[Roughlee Handled]

Red mite is everywhere you will never rid the world of it. I use Milbenex it has a residual effect (so it stays in the wood) and kills em when they come back. Its like Creosote but legal to use and you can put your chickens straight back into the coop.
Creosote  was banned because of its carcinogens.

The ban was for on new buildings or structures and can only be applied by approved contracts.

[GrannieAnnie]

I've just got some prices of Bowden and Knights for bits I want and Milbenex is £42.50 for 1 litre, I know they say I think it makes up into 50 litres?  but that would probably only do my houses once!!

but then say once a year?  mmmmm.....

[woodside farm]

The creosote from scats is not illegal, and goes a very long way.

Michelle xx

[Foxy]

Well I have been using it for 3 years, dont know if my experience helps!
I have 11 houses, the largest being 6X4 most around 3X4 with a couple of broody houses all wooden and most felted. I only do the houses twice a year early spring and very late autumn. I make up 1 or 2 litres at a time in a pressure sprayer thingy (I use 40ml to make up 2 litres). I find the 1000ml bottles do go a long way, particulary if it only needs to prevent them. I only have had red-mite once since using and that was in a brand new broody arc in which my broody had been in for I think 3 weeks and it was infested - I had forgotten to spray it!
It is expensive admittedly, however, I buy diatom as well from them and my last invoice was only £4.00 for 2.5kg which I though was very reasonable! I only buy large orders, my virkon and any thing else comes from them, so this keeps down the P&P. I think now I would be scared to use anything else as redmite is my worst nightmare!

[detox]

What do they look like and how big are they? Not so sure i want them around atall and ive been scratching my head for ages and keep asking me other half to check for nits!!!!

[Roughlee Handled]

British Five Pence is the coin used for scale.

What do they look like and how big are they? Not so sure i want them around atall and ive been scratching my head for ages and keep asking me other half to check for nits!!!!

[colliebird]

Excellent photos showing exactly what the mites look like, though when they haven't been blood sucking, they look like very tiny specks of black dust.

After two days of using newspaper and carton on the floor, I'm going back to fine shavings because newspaper and carton have made such a mess.  I was so frustrated with all this red mite horror that I emptied Cluckingham Palace this morning and hosed the whole place down.  Walls, floors, ceilings, the lot.  Squeeged out the wet and have opened up all the vents, windows etc,  to let it dry out, then I'm putting in a new bale of shavings with lots of diatomous earth sprinkled in it.  I've put shredded paper in the nesting boxes, with lots of DE in them so the hens will get it on them when they lay.
An opened bale of shavings I had in the coop has been dumped and burned as it is probably heaving with mites.

My dogs are deflead and my doctor has given me hydrocortisone cream for the bites I have all over my arms and body, which itch so much I feel like tearing my skin open.
My dogs have been treated with Frontline and the house has been sprayed with anti-insect/flea.  I'm showering and washing my hair several times a day and the clothing I wear into the coop goes immediately into the washing machine.

I kept hens, ducks, geese, turkey, goats and sheep for years when I lived in Switzerland, but I never ever saw any nasties.
I "think" I've got rid of most of the mites, but there were still a few on the perch this morning. Very few, but still there. 
Where do these #@*%£?<~# come from originally?

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[poppies]

Hi a way of testing to see if you have a redmite problem is to dab a small amount of white spirit on a spot inside of the empty house they will start to run about, I do not mean use it to get rid of them

someone gave  us a coop they didnt want and it was alive with them, we sprayed it with poultry shield and thought we had got rid of them  but when we turned it over it was still alive underneath so in the end  we burnt it

[Spadefighter]

Just seems to me that anything that works has been banned. Really fed up. Local poultry seller told me just to powder the grass so am trying that for now, then I will try mowing them up in a day or 2. Not trying to rid the world of 'em, just want to be able to go out without bringing 500 in with me!

[colliebird]

I don't know how many of you use diatameous earth, but I've just found a supplier on eBay who sells it cheaper than the people who make it.  It's Diatom, 15gks for £49.99, and after Googling for about an hour, that really is very cheap.
I finished off my last tub putting loads of the stuff in nest boxes, their dust bath and heavy dusting all over the shavings on the floor.  If they doesn't help get rid of the b*****s,
nothing will.
I'm beginning to wonder if it is really worth it 
Please tell me it will all go away soon 

[poultrygeist]

It seems that the price of all the remedies makes it cheaper to burn the coop (as some have done) and rebuild. Something I may bear in mind for the future.

I've got one more local supplier to try then I'll relent and use t'interweb with its extortionate postage.

Would diatom sprinled on the lawn and covered work ?

Rob

[colliebird]

It seems that the price of all the remedies makes it cheaper to burn the coop (as some have done) and rebuild. Something I may bear in mind for the future.

I've got one more local supplier to try then I'll relent and use t'interweb with its extortionate postage.

Would diatom sprinled on the lawn and covered work ?

Rob

Personally, if I had them on my lawn (posh word for dogs grass garden I'd spray with an insecticide, or even insecticide in a watering can and cover the lot.  These mites
are really getting me down.

[Foxy]

I don't know how many of you use diatameous earth, but I've just found a supplier on eBay who sells it cheaper than the people who make it.  It's Diatom, 15gks for £49.99, and after Googling for about an hour, that really is very cheap.
I finished off my last tub putting loads of the stuff in nest boxes, their dust bath and heavy dusting all over the shavings on the floor.  If they doesn't help get rid of the b*****s,
nothing will.
I'm beginning to wonder if it is really worth it 
Please tell me it will all go away soon 

well I had posted I get diatom from bowden and Knight for £4.00 for 2.5kgs.....err is that cheeper!

[colliebird]

well I had posted I get diatom from bowden and Knight for £4.00 for 2.5kgs.....err is that cheeper!
[/quote]

A lot cheaper in fact half the price but you didn't mention how much you paid for it alas, otherwise I'd have ordered from them.  I've just spoken to the person at Bowden and Knight and she recommends a product called Ficam for spraying, or creosote, but also recommends diatameous earth.  I'll definitely be buying from them next time.
Thanks

[colliebird]

A lot cheaper in fact half the price but you didn't mention how much you paid for it alas, otherwise I'd have ordered from them.  I've just spoken to the person at Bowden and Knight and she recommends a product called Ficam for spraying, or creosote, but also recommends diatameous earth.  I'll definitely be buying from them next time.
Thanks
[/quote]

Oops! Just found your post where you quoted the price.