[Brambles]

Sympathetic hugs for all with the dreadful red mites...  I did not know that they were still about at this time of year!   I felt like giving up my girls when I had my infestation in June, I just am soooooooooo thankful for Milbenex... It really worked for us.   I hope  you all manage to get control of the BEASTS and let your girls live in peace.

[Alby]

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/07/10/116447/Red-mite-relief-with-wet-powder-treatment.htm

     hope this link worked,  it did 

[8doubles]

The red mite should stop breeding with the cold weather unless you have a big flock and a warm henhouse. You should be able to get them under control soon.

[New shoot]

Poor you Alison - I had a mite invasion a couple of years ago out of no-where and you do worry yourself sick until you nail the little bleeders. It took me a couple of treatments so keep at 'em.

I use Red Mite Dusting Powder on the house litter every week now once I've cleaned out and dust the chicks once a month with the same stuff - oh how they love that    It's worked for me though - no reappearance of mites whatsoever 

[ehs284]

Janet,
You happy, chooks happy, me happy.

[hillfooter]

A big hug then............and don't worry you'll beat it with the Milbenex Alison I promise you and you can relax and put your feet up till next Spring.

You can exhaust yourself cleaning, blow torching,  smearing vaseline (liquid parafin), (can't think of anything more messy), painting parafin or diesel's another favourite, sprinkling diatom or even more futile Barrier Red Mite Powder, all to no avail I know I've done it too, but a good insecticide like Milbenex will do the trick everytime and have a lasting residual effect.

Once they have packed their bags you should paint your perches with a slurry of diatom added to strongly disinfected water (Vanodine W18 I use). Mix it to a thin batter and piant all surfaces of the perches, let dry.  It will work just as well once dry as sprinkling the powder to discouage RM and won't cause as much dust which I think is very risky for respiratory infections.  It will also help prevent the droppings sticking to the perches.  Don't sprinkle in their litter or nestboxes though the slurry is OK.  Don't bother with the expensive Barrier powder which is based on a mozzy repellant and is meant to be sprinkled on the body (the repellant was developed for use on humans for mozzies not chickens and red mite).  It is particularly useless sprinkled in the house as RM aren't attracted to wood or plastic, but birds.  It might smell nice but that's it's only redeeming feature and being dusty is more a potential hazard than a benefit.  Save your cash and buy a couple of bottles of wine "on special" to celebrate the end of your RM worries!
Regards

[batcatz]

During the past month I have sprayed with poultry shield, scrubbed with weak jeyes fluid and dusted with diatom, Can I have a group hug.   

Useful topic thanks!
I found red mite in my coop on Monday. waaaaaaaaaaah.    I gave it a full clean out washed everything, sprayed with poulty shield, dusted everything with diatom and barrier red mite powder.  Most were under an edge of newspaper in one side of nest box and where the wooden perch slots in.  I got rid of most.

Then I had a shower and changed my clothes!!!

I thought I'd been so careful as I always dusted with diatom, but hadn't done the poulty shield for a month.  I even shone a torch in the coop at night to check occasionally.

Maybe one of my new hens had a mite.

Gonna try a diatom slurry, but I did get loads to stick on the walls and perches as the poultry shield hadn't dried out. I didn't bring perches inside to dry as I'm scared the mites could transfer to my parrot.

 Please could someone send me a link to milbemax? 

Thanks and good luck Alison.  Its a shock to find red mite!