Red mites :(

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KathyH

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Red mites :(
« on: July 08, 2008, 14:56 »
Hi all,
its happened - we have red mites :(
Last night the girlies didn't want to go into the coop. Had a good look this morning and clusters of the little b-s are in the coop.

So we have cleaned out the hen house totally and scrubbed all perches and all around and put the red mite powder around where the mites were (ends of perches where they fitted into the walls).
The powder we used is Agil's Mitex Super Red Mite powder.

Question - is that it or do we do something to the chickens too? It may be a daft question but we haven't had this before and I am thinking "flea powder" equivalents or something?

Oh yes and hubby Chris stuck his head in the coop last night to check there wasn't a rat or something in there got hair full of what we thought were midges - but they must have been red mites! So should we scrub his head with Jeyes fluid too? :shock: He shampoed his hair straight away!

All help appreciated
Kathy H


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treacleminer

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Re: Red mites :(
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2008, 16:34 »
Quote from: "KathyH"
got hair full of what we thought were midges - but they must have been red mites!



Iiiiitchyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

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KathyH

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Red mites :(
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2008, 16:37 »
Indeed !  :o

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poultrygeist

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Red mites :(
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2008, 17:11 »
making my head itch just reading it !

What did you use to clean out the house ?

You might be better off getting some diatom or equivalent. that will kill any leftovers and eggs and can be sprinkled onto the chooks i think, or at least put into their dust bath to get any itinerants.

Good luck.

Rob  :)

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KathyH

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Red mites :(
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2008, 18:55 »
We just scrubbed it with water as a first response and then squirted the powder on the places where we saw the mites and in any other likely looking spots.
We have now sent for some Diatom as you recommended. Our Countrywide store nearby doesn't stock it so this was the fastest way to get it. We ordered it next day delivery to make sure we can do it asap.

Lets just hope the torrential rain we are promised tomorrow waits until we can get the job done without getting drenched :(

It may be all in his imagination - but poor Chris is still itchy!

Thanks for telliong us about Diatom  :)

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Aunt Sally

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Red mites :(
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2008, 19:23 »
Poultry Shield is what you need Kathy.  

http://www.sprcentre.co.uk/diatomandpoultryshield.htm

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Foxy

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Red mites :(
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2008, 19:31 »
Hmm I am certain the Mitex  (by Agil) you have is made of diatoms and does kill the mites its what I use as apposed to the barrier red mite powder. However, it will not kill instantly because its made from fossilised silica called "diatoms" which works by dessicating the outer shell of  the mite.
What may be advisable is to use a product callled "Poultry Shield" which you dilute in water and is best use in some form of sprayer to make sure it gets in all the nooks and crannies, really drench the coop! Poultry Shield will kill the mites more or less instantly. Apply the powder everywhere after as you have done so. A few days later do the whole thing again, then weekly particulary during the warm damp months of summer. Check with a torch at night to see if you have got them all. If the birds look out of condition due to mites pop a little poultry spice or poultry boost into their water.

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Foxy

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Red mites :(
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2008, 19:32 »
oops Auntie should have read your post first! :lol:

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Aunt Sally

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Red mites :(
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2008, 19:34 »
You said it so much better than me though Foxy.  Red mite is something I have never seen and hope I never will  :wink:

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KathyH

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Red mites :(
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2008, 20:03 »
Many thanks Foxy and Aunt Sally.
When the farmers shop opens tomorrow I will see if they stock it.
I will also get some poultry spice for them. They are looking scrappy as two of the three are moulting so its hard to tell what is mite and what is just feather replacement - but the spice will be good for them either way. Other than that they appear to be well. eating fine and doing all the right chicken things.
One is off lay though and I had put that down to the moult as she is eating fine and still pushing her weight around with the others! (She is Queen Chicken!)

(Can I spray Chris with it too do you think? He still feels itchy!!)

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Kazoo

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Red mites :(
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2008, 21:24 »
I heard that putting some tea tree oil on the scalp/hair is good for keeping away head lice etc so maybe give this a go for a while on Chris?  I am a hairdresser and this is what we advise ... certainly won't cause any harm.  You can pick it up fairly cheaply from chemists or wilkinsons etc

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SnooziSuzi

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Red mites :(
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2008, 21:32 »
one of mine died the other day from red mites (didn't realise until it was way too late) so I got rid of all of the bedding and litter from the henhouse, and after rubbing the perch and ledge with diluted jeyes fluid i sprayed EVERY nook and crannie with the diluted poultry shield with a pump sprayer (£2.99 from wilkos), and then went on to dust the 2 remaining chooks with pyretrhrum (sp?) as advised to me by the animal feeds store and various websites.

The two remaining ones haven't shown any signs of mites, so I don't know if they are selective in which hen they pick on but I just wish I'd spotted it much earlier and could have saved her  :cry:

Good luck with getting rid of them... now that you've had them once it's advisable to give their henhouse a deep clean like this at least every 3 months like this as they can come back  :shock:

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KathyH

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Red mites :(
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2008, 22:40 »
Sorry to hear about your chicken SnooziSuzi.
I hadn't realised that it could be fatal :(

We will do all that we can with chemicals and elbow grease tomorrow.

The chooks have elected to spend another night out on top of the coop. They obviously don't trust that we have cleared the problem yet.
We have let them stay out - they are in a totally netting enclosed area and nice and high off the ground on the coop roof. They could go in ifthey felt like it - or if the rain gets nasty overnight.
They did use the coop to lay their eggs today after it was cleaned - so hopefully they won't build up to much of an aversion to it.

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SnooziSuzi

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Red mites :(
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2008, 22:44 »
Quote from: "KathyH"
Sorry to hear about your chicken SnooziSuzi.
I hadn't realised that it could be fatal :(


Thanks; I blame myself but it's a hard lesson to learn.

It can be fatal because basically the chook is sucked to death and unable to bounce back because they take more from the hen than the hen can replace quick enough.

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Foxy

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Red mites :(
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2008, 23:11 »
Quote from: "SnooziSuzi"
Quote from: "KathyH"
Sorry to hear about your chicken SnooziSuzi.
I hadn't realised that it could be fatal :(


Thanks; I blame myself but it's a hard lesson to learn.

It can be fatal because basically the chook is sucked to death and unable to bounce back because they take more from the hen than the hen can replace quick enough.


Snoozi dont blame yourself -by sharing your experiences you are helping prevent it happening to someone elses hen. It is difficult to appreciate how such a such a small mite can cause absolute havoc to hens.  :(



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