HHEELLLLLPPPPPPP - I've got red mites!!!

[NicolaT]

Hi all.

We have 6 chickens in total - they are lovely - but we are having a problem with red mites. We've had the chickens since April this year and last month was the first time that we noticed any red mites in their wooden coop - in all the crevices, corners and in their sawdust/straw.

We immediately got rid of all the sawdust/straw and went out and bought the Poultry Shiled spray for the coop and the powder equivalent to rub into the chickens feathers - but the problem continued! We sprayed the coop every night whilst the chickens were out on their 2hour walk in the garden (giving enough time for the spray to dry thouroughly) and we powdered the chickens every 5 days - still mites!.

On Monday, we took everything apart and I got my steam cleaner and sprayed everything (the red mites cooked in the steam and turned black - Oh the enjoyment I got out of it!!!), every nook and crannie; took the perch apart, took the nesting box apart - steam cleaned, then sprayed again with poultry shield, left to dry and put it all back together again - powdered the chickens.......haleluijah (???) yesterday we were then mite free - yippee.....But Today - mites in the nesting box again!!!

We are at our witts end

. We have 6 chickens and some days we are only getting 2 eggs per day. Some days we get 4, but before the mites we we getting at least 5 per day without fail!!!

What else can we do???? Anyone else had this problem???

Many thanks,

Nicola

 

[Nonny]

Are you certain they're mites?

The reason I ask is that I thought I had mites in the coop as every time I changed the nesting material or cleared off the poop tray there were hundreds of tiny bugs all over it, but on closer inspection they turned out to be little flying things that were attracted to the smell of the poop.

Perhaps if miticide isn't working then you have a problem with a different sort of bug.

 

[NicolaT]

Hi.

I believe they are mites. Sometimes they are black/grey things, but then I read that they are red when they've fed from the chickens blood.

I've ben on this site now for hours and taken notes of everything people have used, but I live in the UK and I'm not sure if it's all the same stuff over here. My notes include:

Cedar shavings/Cedar oil;
Food Grade DE (Diatomaceous Earth);
5% and 10% Sevin (Carbaryl);
Stall Dry;
Dawn Soap;
TKO - Citrus Oil;
Permetherin - (natural from flowers);
Borax washing soda (although someone else has posted that it is poisonous);
Chlordane, 2-4,5-T, Freon (Haven't a clue what these are)
Also to worm them with Ivermectin.

I feel so helpless

N

 

[NicolaT]

So, after spending the whole day - (literally my bottom is numb!!!!) researching on this site what to do about RED MITES, I am now going to search for the most value for money DIATOMACEOUS EARTH (DE Food Grade).....and a puffer with a tube to get into all the nooks & crannies.

Does anyone have any ideas where I can find it in the UK?

The best I have found so far is on ebay - 25kg sack for 28pounds plus 7.50 p&p

Hope someone can help me

Regards.

N

 

[Animalian]

Personally I would be sealing up all the 'nooks and crannies' you speak of, then painting everything inside the coop white. This make's it easier to spot the mites, so you can treat before you get a full blown infestation.

I would be giving them shredded paper for nesting material (again easier to see the mites and they can't hide as well), and sand as a substrate for the rest of the coop, the mites won't try to hide in that.

Try to make the coop as inhospitable as possible to the mites, then treat. I heard good things about ivermectin (Ivomec Sheep Drench

) or moxidectin (Cydectin Sheep Drench

, Scatt

, Moxidectin Plus

). Depending on the formulation used, these drugs can be applied to the skin on the back of the neck; crop drenched; or put in the bird’s drinking water. Give 3 treatments, each 2 weeks apart, but other vets find that only 1 or 2 treatments are usually necessary. Also spray the birds with pyrethrin sprays.

 

[peachachecha]

NicolaT, I belong to the club Omlet in the UK, I have an Eglu Go. Go to htt://Club.omlet.co.uk/forum. I have seen many things on this forum about your problem and what they use in the UK and also where they have gotten them. You do not have to have a Omlet product to join, they will welcome you with open arms. You should get your answers on there. Good luck!

 

[Judy]

DE will not stop an infestation. Really. For this problem please don't waste your money. If you can get Sevin, it will, eventually. What happens is, whatever you do does not kill the eggs so a week or so later you have new hatchlings. Some people have had to retreat, reclean, respray etc. several times. But you will win in the end. Since you are in the UK, that Omlet suggestion may be the way to go.

The UK thread here doesn't look to be very active, but perhaps you could PM a few people for info on what works, and/or post in the thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2199&p=1

 

[Judy]

read here on DE:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=478958&p=2

 

[GA_in_GA]

There was a discussion earlier this year when I had issues with mites and lice on my chickens.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=465712&p=5

Please read the discussions, as I am not saying this is the best way to go.