[ste23]

went back to the lady who we had the chikens off brought some stuff of her  that i had to paint on the coop inside and out as we had a very bad infestation ,,not now they have gone and our chickens are happy as we are back to five eggs a day i can find out what the stuff is called if any body else wants to try it
 

[joyfull]

please do find out what it was called as I'm sure it would be of interest to people on here 

[Abacus]

please do find out what it was called as I'm sure it would be of interest to people on here 

Ditto!

[orchardlady]

Awaiting with baited breath here Ste23!!

Orchardlady 

[Aunt Sally]

<twiddles thumbs>  Hope it's not an illegal for amateurs product  

[Spana]

<twiddles thumbs>  Hope it's not an illegal for amateurs product  

Just what i was thinking but didn't like to say

[joyfull]

if it is for professionals only it won't make the approved list in the poultry information section 

[SurreyLass]

You have only had your chickens a few weeks havent you? How on earth have you got such a bad infestation so quickly? Was it a pre-used house?

[ste23]

hi just spoke to the lady ,the stuff for getting rid of red mite is called diatom and it fossilised sea shells , and some times its called smite but you have to buy the powder and mix it into a paste and paint it on the coop inside and out it took me and my daughter 4 hours to do but it was worth it the lady said my chicken was at deaths door but now she looks as good as the others , ,we was told to take the straw out as the red mite live in it because its hollow ,,i still look every day and nothing ,and to say we had a realy bad case of it   we had a brand new coopthe lady cant understand why we had it so bad 

[hillfooter]

New houses are treated with a preservative which usually includes a component (insecticide) to kill woodworm and other wood boring insects.  It kills red mite too.

Diatom (DE) doesn't usually zapp a established bad infestation of red mite but it does deter them colonising a house initially as they don't like the abrasive dehydrating conditions.  Already established colonies are usually deep into the cracks and crevices into which the DE doesn't penetrate.  The likelihood is therefore that the infestation came in with the straw and getting rid of it and the insecticide in the wood preservative did the trick not the DE.

Incidentally the wood preservative used to treat new wood is usually pressure injected and the actual chemical is pro use only so you can't reapply the same again.  The preservative you can buy at B&Q is just a water repellant so doesn't contain an insecticide.  This is why often new houses aren't infested for several years until the initial injected preservative is leached out with frequent washing with detergent (Poultry Shield for example) and rain.  Novices are often lulled into a sense of false security thinking they are immune from RM as they usually start with a newly treated house.

HF

[clairerey]

Heya not too far off topic.. i found two big red mites on the lid of the coop. i have searched everywhere else, even took the felt off and cant find anymore. Am i just missing them or is it possible that we only had two?
claire x

[hillfooter]

In the day time they hide well.  If you had roof felt you will definitely have a colony somewhere.  In a joint in the wood under a perch somewhere you can be sure.

HF

[Casey76]

Red mites are tiny and in day time are usually grey in colour (they can be mistaken for ash or dander when in clumps).  They only turn red when they have been feeding, at night.

Are you sure you haven't seen red spider mites which are a completely different arthropod and completely harmless to chickens?

[Julias hens]

Am reading your red mite articles closely as we have had trouble all summer!!!   Everytime I think I clear a house of them they seem to sneak back a short while later.  Now am looking to move the hens into winter accommodation I would like to sort their houses out properly - any advice please
 

[ste23]

hi i was told that they can walk up to 10 metres so i clean ours out as far away from the coop
as  i can, we had red mite  very bad figers crossed the little beggers have gone and i dust the girls with buz busters louse powder by nettex