# Poultry keepers be aware!!!



## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

With this hot dry weather, red mite is multiplying like crazy. Check your henhouses. Look in cracks, by door hinges, ends of perches etc. If you see tiny red seething masses, they are redmites. Also look for telltale dust by cracks, take a sniff if you see any and remember the smell of them so you'll be able to know if a house has it simply by the smell, even before you see them.
Poultry may be reluctant to go into their house at night because they know what's waiting for them. A night of horror as the redmites wake up and crawl along the perches to feast on the chickens blood. The pass diseases and cause discomfort and if a hen is off colour, they can kill her by making her anaemic.
There are a multitude of things on the market to fight redmites but probably the cheapest and easiest way is to get some cheapo washing up liquid, pour it into a bowl and use a paintbrush to liberally coat all cracks and crevises and soak a good amount at the ends of the perches and underneath perches too.
Redmites are the bane of a poultry keepers life.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

Are they them red things you see crawling on bricks? i was sliding me hand againist the wall on the way to college and ended up with red stripes on my hand didnt know where they had come from until i walked back hoem and noticed some red things crawling on the wall lol


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> Are they them red things you see crawling on bricks? i was sliding me hand againist the wall on the way to college and ended up with red stripes on my hand didnt know where they had come from until i walked back hoem and noticed some red things crawling on the wall lol


 no, that is red spider mite. Red mites are smaller than those and you never see one on it's own, just a mass which looks like a heap of red sugar all moving and seething.


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## Pimperella (Sep 26, 2006)

Ain't they just.

I treated all my houses with my back pack sprayer at weekend but wanting to get some Real Creosote as that is the bizz when killing and preventing the bloody feckers.


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Pimperella said:


> Ain't they just.
> 
> I treated all my houses with my back pack sprayer at weekend but wanting to get some Real Creosote as that is the bizz when killing and preventing the bloody feckers.


 it's hard to get hold of and really nasty stuff though. Washing up liquid painted on is easier to get hold of, cheaper, doesn't burn and is just as effective.


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

fenwoman said:


> it's hard to get hold of and really nasty stuff though. Washing up liquid painted on is easier to get hold of, cheaper, doesn't burn and is just as effective.


 
so paint it onfen and just leave it to dry? how many times do ya need to do that over the summer?


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> so paint it onfen and just leave it to dry? how many times do ya need to do that over the summer?


 yes just paint it thick in the cracks and leave it. Just keep checking the house and when it goes really dry and red mites appear, paint it again.


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

fenwoman said:


> yes just paint it thick in the cracks and leave it. Just keep checking the house and when it goes really dry and red mites appear, paint it again.


 
brilliant, ill get that sorted tomorrow. cheers pam! 
if you have red mites you would definately be able to see them when you look wouldnt you?


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

xXFooFooLaFluffXx said:


> brilliant, ill get that sorted tomorrow. cheers pam!
> if you have red mites you would definately be able to see them when you look wouldnt you?


yes if you look for the seething red masses.


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## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> Are they them red things you see crawling on bricks? i was sliding me hand againist the wall on the way to college and ended up with red stripes on my hand didnt know where they had come from until i walked back hoem and noticed some red things crawling on the wall lol


The ones you see typically about scub,Around brick,House's/Walls'etc are Velvet mite they are only a problem insects.Baby Velvet mite are parasitic on insect as babys but then convert to predator to small insects and insect eggs when adult.Velvet mites are bigger than Red mites and Velvet mites are NOT a issue for poultry.

Velvet mite(Trombidium holosericeum).Note they look fuzzy.










Red mites Hide in all the nuts and crannys around your poultry infact birds in general.You'll just see a mass of red.And they come out at NIGHT and harass your poultry when there trying to roost in peace.They can also feed on human blood so they give you the hibby gibby's.So wash you cloths and have a good shower when you've delt with them.But they need bird hosts to multiply.

Red mite(dermanyssus gallinae).Note they look smooth.


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