Help I have a red mite problem :(

[subhanalah]

Welcome to BYC, MACKSFLOCK!
I noticed this I your first post. I've been looking for DE. How should I use it?

you shouldn't use it for mite infestation.
There are several threads (is there a sticky?) About it, you can use the "search" function on BYC. Sorry I don't have one on hand.

 

[ALJhappychicken]

Alright. What does DE do and what do I use it for?

 

[happyhens1972]

Where can I find sevens dust in the uk? And what's wood ash? X

Hi hon, I am in the UK too.....you can get Harkamectin (designed for pidgeons) to treat your birds. Three drops on the back of the neck and one under each wing for a standard LF bird.

Thoroughly clean out and wash your hen house using a mild bleach solution. When dry, sprinkle permethrin ant powder liberally on all surfaces and especially into cracks and crevices, making sure there's a heavy dose in the sockets that hold your perches. This will kill the mites chemically.

As an ongoing preventative, sprinkle liberally with Diatomaceous Earth which kills by dehydrating crawling insects. You can buy it over here under the brand names 'Diatom' and 'Smite' but can also buy on Ebay as DE (food grade).

I have used the above methods with great success as the UK mite population do not seem to be quite as chemical resistant as the US strains.

You will need to get on top of this problem quickly as the season is ripe for them to multiply in their millions and at a time when there tends to be either young birds or broodies around, they are more likely to be weakened and die from the loss of blood caused by the dreaded mites.

 

[MACKSFLOCK]

Thank you!

I've used various chemicals over the years trying to rid the mites from my coops and they all worked at first... but wore off very quickly.
I've been using DE for years and I have found its THE best stuff.

You can apply it straight onto the chickens as it sticks to their feathers by static, I also put it in their dust baths so they can get a top up now and then.
I was told to hang the chickens upside down and sprinkle it over them, but I didn't like the idea of hanging them by their legs so I just rub it through their feathers with my hands. Get plenty of it under their wings and upper legs

For the coop. what I did was removed all the old bedding and sprinkled it over the floor of the coop, in the nest boxes and on the perches and then put fresh bedding down. I took some extra time to rub it into all the cracks and crevices the mites could hide in. I made sure that I got it everywhere I possibly could.

I also mix it in with the fresh bedding while its in the bags and store it for a few days. just to make sure that none come back from the farm where I get my sawdust and hay bales from.

I even sprinkle a little bit in my flat cap after I've washed it so they can't hitch hike in my hair! HAHA