Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: upert on August 30, 2021, 08:00

Title: Mite powder, not diatom, with no odour
Post by: upert on August 30, 2021, 08:00

Hello

When I have red mite or scaly leg mite I dust the coop with a red mite powder which inevitably gets on my clothes etc and it has a very pervasive smell, not unpleasant to most, probably, yet i find it quite annoying. I imagine it's been added to make it fragrant. Yes, I do wash myself and my clothes yet I can still smell it and it's in the coop and my storage bin too

Does anyone know of an effective powder that doesn't smell? I also emply liquid cleaners etc to combat mites in the coop yet use powder too to make sure.

I looked after someone else's chickens for a week and now mine have scaly leg... yet it could've been introduced my wild birds, rodents etc. I'm cleaning the birds' legs and using petroleum jelly but wish to clean the coop too.

Does the smell affect others or is it just me?

Thanks

Title: Re: Mite powder, not diatom, with no odour
Post by: grinling on August 31, 2021, 21:19

look up Hillfooters slurry in search box.
You could try using your powder instead of dichotomous earth.
When the chickens moult, clear up everything as mites may attack legs again.
Check them over for lice, I put louse powder where they dustbath.

Title: Re: Mite powder, not diatom, with no odour
Post by: 8doubles on October 09, 2021, 23:12

I just used food grade diatomaceous earth, no additives or smell and Dettol if i found any red mite colony.
Never had a problem with reinfestation using a light dust of DE in cracks and corners now and again.