[debih]

This morning whilst cleaning out my girls I spotted signs of the dreaded red mite. 

I last gave the house a really good scrub back November when we had some mild and dry days.  I took the roof off and everything out, gave it a really good scrub and treated for red mite.  Since then I have been cleaning it out every week and dusting the girls in case of red mite and have seen no sign of the dreaded little beasties until this morning when I spotted some on the perches.

I have bought the perches down into the house and scrubbed them and am leaving them to dry and I have given the house a good dusting down with red mite powder but I am unsure about taking the house to pieces and giving it a massive scrub down as I am worried that it will not be dry before dusk.

I have no where else to move the chickens to when I am scrubbing down so have always relied on hot days to get the house dry in the sun before they go back in at night.

What am I to do at this time of year.  At the moment it is pouring it down with rain/sleet so I know that even if I had done it first thing this morning it would still be wet by dusk.

Should I just continue to dust the house and chickens down until the better weather comes when I can take the house to pieces to give it a really good going over or do I need to take some other action now?

[kegs]

It depends on the products you've got to hand (unless you've got a supplier that's open today).  I'd give it a good scrub near the perches and any gaps (as well as the perches themselves), a good spray with Poultry Shield and a good coating of Hillfooter's slurry.  Then give it a more thorough going over when it's a dry day.

[debih]

Thanks.    I will have a bash at it in the morning.

Will it matter too much if it isn't completely dry when they go back in at night do you think?

[joyfull]

you can help to get the coop dry (if it is only just slightly damp) by using Stalosan F which is a powdered disinfectant.

[bood77]

what are red mite and can you get them all over the world

[joyfull]

take a look at this page bood and you will see redmites:-

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=5250.0

They are grey until they have sucked some blood from birds. They are found on wild birds and this is often how our birds get them. They are really tiny and they breed really quickly. Even when doing a thorough clean they can hide in the smallest space and survive. Just washing a coop on the ground it stands on will not get rid of them as they will land on the floor and climb back up. They can live for many months without feeding  .
Where in the world are you?

[bood77]

In austraila