. I have been reluctant to face the problem (well - I don't know if we have a problem but I'll bet we do......)

Can I deal with the mites during the day when most of the hens are out? and if I do the creosote thing, is it Ok to put them back in there the same night if I just do a little bit at a time?

Also - the Ivermectin....... is it specially formulated for chickens? I did ask at the local store recently and they looked mystified. Where can I get it from? Is there an egg withdrawal period?

Steph Hen · « **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2014, 07:10:00 pm »

Quote from: suziequeue on August 04, 2014, 04:40:43 pm

Also - the Ivermectin....... is it specially formulated for chickens? I did ask at the local store recently and they looked mystified. Where can I get it from? Is there an egg withdrawal period?

No. But it is sold for parrots, pigeons, and pet birds. Amazon or ebay. I withdrew for 2 weeks. After reading that it's used in third world on humans to treat us for parasites I became happy to use it.

twizzel · « **Reply #13 on:** August 04, 2014, 09:55:47 pm »

My chicken house went down with it big time... I pressure sprayed the whole inside of it with poultry shield then left it to dry, then 3 hours later sprayed it again. Dusted the whole house in diatom earth. It's killed the majority of the mite in the house but the nest box lid is riddled still as it's rotten and they are in the cracks- so we are going to get a new one made (luckily have a carpenter renting out a workshop on the farm!). Going to spray again before I go away next week and freshly dust in diatom and see how it is when I get back.