do you think heat would kill mites/bedbugs?

[joan1708]

I'm building my coop out of old fence. So, I think I will have a higher mite infestation risk. I've heard a new way to kill bedbugs is heat. 120-130 degrees for 3 hrs will kill all adults, nymphs and eggs. I also heard taking a hair dyer and blowing it in cracks will make them come out. So, I'm thinking this may work in the coop also. During the spring clean-out, I will likely take a blow dryer to the walls and floor to make sure nothing comes out. I also think covering the coop with a tarp and putting a space heater in for 3 hours and getting the temp up to 120-130 degrees for a couple hours would be good for the sanitation of the coop (As long as I don't catch it on fire!). Has anyone done this or have any thoughts on the subject?

 

[dawg53]

High enough temperatures will just about kill anything I would imagine. So would my next electric bill. I think it would be cheaper to use a sprayer with bleachwater in it and spray everything, then do it again in 7-10 days. If you decide to use the hair dryer, let us know how it works out. BTW, how did the bugs hold up in the heat yall had this past summer?

 

[joan1708]

It surprisingly wasn't a bad year since there was no rain. It was a very light year for mosquitoes. I am in healthcare and have seen several cases of bedbug bites on people. According to the internet and animal channels on TV, they are becoming a big problem. I read they are also a problem in chickens. This creeps me out a little and I want to be ahead of the game.

 

[stoopid]

Do yourself a favor, and heed this warning. Use a vacuum first, before you do any blowing.
Trust me on this one. I never had any idea how much crap was actually inside all of those little nooks and cracks and crannies, until I did something really stoopid.
Now I know how diseases are harbored in coops.
Seriously!

 

[EweSheep]

Chickens CAN harbor bedbugs???? That is new to me!