Red mites

[myguy77]

Hi all. Recently noticed the red mites in my coop. I'm in Australia and I have completely cleaned out the coop and dusted the coop and roost bars with pestene powder. I've also dusted the hens. How long do people so this for to get the mites eradicated. Also, do the red mites travel from the chickens around my yard as they free range most of the day. Just don't want them everywhere.
Thanks.

 

[CrazyChookz]

Hi,
I am an Aussie too, and have had problems with red mites too. Depending on the amount of mites the time it takes varies (a lot). Would you say you have a few or an infestation or inbetween? And once the mites do go away its advisable to regularly dust with powder (especially coops or the like) as they will probably come back. I have heard that every 6 months is good. Mites tend to not survive long away from the chicken so don't worry too much, and if it makes it any better, mites cannot bite humans and cannot survive on humans either.
Hope this helped!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

.... Mites tend to not survive long away from the chicken so don't worry too much, and if it makes it any better, mites cannot bite humans and cannot survive on humans either.....

After a feed the red mite can live for a good (or Bad) long time with or without a bird host. If they haven't fed recently they are gray. They are only red after feeding on your chickens' blood. In the daytime when they aren't feeding on your chickens blood they hide out or live in the cracks and crannies in the coops' wood. This is also where they breed and lay their eggs.

Look at this link.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/941236/red-mites#post_14493580

 

[myguy77]

Hi. Thanks for the replies. I only noticed mites when I housed down the poop tray from my coop. I clean this weekly with the house and daily I scrape the poo. When I started hosing the mites came crawling out.
I'm using pestene powder. Is this safe to use and when can my kids pick up the chickens after dusting? ?
Thanks again.