Red Mite

We've just had an idea about dealing with the red mite problems but was wondering if anyone had tried it before or anything similar...

As the red mite get into the smallest cracks, between joints of wood we wondered about painting the whole of the inside of the chicken house (and probably the outside as well) with a waterproofing paint, something similar to the stuff that you put on a felt roof to seal it.  As far as I can read from the COSHH sheets it is safe once dry but would provide a barrier that the red mite would hopefully find difficult to penetrate.  It would almost provide a rubberised coating which would also make it easier to clean out.

What does anyone think?

Sealing the nooks & crannies is a good idea but I'm not sure a bitumen paint is a good idea or any paint the chx might peck off.

Try making up a slurry of diatomaceous earth DE. Mix a surface concentration of Vanodine V18 disinfectant add a dash of fairy liquid and add the DE to the liquid to form a light batter consistency and paint on all perch surfaces and in every corner and seam.  Best not to use the dust directly in the house and don't dust the chx directly.  Dust suspended in the air is an irritant to the chx respiratory systems and one speck of dust can carry thousands of viruses and is a great vector for infections so keen  dust in the house down.

I'd echo the advice on burning contaminated litter and avoiding spreading it about.

When washing out a house use warm water with a DETERGENT in it.  Poultry Shield is effective but expensive and cheap washing up liquid will probably work as well along with a disinfectant like Vanodine V18.

A steam cleaner is very effective as it kills the adults and eggs where as a pressure sprayer just washes the itsybitsey spiders down the water spout but they crawl right back when the sun comes out!  Jeyes isn't effective unfortunately (modern formulations?) and apart from the satifaction of incinerating the little blighters and the excitement of not knowing if the house will go up in flames, a blow torch just has a temporary effect on the RM.  Though a permanent blackening effect on the house.  Not a good idea on an eglu either.

The agents for pesticides is Bowden & Knights.  I understood Ficam W to be pro use only product also.  It does give a long lasting residual protection though.
HF

could i just ask would redmite be more popular in some areas of the country than in others, are there certain factors that would determine whether your at risk of redmite as in the weather, climate etc   nickyx

No Nicky, Red Mite aren't popular anywhere and certainly not here

However they do like hot humid conditions.
HF