I am looking into plastic & plastic composite coops to help battle red mite. Any thoughts...

[Olive Patch]

I have used many methods of attack, very persistently. I have effectively killed off vast swaths of them, however they come back. They emerge in much smaller numbers & don’t get out of control, because I stay on top of them. Part of the issue is my large wooden coop. Is is an Amish built, sturdy, insulated, well made structure. However, it is made entirely of wood, with lots of places for them to hideout.
I am aware that there are still places for them to hide & colonize in a plastic coop. However, they will be much more limited & cannot burrow into plastic. So with continued good husbandry & persistent preventative methods, I think I will be better off with plastic.
I am also aware that unhealthy levels of moisture can build up in plastic coops. However, I don’t live in a humid climate & I will monitor the moisture level.
Any thoughts?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

What are you using? Have you doused (sp) all the crevices with liquid permethrin?

Mine is similar and before I moved the birds in I did a good coat of paint everywhere to help seal as many cracks and crevices and pores as possible.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

BTW I have one wood and one plastic coop and I'd say humidity is the same. That part comes down to ventilation.

 

[Latestarter]

If you are properly treating the inside of the coop, the problem should not repeatedly recur... Or at least if it does, the coop should not be the source. The bugs hide in cracks and seams, but to my understanding, they don't "bore" into the wood. They are surface pests and if you treat "all" surfaces, that should take care of it. If you then seal the wood and all cracks with a paint or sealant, they can't get back in there.

You can also add DE (please, food grade only) to the bedding to help kill bugs that are present but it won't work in a wet environment (I read you said humidity isn't an issue). Some advise against it, but others have used sevin dust in the bedding to kill insects. Sevin breaks down pretty quickly but it is toxic to bees, so be aware of that issue.

Good luck going forward no matter your choice!

 

[Folly's place]

My repeat mite issues have always been because of repeated exposure to wild birds; those wrens and sparrows who hang around and come in for food at every opportunity!
I use permethrin spray and it works great!
Mary

 

[speckledhen]

I agree with Mary (Folly's Place) on the permethrin. DE will not kill those mites. I've had DE in the coops for a dozen years, in nests and under roosts, with great dustbathing stations all over the place outside and never saw one mite here, but just recently, I had to treat my birds for mites for the first time, mainly because I have a few elderly, crippled hens who cannot or refuse to dustbathe. I almost expected it, really, the mite outbreak, having so many who will not groom themselves properly or just can't. So, I got some poultry dust, permethrin-based, for the first time ever and just treated all 38 birds in the barn and removed and replaced all bedding, sprayed cracks and crevices with Orange Guard citrus oil spray (good stuff and safe).

Adding, not sure a plastic coop will fix the issue. Still, nooks and crannies to hide in for them.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

What we got here is failure to communicate. Sorry Cool Hand Luke.

Why not make your coop un attrective to red mites. A plastic coop won't get her done if you have LAP or BUTT JOINTS or two separate coop parts that overlie each other or closely join or abutt. The reason is because a lap or butt joint is the very definition of a nook or cranny.

Why not add a shot of liquid Permethrin to as much used used motor oil as needed to paint the interior of you coop, thin this mixture as necessary with Diesel fuel or kerosene so that it will flow into the nooks or crannies and be easily absorbed by the wood. Two applications are better than one.

Now I realize that there are some of you who will call the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, or the EPA before you finish reading this post but I ask you to think about what a plastic coop is made from. Is a plastic coop not made from OIL, a.k.a. Petroleum?? Study this image of red mites.

Ok, enough of being a peeping Tom on a colony of red mites.
I ask you where the Red Mite eggs are situated. Are they not in close contact with the coop wood? So what is wrong with making the wooden coop structure unattractive to red mites and cut off future red mite generations?

If you are concerned that Al Gore Jr will disown you if you use motor oil then use MINERAL OIL a.k.a. baby oil, it even comes in a food grade version. Oh BTW, the word "MINERAL" in MINERAL oil means that it is a byproduct of a substance associated with MOTHER EARTH, in this case that nasty petroleum stuff. I even suspect that used motor oil can be re-refined into food grade mineral oil so that you can use it to either lubricate or rust proof your baby.

 

[Olive Patch]

What are you using? Have you doused (sp) all the crevices with liquid permethrin?

Mine is similar and before I moved the birds in I did a good coat of paint everywhere to help seal as many cracks and crevices and pores as possible.

Permethrin worked great.

What are you using? Have you doused (sp) all the crevices with liquid permethrin?

Mine is similar and before I moved the birds in I did a good coat of paint everywhere to help seal as many cracks and crevices and pores as possible.

I used permethrin & I also used Elector PSP. They both worked great.

 

[SW31]

Have a look at my thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/omlet-go-v-omlet-cube.1218328/

One of the reasons I chose the Omlet Cube is that once you empty the nesting area you can pressure wash the whole thing. So far, in summer and through to late autumn, I used the hose pressure to get in all the nooks and crannies but when winter eases off and I know a long dry spell is coming we’re going to give it a thorough deep clean with the pressure washer.

One of the other things I didn’t mention is that Omlets runs and houses all come with deep skirts that you can peg to the ground. This stops predators from digging underneath. If I have to go out before I can lock the hens in their house, I get them into the run first and lock the run. Later they will climb up to the house and I then lock the house.

 

[gocgo]

I have a plastic coop which is actually a garden shed that I converted. What I like about it is that the floor is also plastic and doesn't allow predators to tunnel in. It sits on concrete so it is on a level surface and the parts of the shed all fit together nicely. Even so, there is enough ventilation just thru the cracks to create drafts in the winter, so I don't think humidity would be an issue. I've had to use a sealer to fill the cracks and prevent mice from entering. I have also installed a top vent to provide for ventilation. I do not have humidity build up. The other thing I like about the plastic shed/coop is the ease of cleaning. If I want, I can take a power washer to the inside without worrying about the time it will take to dry as I would if I had a wooden shed.