Red roost mite plague!

[Sussex19]

Yes on the dust and the first one looks to be a product based on permethrin which could be worth a try.

Thanks!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Permethrin kills them, it’s an insecticide. It certainly works I’ve watched them die as I spray it on! Being a liquid it also brings them out of all the nooks and crannies.

 

[Sussex19]

Permethrin kills them, it’s an insecticide. It certainly works I’ve watched them die as I spray it on! Being a liquid it also brings them out of all the nooks and crannies.

It sounds good!
I'll keep looking at my options, to see what is most affordable and easy to get, but will probably come back to that one.

 

[Shadrach]

So I know there is quite a few threads on mites, but I wanted answers for my own situation.
I have recently been a bit busy, so hadn't been paying as much attention as normal to my coops. About three days ago, I saw this in my cockerel grow out coop.
View attachment 3432159 A bit of poking later, and it looked like this.
View attachment 3432160
So at that point, I dusted them all with Pyrethrum dust.
I then thought I had better check my second coop, and at first couldn't see any, but then when I took one of the roosts apart, I was horrified at how many I found.
I am literally surprised any of the chickens are alive. So again, I dusted them all, and then came back today to presser wash it all. However, i was surprised that most of the mites were still alive, although not as healthy looking. And also, the mites in the first coop are still largely alive as well.
And now I have found more in the third and last coop.
I'm just not sure what to do about it, partially if the Pyrethrum isn't working, which it seems like.
All my coops are homemade, out of wood, and as you can imagine, there are a lot of cracks for them to hide in.
I'm going to be doing more presser washing, and while it does reduce them a lot, it is not going to eradicate them.
Thanks for any help, as I really need it.

I don't know what you can get in Australia.

This for the coop.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Net-Tex-Poultry-Total-Liquid/dp/B007ISPES0

This for the birds.
https://www.purpleturtle.co.uk/product/lifesystems-ex4-clothing-treatment-350ml-10727/

The good news. There isn't any.
The bad news...
If you have a heavy infestation neither of the above are likely to fix the problem. Permethrin kills mites on contact and is still very effective. Getting it to make contact with all the mites in the usual wooden coop type builds is almost impossible.
The next problem is permethrin won't kill the mite eggs. One only needs a few eggs to hatch and the cycle starts all over again.
If the infestation is as bad as it looks from the picture and the mites are like that in other places of the coop, even with repeated treatment with permethrin I doubt the mites can be erradicated.

Quite a few chicken keepers I know who have built wooden coops gave up on trying to rid the coop of mites and just burnt the coops and started again but built coops that could be cleaned with a blow torch or bought plastic coops.

I've used a blow torch for many years now. The big advantage is used correctly it kills the live mites and the eggs. Some coops are more suitable for blow torch cleaning than others. There are I believe videos on the net on how to clean coops with a blow torch. Obviously the art is not to set the coop on fire!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Profire-Bo...a8-ea70-4e49-9712-417904583c74&pd_rd_w=i5KkL&

 

[Sussex19]

Thank you @Shadrach!

This for the coop.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Net-Tex-Poultry-Total-Liquid/dp/B007ISPES0

This I can get, and you are the second person to recommended it, so I will look at getting some.
What do you think of these two?
https://www.dineachook.com.au/avitrol-bird-mite-and-lice-spray-500ml/
https://www.easypestsupplies.com.au/permethrin-dust

Quite a few chicken keepers I know who have built wooden coops gave up on trying to rid the coop of mites and just burnt the coops and started again but built coops that could be cleaned with a blow torch or bought plastic coops.

I don't want to have to do that, my dad built them all, and I don't think he would forgive me if I burnt them all down!
What I'm thinking of doing is going around with a sealer, and then paint it.
That will mean a lot less cracks.

I've used a blow torch for many years now. The big advantage is used correctly it kills the live mites and the eggs. Some coops are more suitable for blow torch cleaning than others. There are I believe videos on the net on how to clean coops with a blow torch. Obviously the art is not to set the coop on fire!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Profire-Bo...a8-ea70-4e49-9712-417904583c74&pd_rd_w=i5KkL&

This is very interesting!
I think that may actually work rather well, partially in one of the coops.

 

[HollyWoozle]

We also use an old wooden coop and had the same problem some years ago, now dealt with/prevented using permethrin dust and/or spray. What I would also suggest (if possible) is to seal any cracks in/on your roosting bars and where they connect to the coop with Vaseline. The mites can’t hide in the cracks then and it makes surprisingly little mess.