[Lost in France]

I can honestly say that I never have a red mite problem and put this down to cleaning twice weekly and spraying down this Poultry Shield them shajking Diatom on the clean shavings. Poultry Shield is fantastic stuff! I tried all sorts before using it and nothing worked as consistently!

Judi

[joyfull]

fingers crossed that you never do but I did all that and still got them - they are often transported on wild birds 

[hillfooter]

I can honestly say that I never have a red mite problem and put this down to cleaning twice weekly and spraying down this Poultry Shield them shajking Diatom on the clean shavings. Poultry Shield is fantastic stuff! I tried all sorts before using it and nothing worked as consistently!

Judi

I never had them for years either only when you get an infestation and then eliminate it can you actually ascribe a benefit to the methods you use.  

If your house is wood and relatively new  (less than 3 years old) or has been treated with creosote then you are unlikely to get them.  Also if your house is plastic and is kept clean and free from dirt in the seams you wouldn't get them either as RM need humid damp conditions which is why DE also is beneficial.  Any detergent will help clean your house and kill bacterial or red mite PS or cheep washing up liquid.

HF

[ehs284]

Have a look at HF's guides last year (?). Using diatomaceous earth painted onto internal surfaces and a good spray with Ficam seems to have worked OK for last two summers.

[HAPPYCHICKENHOME]

Unfortuantely my chicken coop is a shed and there is no way it can be lifted up - I have dusted it and have now put on my 2nd batch of poultry shield - unfortunately could not get the new roof done at weekend so have ordered bits and hopefully this weekend at which point have another couple of things that have been recommended and will use them when the new roof goes on, luckily had a squirrel down chimney - not - so have also put all the soot around the outside of the house as well, hopefully something good will come out of that little disaster - anyway the good news for the chickens are that there are definitely less mites, but, they are still there so keep dusting, spraying and very satisfyingly squish on sight

[8doubles]

Unfortuantely my chicken coop is a shed and there is no way it can be lifted up - I have dusted it and have now put on my 2nd batch of poultry shield - unfortunately could not get the new roof done at weekend so have ordered bits and hopefully this weekend at which point have another couple of things that have been recommended and will use them when the new roof goes on, luckily had a squirrel down chimney - not - so have also put all the soot around the outside of the house as well, hopefully something good will come out of that little disaster - anyway the good news for the chickens are that there are definitely less mites, but, they are still there so keep dusting, spraying and very satisfyingly squish on sight

If you perches are removable you can paint the end 1" with a thin but sticky mix of vaseline and the mite killer/ repellent of choice , i used tea tree oil (because there was a bottle handy !) making it harder for the mite to get to the hens !
Another weapon in the war against redmite !

[HAPPYCHICKENHOME]

I had never had a problem previous to this as I clean every week with jeyes and then powder areas - think its down to a bad winter that has damaged my roof and then a few weeks here of very humid weather - so not noticing straight away the little blighters get a hold and then you have to play catch up.  The problem with chicken coops are that they are expensive to purchase and even though I like the idea of a plastic chicken coop they are soooo expensive, I also like with my shed the fact that I can walk in clean it (obviously not successfully at present!) but that if they chickens need anything doing to them with regard to health they are not alarmed that I am there and they are at waist height which for someone that suffers with a bad back is important - maybe I shall start a fund for plastic....  Thanks for all the help and info.