cleaning out the coop

I'm no scientist but a I understand it Poultry Shield is a detergent that breaks down the waxy coating of red mite and so the mite desiccates (dries out). It has no residual effect, so in other words once dry it will have no effect on any parasites. I think it is excellent stuff but I cannot think of anything 'natural' that would do the job apart from diatomaceous  earth that is  the shells of millions of tiny sea creatures that if looked at through a microscope look like shards of glass. As the mite walks across it it cuts the waxy coating of the mite and it desiccates. I would suggest as a preventative you mix up a slurry of diatomaceous earth with either water or Poultry Shield and a good squirt of washing up liquid. Make it the consistency of thick pouring custard or gloss paint. Then 'paint' the inside of your hen house and nest boxes, fill in every nook and cranny. You will get it everywhere including all over yourself but it dries very quickly and brushes off clothes easily. Choose a warm dry day to do this and pay particular attention to perches and perch ends. I've found that this is an excellent preventative and is easy to do and easy to 'touch up'.

Best wishes.

Orchardlady