[featherhead]

Unfortunately I have found the beginnings of red mite in the ends of a perch. I'm going to scrub down the coop tomorrow with the pressure washer and whatever red mite destroyer I can get my hands on.
  After that I was thinking I might paint the coop to seal off all the cracks and crevices but does anyone know if this will work? And any advice on painting the coop? what paint to use/not to use?

[Lindeggs]

Oh those red mite are such frustrating little beasties!  It seems everyone is suffering with them at the moment - and now I'm in springtime with warmer weather approaching I'm starting to get scared!   :blink:

You mention washing the coop with a pressure washer and mite killer.  Just be aware that the pressure washer alone will just knock the mites to the ground where they can climb back into your coop, so does your pressure washer has a reservoir where you can put the mite killer and apply both at once?

I can't advise on a particular product but there is the beginnings of a list here:
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=83342.msg928913#new

Sealing the cracks and crevices with paint, silicone sealer, or other sealants is a good idea.  The mites love the dark little nooks and crannies so if you can remove these by painting/sealing it's a good idea.  I hope someone local to you will be able to advise on products.

Then after the paint/sealant is dry, I thoroughly recommend using a Diatomaceous Earth slurry on all interior surfaces.  It looks like a white-wash and dries to a powder, and apparently it dehydrates the mites.  I credit DE with the lack of mites in my wooden coop (although I have no proof!)

[red]

I have just build my own coop and took the advice of posters on here. Although the coop is of timber construction I have sealed as many cracks and crevices with a flexible sealant as lindeggs. I have then used Hillfooters DE slurry and painted practically over the sealed joints. I just check to see if anything has opened up and mix some more slurry and allow to dry. 

[mjd]

Paint it with creosote that'l learn em

[Yorkie]

mjd, creosote is banned and illegal for anyone to use except for properly licensed professionals on retreated wood.

It has carcinogenic properties which I'm sure you don't want either your birds or your eggs to absorb anyway!

[Lastcast]

Hi Featherhead,
Wouldn't use the pressure washer, can you get in there with a blowtorch ?? carefully ?? better to roast the little *, rather than wash them.  You must treat your hens at the same time. (lots of previous posts on this subject) Mix up a Diatom slurry and paint this over all the cracks and perches, should do the trick. Don't despair.

[featherhead]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Today I powerwashed the coop and Lindeggs you were right, it didn't help with the mites at all! Even though they are out of the wood they were crawling up my legs as I started painting the coop. YUK! But I wanted a nice clean surface to paint over anyway. So the inside of the coop has a couple of thick layers of paint on it now and my ladies are sleeping in the shed tonight, much to their displeasure. I'm not confident enought to use a blowtorch. I also bought some DE and will slurry up my coop good and proper tomorrow before letting my girls back to their home.
Keeping my fingers crossed x I'm off to scrub myself in the shower, I feel soooo gross!
Ty x fh

[ManicMum]

There are several posts on here about red mite "crawling back up into the coop" so you should try to power wash or, in my case, steam clean it away from its usual spot - but how far do the little wotsits crawl?

Is it sufficient to lift the coop out of the run & clean it/ slurry it on the lawn, or should it be carried yards & yards for cleaning in the front garden?

I have no idea if these pests are like ticks which hang around & wait for a host to pass by, or if they crawl around the garden seeking out the host?

[lukasmum]

I've always found that a solution of Jeyes fluid and/or Dettol works really well, spray in all the cracks!
It's usually something we have to hand, so can be a useful stop-gap. I never use anything else now, as it's cheap and effective, and can be used at the first signs of the dreaded beastie.
Good luck!

[hillfooter]

I would never paint a coop other than with a wood preserver like Cuprinol the longest lasting best quality you can buy as you don't use a lot and minimising the labour over time is worth the premium you pay.  I only paint the outside to allow the interior surfaces to breath as most preservatives are just water repellents so painting the inside would encourage damp humid conditions in the house.  The worst thing you want for red mite.

