red mite killer

[silky ma]

Just a note to all that St David's Poultry (AKA Chickenvet) is selling predator mites for controlling chicken mites.( Location UK )
I am located in California and am paying $100.00 ....steep but I figured I would give it a try.

Key points you need to know:- from the site itself:

• You must not have used red mite treatments in the chicken house for 4 weeks prior to introducing the red mite. The coop should have been hosed out during this time too so that products such as Diatomacious Earth or Red Mite Powder are washed away.
• You must use the predators immediately upon arrival. They can only survive a short time without a feed and will starve if you delay distributing them.
• Predator Mites need to be kept warm. Ideally between 8 (46f) and 20 (68F) degrees C. Above 30 degrees, (86-F) will kill them, as will low temperatures.
• You must introduce the mites evenly around the coop but not in deep litter. Concentrate on the cracks and crevices as well as nest boxes, perch ends and under feed containers. Red mite are usually found near to chickens where they roost at night.
• You shouldn't clean the house for a couple of weeks. Removing the litter will remove the predators too. Pick droppings out rather than clean out.
• Make sure there are no wet floors or leaky drinkers - they do not tolerate getting wet.
• Add the mites to an area where there was a red mite infestation in the cracks of the wall and around the end of one of the perches. The rest of the mites were distributed evenly around the chicken house.

 

[silky ma]

Dont know why the information was reded out so here it is again.

You must not have used red mite treatments in the chicken house for 4 weeks prior to introducing the red mite. The coop should have been hosed out during this time too so that products such as Diatomacious Earth or Red Mite Powder are washed away.
You must use the predators immediately upon arrival. They can only survive a short time without a feed and will starve if you delay distributing them.
Predator Mites need to be kept warm. Ideally between 8 and 20 degrees C. Above 30 degrees (not much fear of that in the UK) will kill them, as will low temperatures.
You must introduce the mites evenly around the coop but not in deep litter. Concentrate on the cracks and crevices as well as nestboxes, perch ends and under feed containers. Red mite are usually found near to chickens where they roost at night.
You shouldn't clean the house for a couple of weeks. Removing the litter will remove the predators too. Pick droppings out rather than clean out.
Make sure there are no wet floors or leaky drinkers - they do not tolerate getting wet.

 

[blucoondawg]

Did you know that you can buy these predatory mites for 38 dollars on amazon.com? It may save you some money, I am interested in this too, it is the first I have heard of a predatory mite.

 

[ChicKat]

Did you know that you can buy these predatory mites for 38 dollars on amazon.com? It may save you some money, I am interested in this too, it is the first I have heard of a predatory mite.

A friend in Alsace said that predatory mites are highly effective - and totally natural. -- I see the amazon dot com ones advertised to kill spider mites on house plants and bushes...

Has anyone in the USA used these on chicken coops - meaning the ones from amazon.

 

[Folly's place]

Are these a native mite species, or a foreign introduction? I would want to know that they aren't going to turn into a problem themselves. Mary

 

[ChicKat]

Are these a native mite species, or a foreign introduction? I would want to know that they aren't going to turn into a problem themselves. Mary

That is a really valid concern - it seems that they die off once all the redmites are consumed - if they are the same ones in Europe--- they kill spider mites here in the USA. I think that since the same company sells green lacewings, lady bugs and other natural pest killers that they would be environmentally responsible.....

I just don't know if they are the same ones used in Europe for their coops....and you can't have used a mite killer, in your coops, or DE for 4-months previous to getting these mites...and if you DID use a chemical to kill mites---then all the coops need to be washed. (which would lead me to believe that DE is effective to a degree).

Anyone here use them on their chickens?

Here is a fact sheet from Cornell University - it talks about use in apple orchards
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/treefruit/pests/pm/pm.asp

Here is the listing in Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_21limg35c5_e

I just don't see chicken reference in the USA In Europe they are called Dutchys

It looks like there area a lot of different mites...apple orchards, almonds, greenhouses, hydroponics, grow rooms, aqua culture....

I wonder too if they would have any effect on bee population.


Found this one:
http://poultrykeeper.com/red-mite/predator-mites-for-red-mite-control

 

[DianaMallory]

Are these a native mite species, or a foreign introduction? I would want to know that they aren't going to turn into a problem themselves. Mary

Like the lady bugs we brought into this country to control aphids! What a pain they are now! Especially here in Ohio in the fall! They are everywhere and they will bite you!