[slowef]

I was talking to the lady I buy Chickens from at market yesterday about red mites,  She has been breeding and keeping birds for 40 years so is in my opinion a bit of an expert.

She says she uses ant powder to kill red mite and has for some years and she has never had any problems. She puffs it aound the house into all the nooks and crannys and under nest boxes etc all those hard to get at places.   She also puts some down where the dust bath and it has been very sucessful.

Red mite powder 9-10 quid ant powder 95p  worth a go me thinks

[si-mate]

Just bare in mind that ant powder won't have been tested for safe use on poultry and in particular with food producing animals.

[Aunt Sally]

That's just what I was  going to say Si  

If the manufacturers of ant powder could say it was safe for food animals then they would take advantage of the commercial opportunity and make a  fortune.

As Munty says - there's no such thing as an expert  :!:

[chickychick]

did she say which kind of ant powder?, I dare say there are lots of different kinds with different chemicals in them, I am a bit concerned about using a chemical for long term use.

Is it really worth saving a few quid if you or your chicekns might get sick?  Im all for saving money though    just think the whole point of your own chickens is often that you can make sure they dont get nasty chemicals into your eggs.
thanks for the info though I am still pretty curious

[jack russell]

Just bare in mind that ant powder won't have been tested for safe use on poultry and in particular with food producing animals.

With that said would it be on sale to the public if it wern't safe for animals domestic or other.  Just a thought  

cheers

jr

[si-mate]

Yes because you are not likely to eat your doormat, or lawn etc.

Chicky sums it up well - why bother having your own eggs if you are just going to use chemicals that are likely worse than used in commercial farms?

Plus products for use on animals and particularly food producing animals are subject to much stricter legislation. They will be HSE approved and licensed which costs the manufacturer 000's of £.

[Aunt Sally]

Yes because you are not likely to eat your doormat, or lawn etc.

Chicky sums it up well - why bother having your own eggs if you are just going to use chemicals that are likely worse than used in commercial farms?

Commercial farms cannot use anything not licenced for poultry !

[slowef]

Once again shot down in flames I will keep to myself in future, I thought sharing was what its all about.

I am not an expert but consider anyone with many years behind them to be very knowledgable and an expert in my eyes.  40 Years of keepinng chickens is probably a lot more than anyone here has so I thought it worth a mention.

[si-mate]

Yes because you are not likely to eat your doormat, or lawn etc.

Chicky sums it up well - why bother having your own eggs if you are just going to use chemicals that are likely worse than used in commercial farms?

Commercial farms cannot use anything not licenced for poultry !

Sorry I didn't put that very well. I meant that smallholders will use less chemicals (disinfectants, feed additives, anti-biotics etc.) than commercial farms which is why we prefer to grow our own than buy from supermarkets.

[Aunt Sally]

Once again shot down in flames I will keep to myself in future, I thought sharing was what its all about.

I am not an expert but consider anyone with many years behind them to be very knowledgable and an expert in my eyes.  40 Years of keepinng chickens is probably a lot more than anyone here has so I thought it worth a mention.

Slowef, please don't forget that these are only our opinions and don't stop sugesting things to the forum that you have come across.  It IS what it's all about.  

We may well be quite wrong, you just have to listen to opinions including the 40 year chicken keeper and make up your own mind.  If she eats her chickens and eggs with no ill effect then she could well be right, the ant powder manufacturers will be kicking themselves at the lost opportunity.

[si-mate]

Sorry Slowef, I didn't mean to offend you.

Ant powder is probably a very good cure for red mite and likely safe for use, but as it hasn't been scientifically tested you can't be sure it's safe for your birds and more importantly you and your family.

[richyrich7]

Hey Slowef I use it ! only where the perch and the perch brackets meet and the hens can't get to, but it seems to work very well, I have mentioned it before on a thread, but no one seemed to have picked up on it.

Please keep posting your thought ideas etc we all learn from them, even Katie Thear doesn't class herself as an expert, as no one knows everything.

[Bodger]

As a one time professional pest controller I can tell you that the chances are that the ant powdwer is as safe as anyother insecticide to use around chickens.

The fact that it hasn't been approved for use on and around chickens is almost certainly due to commercial considerations.
It costs a great deal of money to have products tested and then approved for use and a commercial decision has or was taken that it was not financially viable to go ahead and do it.

You may also find that there is a virtually identical product under another brand name that has been passed for poultry use.

[muntjac]

time for me to pop up ..i think folks was a little to excitable in answering the post so lets all have a cuppa n a slice of cake please anty

 ok here's a few muntys tips for controlling the *. but firstly
the ant powder is ok as it uses pymethrin in that and the normal red mite killers. its just expensive for most users ..dick my mentor uses up any he has left in the winter to blow into gaps n cracks . he has to use it around the hall on the concrete ballustrades and pathways ...not on his birds ..so slowf is right to a point the lady did say she uses it on the house not the birds to the point where its in the dust bath . the lady has probably had no problem with it on her birds or the eggs or she would have not been talking to her .

thanks for the info slowf now go and have a cuppa  

 right here are a few more tips on dealing with mites gleaned from myself and other chicken folks
mix vasaline with liquiid parafin and paint that in the gaps  
vaseline we know that werks on the legs etc
carbolic soap in the cracks again.. leave a bar in hot water to go all soggy n then put the mix in a squeesy botle squirt it in th gaps /.dont dilute it more than a couple pints
double sides sticky tape over gaps etc
cola - the coke sticks to em n kills em by rotting the shells ... what do it do to our stomachs
put a white sheet over the door to the coop and leave it overnight n in the morning it wil be covered in em .... they love white things  

[Aunt Sally]

My favourite cake for all  



Fantastic information as usual Munty  :!: