Red mite in chicken coop - help please!

[Paul T]

I've been having a long standing battle with these little blighters and I'm now on the verge of just putting a lit match to the coop.

 

Back in July I lost a couple of hens after a few days of them being off colour. Didn't take long to find the mites - a real population explosion in a couple of weeks and that's despite treating the coop and the birds with powder. The birds have decided to roost elsewhere, so I've let them and in the meantime I've tried a full tube of red mite killer powder, ant powder, cockroach killer spray, flea spray, mite spray, crawling insect killer, cider vinegar and even burning the beggars with a blowtorch .

 

Last week in desperation I took the coop apart to individual panels and siliconed up all the gaps and crevices I could. Then I repainted it and put it back together in a different place in the garden. I put loads of red mite powder on the perch ends and put the chooks in. Following morning there's a cluster of mites (nice bright red and full of blood) IN the powder on the perch ends!!

 

Last night I put a big glob of vaseline right around the circumference of the perch at each end, caked the birds legs with the stuff AND powdered them. This morning there's about 6 groups (size of a 10p) of red mites under the perches . I've squashed them, but it does appear that having crossed the vaseline barrier they were reluctant to cross back? I've just squashed them all, but I'm now getting to the end of my tether with them.

 

Anybody any bright ideas that I've not tried...

[Blackpowder]

Had this discussion with sister in law and her husband on Friday night. Very difficult to get rid of apparently they have tried everything including washing hen house out with Jeyes fluid and still have a problem. Hope someone in here can come up with a solution.

 

Blackpowder

[jasper3]

https://hensforpets.co.uk/products/bliss/bliss-eucalyptus-poultry-bedding

 

since using a product similar to this...i have not had any red mites in the coop

[Clayduster]

Diatomaceous earth, I have used it for 5 years never had a problem, put it on perch and nesting box. I clean the hen house but never wash it as its best kept dry.

 

It is organic and the birds can be dusted with it though I don't do that as I believe the ******* hide in crevices and come out for a feed at night. Over the years every inch of the hen house has been covered.

 

 

I also put garlic and apple cider vinegar in their water that deals with worms and biting type things.

 

This explains how it works, I buy it by the 15kg bucket on the bay, and have used 30kg in 5 years so not too expensive I have 10 birds in the house and use 2 small handfuls when I have replaced the sawdust and nest straw.

 

http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp

Edited September 22, 2013 by Clayduster

[pegasus bridge]

I've always found the burning method followed by applying neat Keyes fluid with a paintbrush works.

[jasper3]

this video is a bit over kill ..you will see what i mean, unless you have elephants but it still promotes the use of eucalyptus

 

 

also like claydusters solution too..maybe both together would be a fantastic natural way

Edited September 22, 2013 by jasper3

[Sprackles]

As a stop gap creosote the ends of your perches....believe me, they will not cross it or live near it. Genuine Creosote though, not the imitation rubbish.

Fully creosoting the housing will take care of them for a long long time....just have to re home the hens temporarily while the smell eases off.

I creosoted my coop 4 years ago and have not seen a mite since.

 

http://www.creosotesales.co.uk/s/index.php

 

Just tell them you have a smallholding.

Edited September 22, 2013 by Sprackles

[Dirty Harry]

I second what sprackles says. Genuine creosote kills them. The stuff in the link is good but very smelly and stays smelly for a long time.

[washerboy]

duramitecs

[washerboy]

I bought it in bottled form and add it to a gallon of water..havnt tried this canned stuff...

 

http://gardenfeathers.co.uk/harkers-duramitex-plus-200ml_p238.aspx

[holly]

i get them every year i clean the coop out keep chickens out and fumigate the hut with a sulpher candle nothing in that hut will survive i buy the sulpher candle from B&Q £5 there in the gardening section in a tin use half the tin and repeat process in two weeks in case any mite eggs survived make sure you place the tin on a brick as it gets hot

[foxy bingo]

get a bucket of lime throw it at the inside roof of the shed and close the door quick and leave to settle then when settled soak the perches in proper creosote job done

[JustJon]

I work for a manufacturer of diatomaceous earth so handle this daily.

 

Complete wash with Poultry Shield, allow to dry, put in bedding, add bedding supplement to keep everything dry (BioDri) and add Diatom to everything.

 

Repeat weekly (life cycle of mite eggs) for at least a month.

 

Worst hatching season is ending - I'd guess something in your clean/pest control went wrong in spring do you've had a terrible summer.

 

Several things not mentioned which I hear fairly often - where do you dispose of your bedding? What roofing have you got on the hen house?

[Ryan gun]

Spray the coop with paraffin and once dry re p lace bedding mixed with a handfull of diatamacious earth

Atb

[Paul T]

Thanks Gents

 

I've been out and got some diatomaceous earth and given everything a liberal dusting with the stuff.

I'll see if I can get a sulphur candle over the next few days.

I've also got some eucalyptus oil kicking around too so we'll see if the 'carpet bombing' approach has more success.

I've had chucks for years and this is the first time the mite has really gotten hold - it's a beggar .

[Outlander]

Half and half white spirit and old engine oil sprayed all over coop does the trick for me, you will never get rid of them all you just have to cull them the best way you can.

Outlander.

[Imperfection]

Or just get an Eglu and you'll never have mites (there are no nooks or crannies for them to hide in).

 

If you have a timber coop avoid using roofing felt becuse they'll live quite happily undisturbed between this and the wood.

[GingerCat]

Spray and use that earth stuff, keep the old bedding some distance away and lime the area they use every 6 months or so, rotate the ground if you can. Pesky things.

[Moel]

Total mite kill spray

Treat 3 times (at 3 day intervals)

 

Then very thorougly clean/spray the coop at cleaning for the next few weeks with very concentrated Dettol solution (must be proper Dettol, no own brand stuff as Dettol contains a specific alcohol group which damages the Mites waxy shells).

 

This has always (touch wood) worked with mine, holding the petrol in a plant sprayer in reserve, but this is lethal to them as well (just the petrol, you dont have to light it!).

 

Diatomous earth helps to!

 

Regards

 

Moel

Oh and if you keep getting recuurent infestations, 4 or 5 coats of limewash on the inside of your coop will help.

 

Regards

 

Moel

[wildrover77]

diesel sprayed at turn around

[Beretta28g]

Creosote, the origional, its brilliant.

[harrycatcat1]

I used to coat the inside and outside of the coop with creosote and old engine oil, never saw red mite

[Uncle Albert]

I used to use Creosote. Great stuff and the smell is heavenly. Never had mites in the chook penthouse. Jeyes fluid can work but they have probably diluted it by now. It's the phenols in creosote and Jeyes that kills them.

[JustJon]

Worth bearing in mind that the membrane on eggs is semi permeable.

 

Phenols aren't allowed in commercial operations as they can taint the taste of eggs.

[Fisheruk]

I use D-earth and cross cut shredded paper for bedding. Never had a problem. There is a lot of dust in the paper naturally and combined with the earth seems to do the trick.