[Lindeggs]

Well that's a shame - but good on you for making the decision to let it go.  Be careful how you dispose of it now though.  I would suggest to the 'previous owner' that the whole thing should be burned!    Red mites can hang around for a long time without a chicken host.

Also be aware that the land that you've been treating it on is now likely to be covered in mites that have been blasted off the wood.  Is there any way you can set up your new run in a completely different area?

[GrannieAnnie]

Well although you didn't believe me that you had red mite in your big ark, please listen to this one!

HillsofDevon.co.uk is the best place on the internet for weldmesh.  the one a lot of us use is 1m x 30 metres which will make you a lovely big run!  it is £40 incl delivery and if you order it early enough, it is there the next day.

[hillfooter]

Well sadly, we have admitted defeat - we had a bug free day on the cleansed ark yesterday and I thought we might have done it - gone out mid morning today and its crawling again. I feel like we have invested too much time and money on trying to treat it. My husband is off getting some timber right now, to start building a nice purpose made extension to their current abode. Ho hum - thanks for your advice though, and Hillfooter - MANY thanks for your PM - we just have had enough of the blimmin thing now!

Will post under a new hread for advice on mesh for said new run!

It would be useful before you forget to actually let people know what methods you tried to eradicate RM from your house.  If it was just repeated cleaning it doesn't surprise me you didn't eradicate them as although RM are easy to kill with detergent, disinfectants or even UV in sunlight they ONLY work on contact or exposure.  RM hide in cracks and seams which you can't get access to particularly felt covered areas like roofs so practically you need to apply a longterm (residual) pesticide.  Although repeated cleaning using power hosing or steam cleaners will work on light infestations it sounded like you had a very heavy infestation. Did you try a pesticide like Milbenex or FICAM W which I've certain would have been successful?

Although you may think they weren't RM let me assure you they almost certainly were.  They have 4 live cycles as larvae, protonymphs moulting to duetonymphs moulting to the adult RM.  What you were seeing is the load of eggs hatching into the nymph stages which look like very tiny grey greenfly not at all like the adult stage.  You will have also seen the dander from their moulted skins which looks like a fine grey flakes.  RM can live for up to 8 months without a blood meal so they hang about unless you zap them.

The ground on which you were cleaning the house might now be infested with eggs which will hatch and infest your other houses so disinfect the area well.  I'd still be inclined to apply a pesticide to do this and it would be best to treat your other "clean" house because it won't be free for long otherwise.

If you are DIY ing a new house see Diggits post for design features to discourage mites and use PESERVATIVE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD which has been professionally applied and should contain a pesticide not one which is just treated with a water repellent which amateur ones you paint on do.  In the past preservatives contained creosote (now banned) or arsenic compounds which kept wood houses clear of RM for years but these days these are banned so they aren't as toxic to insects IRM aren't insects but are related to spiders) as previously which is why RM are an increasing problem.
Best of luck
HF

[BarnBrian]

I've found that using a steam cleaner first and then while the inside is still damp throw in a good handfull of diatomaceous earth, close off all but one entrance and then give the pile of DE a very short blast with a leaf blower.
BarnBrian

[SurreyLass]

We have kept the small ark and my husband is 90% finished on the new run extension for it - I will post a picture as soon as its done (hopefully later this evening - I think he has done an awesome job!!)