[Sideshoot]

after what seems like a constant battle this year with mites im thinkings of painting the inside of the coop with gloss white paint, a really heavy thick coat so all the crevices are filled up.
Would this be ok, obviously the girls would be kept out till it was dry and smell free.
My reason for considering it is because i could much reduce the tiny gaps they hide in etc plus make them v easy to spot.

[Sassy]

Personally this is not action I would take as when the paint starts to flake it may be ingested by the chooks. You would be better using a slurry of diatom, washing up liquid and ? Sorry minds gone blank, happens a lot these days!! Put Hillfooters slurry into the search box and that will give you the right info.

[GrannieAnnie]

Personally this is not action I would take as when the paint starts to flake it may be ingested by the chooks. You would be better using a slurry of diatom, washing up liquid and ? Sorry minds gone blank, happens a lot these days!! Put Hillfooters slurry into the search box and that will give you the right info.

"Water"  !!   

[JaK]

Red mite are driving me crazy too. Only in the wooden coop though. Just bought a can of ARDAP to try out.
I use poultry shield and diatom (including the slurry mix) but it's just not bumping them off fast enough. 

[Trillium]

When I get hens again, I know I'll be making and using this natural citrus disinfectant to control mites and other coop pests.

HERE.

[griff]

I started to get red mite in April and was advised to use Hemexsan powder as a spray or slurry.
It worked a treat in no time give it a dusting now and again it also keeps the smell down.

[mr.mellow]

Hemexsan is an organic product called Diatomaceous Earth,  and is formed from millions of microscopic one-cell algae call diatoms. The same product as most of us have used including Hillfooter who recommends it highly .

[Sassy]

Thank you Grannie Annie age is a terrible affliction!!

The slurry mix is a preventative rather than a cure but would help as part of the solution to curing.

[bainsk8]

I had this problem two years ago, I had to scrub everything twice every week to try my best at controlling it. In the end I waited until winter then changed the wooden nesting boxes over for metal ones and installed a sand pit with canopy.

This year I had no problems, it seems the mites were nesting/breeding mostly in the crevices of the nesting boxes, where its warm and food is near by at night.

I also now use recycled paper for the girls bedding in the boxes, as I believed the mites were brought into the coop by myself via the straw.

All our shredded paper and junk mail now gets a second life as I mix it with the recycled newspaper I buy in.

The money we save on the difference between recycled paper and straw is re-invested back into our girls via extra mealworm treats.

EDIT: I just read the "mite photo thread" and was shocked that people got rid of their wooden coops. I have a wooden coop and with felt roof. I sat for hours studying these little critters to work out how to tackle the problem. I worked out what their main breeding and feeding sites were and changed them only. Yes the mites were on every surface and under the felt but all the red, (fed mites) were in greater numbers around and in the nesting boxes.