Painting with an exterior oil paint like gloss is definitely a bad idea as over time it flakes providing even more ideal places for redmite that you can't get at.  Painting with a =n oil paint is a high labour treatment that has to be annually repainted and loose flakey bits scraped off very high labour.  Sealing joints is not a bad idea but don't use flexible silicon sealant where chx can pick it out which they will.  problem is with most sealants they shrink and crack over time and provide more homes for RM.  If your house design has lots of seams between boards etc you are probably on a loser trying to seal them.

If you have any felt on the roof you should replace the roof with a corrigated onduline one as a priority.  Your next priority is to spray with a residual pesticide.  There are some available which with one spray will keep your coop red mite free for a whole year and a retreatment in spring is then all you need.  Problem is many are pro use and can't be recommended publicly on this site Ficam W is one such which is effective and can be treated by a person who is registered to use pesticides.  Milbenex I believe doesn't need a licence but is difficult to obtain.  You should call Bowden & Knights who can advice you over the phone what product to use (google for them).  Pesticides are cheap and low labour for a treatment with Ficam for example would cost no more than £6.50 or so for the product.  

Using cleaning techniques alone is very labour intensive and needs to be regularly repeated to be effective.  Steam cleaning is probably the most effective cleaning technique.  I have used a blow torch but wouldn't recommend it unless you want to end up with your coop blackened and charred or even worse burnt down.  It is only effective on contact too and most mite escape.  

Any disinfectant or detergent will kill the adult stage of RM on contact only but isn't residual (ie once dry has no effect).  Most patent chemical RM treatments you can buy over the counter in feed merchants are very expensive and only work on contact (as will cheap washing up liquid or a household disinfectant) or even worse some of the more available Red mite Powders and Sprays which use a mosquito repellent Citrodiol don't work at all.  You can spend tens of pounds using such products with no more success than using soap and water.

Once your RM have departed Diatomaceous  Earth DE mixed as a slurry i a disinfectant base with a wetting slurp of washing up liquid and painted on all roosts and nooks & crannies will prevent reinfestation.  It also helps to prevent droppings from sticking so just a scrape off is all that's needed and touch up bare patches rather than a hose out each time.

The old formula Jeyes may have worked but like many such disinfectants has been watered down by EU regulations so no longer is effective.  The toxic ingredients which killed wood boring insects and RM have been banned just like creosote.  The replacement component no longer seems as effective.  If your tin of Jeyes works in a residual way it's probably one you've had for some years.  I used to use Jeyes and Derris all banned (or modified formulas) now.

HF

[joyfull]

As has been pointed out Ficam W is not for the backyard poultry keeper unless you are licensed. Milban ex is readily available on the Internet and you could also use Harkermitex (which has replaced duramitex) this is approved for pigeon lofts so will be safe for chickens.

[hillfooter]

As has been pointed out Ficam W is not for the backyard poultry keeper unless you are licensed.

Or can hire someone who is.  Pesticide firms will do the job at a cost.  What you do and how you do it is your own concern but as with any garden or household insecticide you should use it in an approved manner for your own safety.

You should understand that to be effective any treatment must have an active ingredient which is toxic to the targeted species so the dream of a totally safe but entirely harmless treatment is probably just that, a dream.  There's no danger in selling inert medications so no regulatory restrictions in selling such ineffective treatments.  You can make lots of money for selling sterilised corn flour at inflated prices which is no more effective than dust with no risk of any liability.  Believe me there are plenty around who don't have any scrupples driving Ferrarris who are willing to sell you dreams and take your money.
HF

[featherhead]

Hi HF! Everytime you reply to my posts it is crazy how much information you have! You are awesome How do you know so much?! The slurry seems to be working the best, one week after applying it I swept the coop and found many dead RM in the dust. Since reapplying to the odd spots I haven't seen any more dead or alive so I'm hoping its all good for the winter.

Also, my little bully is doing much better now getting on with my other gals just great so thanks for your tips about her x

[Rita]

smoke bombs work kills anything that crawls, i use the one that you put in your greenhouse to kill bugs.

[featherhead]

Is that safe to use in a coop? :/