# red mite



## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

hi guys, just wondering how other people have dealt with these little :censor:s, i am using poultry shield and it doesnt seem to be having a great effect on them, i think a powder might work better? what have other people done about it and used? help is greatly appreciated


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i ivomec the birds, used to creosote the coops once a year t kill them but ts hard to get hold of now


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## SilverSky (Oct 2, 2010)

we use ivomec here to :2thumb:


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

pigglywiggly said:


> i ivomec the birds, used to creosote the coops once a year t kill them but ts hard to get hold of now


 Brilliant will deffinatly do that!! thank you, its so annoing i spray the WHOLE coop and run every week, powder the birds and still end up with an infestation


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## vonnie (Aug 20, 2007)

I used to use dettol and for the first couple of years it worked wonders. Last year was a nightmare though. I was fighting a losing battle all year against the little :censor:s

This year I gave up, turned my wooden hen house into a log store and bought a recycled plastic coop. No problems with them so far *fingers crossed*


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

vonnie said:


> I used to use dettol and for the first couple of years it worked wonders. Last year was a nightmare though. I was fighting a losing battle all year against the little :censor:s
> 
> This year I gave up, turned my wooden hen house into a log store and bought a recycled plastic coop. No problems with them so far *fingers crossed*


 this is what im afraid of.. as they live in an old wendy house with lots of nooks and crannys they can hide... i think we may have to burn it and buy a plastic one  will be sad though


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

Pyrethrum pyrethrin spray lily raspberry beetle aphids | eBay

this stuff is fab , completely anial and plant friendly but kills near enough all bugs. we spray down once cleaned out, let dry then we also dust down the coop once a week with diatomaceous earth powder and wen leave a little bit in the bedding and we rid our infestation and are still bug free.

Diatomaceous Earth DE Diatom Pest Control Red Mite. 1Kg | eBay

the powder can also be used on the chooks dusting them down killing the evil critters


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

gecko lady said:


> this is what im afraid of.. as they live in an old wendy house with lots of nooks and crannys they can hide... i think we may have to burn it and buy a plastic one  will be sad though



oh dont do that, its so easy to deal with trust me!!! nothing like reptile mites! these are easily killed:2thumb:


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Snoopy84 said:


> oh dont do that, its so easy to deal with trust me!!! nothing like reptile mites! these are easily killed:2thumb:


 thank you for the links!!!! aha the stuff were using really isnt working so am loosing hope lol


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

gecko lady said:


> thank you for the links!!!! aha the stuff were using really isnt working so am loosing hope lol



we had one big blast on our lot and they went within a week and been fine since!


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

most of the louse powders are just citronella smelly talc and totally pointless.

ivomec all the way :2thumb:


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## gecko lady (Jun 26, 2010)

Snoopy84 said:


> we had one big blast on our lot and they went within a week and been fine since!


 could you tell me how you do it, like do you spary the liquid stuff first then let it dry and use powder?


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

gecko lady said:


> could you tell me how you do it, like do you spary the liquid stuff first then let it dry and use powder?


On a good day the chooks are kicked out their coop and not allowed in, normally they have access all day and locked in in the evening.

we clean the coop out, as usual making sure all the straw and sawdust is out, brushing everything down, then spray it down with the pymetherin (sp), wait for this to dry, make sure that u get all the nooks and crannys.

After that has dried, i put back the perchs etc as i take out all the removables and wash down and spray as they get the whole lot dirty.

we have a bag of the powder, and i sit there and sprinkle in the coop, into all the crannys and also use the brush to cover the whole area.

Once thats done i then put the bedding in, i use straw and sawdust for mine. First the sawdust, once thats in i sprinkle a bit more of the powder, about 2 handfulls (i have a small wooden coop with a run attached) all over the sawdust then put the hay or straw on top, that way its mixed in.

we are now dusting the chickens too, going to be doing it once a month just to keep it maintained clean and free from bugs.

We had a major infestation which as being a beginner i paniced and didnt know what to do. I spent a lot of time researching and this is the choices i made.

The pymetherin spray is derived from chrysanthermum(sp) plants, safe for all animals (apart from bugs) and safe for use on plants. i also use it to get rid of black and greenfly off my dhalias.

The diatomaceous powder is also a plant derivative. It is safe to use on the chickens, you cannot overdose on it and if they injest it it also works on internal parasites. Some people do use it as a food supppliment adding it into the chicken feed or water.

The local farmers near to us i asked what they use to control parasites and they only use the powder and keep it clean.

The powder doesnt work on killing the eggs though, it only kills the live pests. The spray u cannot use on the birds.

If you have a severe infestation then it is suggested to dust the birds every 3 days, this then controls any hatched bugs and wiping out them within a few weeks entirely then a maintenance control method afterwards.

We learnt from our mistakes. I took on some rehomes and they infected our entire flocks - we have 2 flocks, one in our aviary and one in the garden. 

Also a cat litter tray with some sand and some of the powder is suggested to be made available in a dry area for the birds to dust themselves. Cockerals tend not to dust though so tend to need people involvement.

I hope that this helps, we cleared our infestation- we had red mites, chicken lice and more than likely other wee bugs too. We have polish chickens and it bloomed to a point where the bugs just took over and would even drop off when holding the chook. it took a couple of weeks for this infestation to take over so severe. 

We did the above routine and have kept it up and i can safely say since the initial blitz and lot of effort i have not seen any bugs (touch wood) and all chickens were inspected today too on their weekly clean and inspect.


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## twydell (Jul 29, 2008)

my mum and dad keep chickens and had a real annoying time with them last summer, completely disinfected everything and they still came back

the only solution (that worked for them)

google "chicken diatoms"

i can't remember exactly how it works , they said something about it being fine powder, so sharp that cuts and kills only the parasites.... you put it all in the nest box etc..sounds insane but it works. just research it!

never had a problem since!


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## Snoopy84 (May 15, 2010)

twydell said:


> my mum and dad keep chickens and had a real annoying time with them last summer, completely disinfected everything and they still came back
> 
> the only solution (that worked for them)
> 
> ...



yeah thats te diatomaceous earth that i mentioned in my post. if i remmember right it dehydrates the bugs, i dont know, but it works :lol2:


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