Apologies for the semi miss-leading header. I've been a member for a while but haven't formally introduced myself. Can't say enough great things about the vast knowledge base y'all have built here! Gratitude abound! Now to business. As the weather has been warming here in Central Texas, I'm finding Mites- red and otherwise- all over my compost bins. I've been dumping the pine shavings from my coop when I go in to clean it out and just routine maintenance. A few weeks back I gave two of my hens a bath due to a pretty bad mite problem. The other three I sprayed with Adams because they weren't as bad and have repeated the process as per the advice I've gathered here. I'm sure they have them still to some degree but I don't see them in the coop at all- just my compost bins and a few on wooden items in the run. Now, I have built up a nice couple of compost bins full of droppings and pine shavings over the past year that are breaking down nicely but like I said- the mites are everywhere in them. I don't want to have to burn those bins and loose all that glorious compost. Do I have any alternatives? I was kicking around the idea of burning it all in my garden and tilling it into the soil...Chemicals are definitely of limits. FYI- the compost bins are about 20 feet from my coop/run and about 5 feet from my garden.
Thanks! I've spent a lot of time lurking here. I'm half tempted to dump all the compost into my garden and burn it there before Spring really kicks into high gear. Not sure what nutrients might be lost if I did such a thing but considering the alternatives it might be my best defense against a Mite out-break.
