4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[ChickNic]

Hi Guys,

 

I've just got back from a week away and have been faced with the most horrendous scene. The wooden eglu bars had red mite at one end, but worse than that, when I pulled out the droppings tray there were thousands between the tray and base of eglu (no joke). They could literally be swept out with a dustpan and brush.

 

First I boiled a kettle and poured it all over the eglu while washing with soapy water. I then powdered everywhere (I mean everywhere!) with red mite powder. I checked the girls, they don't seem to have any on them, but egg production is definitely down. We have powdered the girls with red mite powder (they looked like ghosts by the end of it!).

 

Is there anything else more I can do, aside from repeating this process daily? I have ordered plastic bars and more red mite powder which I hope arrives soon as I am running out fast! Is there any particular place that they like to bite the girls that I can treat thoroughly (like under the wings?)

 

Suggestions very welcome.

 

Thanks,

Nicky.

[AJuff]

What a shock for you. I think you have taken the best action possible. It just reminds us all to be vigilent.

[Egluntyne]

Blimey!

 

As a precaution I'd give the chooks some Ivermectin *Not licensed for poultry in UK*.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

Ewk and yukyukyuk. Can you creosote the wooden bits then get hold of some Poultry Shield and in future, always clean with that? My chicken breeder uses it and he has a ridiculous amount of hens and no mites. He recommends it heartily and I use it.

 

Good luck!

 

Anna x

[Helen&Lee]

Not exactly a nice thing to come back to is it!

 

I think when reading the Practical Poultry forum a few months agoa few of them with wooden coops were having success of getting rid of Red Mite by cleaning them with a strong Dettol solution.

 

Take strength from the thought that it should be a lot easier to get rid of Red Mite in an eglu than a wooden coop.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

What a nasty thing to come back to . Good move on the plastic roosting bars (I've just got a new set too!). Hope you've managed to eradicate the little blighters.

[Guest]

we're having a nightmare with them at the moment, my cube is supposed to be arriving tuesday and it can't come too soon. DH is constantly cleaning the coop and dusting it. I've also given the girls some tuna to boost their iron levels.

[Snowy]

I've just found a couple of the blighters in my cube this afternoon - there is a little hole on the underside of the nest box partition and they were in there. Couldn't wash them out properly so I sprayed them with Ardap and filled them in with silicone sealant No evidence of them anywhere else though thank goodness!

[urbanchick]

I've recently been through this myself and one of my hens died so I'm really glad you've caught it before any fatalities. The first thing I'd say is don't panic as the steps you have already taken will have massively reduced their number so that they won't kill the hens. Perhaps blow torch the ends of the roosting bars or hold them over a bbq.

 

I have the most faith in Diatom as it actually KILLS redmite whereas I think redmite powder is only a repellent (although a powerful one). I am still seeing the odd grey (i.e. not well fed) one crawling around, e.g. on the tarpaulin over the run, but I am confident they are not thriving in the cube anymore. And I got plastic roosting bars too - tell Omlet you have a redmite problem and they might send them quicker. If you have redmite powder now, then thoroughly douse the hens in it as I think it lasts quite a long time.

 

Someone suggested leaving the lid of the cube for a bit and I thinks that's a good tip because the sunlight kills them.

 

Good luck and I'm sure you've caught it in time

[urbanchick]

And spray the inside (including the roof) with Poultry Shield.

[sandyhas3chucks]

would you take the bars out until the new ones get there

Easy 4 me to suggest as my little loves won't roost &* have plastic bowwls to sleep in that & have to pooh pick every morning.?

[HENthusiastic]

my little loves won't roost &* have plastic bowwls to sleep in that & have to pooh pick every morning.?

 

They sleep in plastic bowls??? That sounds so cute. Have you got any pictures? What on earth made you think of giving them bowls to sleep in??

[sandyhas3chucks]

no not taken photos yet. yes I guess it is cute. they have easybed & shredded paper in by the way, not just the bowl.I used straw ttill I found it came all ready with it's own beasties going to try hemcore if I can get it. Hubby made a large roosting bar so there is a choice if they decide to roost which does happen especially when it was warm. needs a slate in the bottom to keep it down though!¬

The 1st 3 kept squabbling as to who was gooing to sleep in the nest box often with 2 in it or cishty & happy.

So was looking at the size & shape(got Eglu), came up with idea of camping wash up bowl.

they only cost £1 to £159 so tried variious sizes & shapes with DIY OH making roosters to roost in dif combinations. It will rake a square & ablong shape if it helps.

[ChickNic]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I didn't know that red mite powder only detered rather than killed them, so I will certainly be getting the poultry shield.

 

My plastic bars arrived, so I'm now using them instead of the wooden ones. Numbers of mite are significantly down. I've also moved the whole run just in case some mite were lurking around the end of the garden.

 

I have noticed that egg size has increased massively since the big clean when I got back. I have scrubbed with soapy water every day, so hopefully things will improve. I will keep you all posted!

 

Best wishes,

Nicky.

[ChickNic]

I am thinking of getting diatom and poultry shield. Does anyone know the cheapest online place to buy them?

 

Thanks,

Nicky.

[Egluntyne]

You will have to google for the cheapest. I got my diatom from **here**.

 

They sell poultry shield too.

[urbanchick]

I got mine from Flytesofancy.co.uk. Their 5kg bucket of diatom works out good value, even after adding the postage cost.

[superjules]

Chicknic, sorry to hear your problem. Poultry shield and diatom is definitely the best way to go, kill the blighters - herbal repellants are a bit feeble in my opinion. I get my supplies locally so i can't help you with where to buy it but I would say get a 5kg tub of diatom rather than the shaker because it works out sooo much cheaper. I use a good cupful or two, mixed in with a bucketful of aubiose, which I chuck all around the inside of the henhouse, up the walls, everywhere! My henhouse always looks like it's never been cleaned, it's that dusty, but I've managed to avoid getting redmite in what has got to be the most badly-designed chook accommodation ever created.

 

Good luck with getting rid of them.

[Sunshine]

So is it better to have diatom rather than red mite powder? Plus poultry shield on top of that. Do you use both every week/every couple of weeks in the house and more often if you discover red mite?

 

I read somewhere that you can put diatom in the chickens food-what is the benefit of this?

 

Thank you

Emma

[sandyhas3chucks]

internal parasites I think

[abwsco]

Don't forget to wear a mask when you're chucking the diatom around as it can be a lung irritant.

[The Dogmother]

I am thinking of getting diatom and poultry shield. Does anyone know the cheapest online place to buy them?

 

Thanks,

Nicky.

 

 

Have a look around online Nicky. SPR used to be the cheapest, but lots more people now stock Diatom. Poultry Shield is best used by spraying on and allowing it to dry naturally.

[Peachy77]

Snowy Howells. I found a few yesterday that were also living in the cavity wall of the particion in the cube. A blob of bluc tac done the job last night. But was also thinking a sealent would be better. There are still some in the cavity, but they cant get out, so will hopefully just die in there. How did you get yours out? Checked today and there arent any in the cube. Going out today to get the red mite powder and diatam.

 

Have some poultry shield which i cleaned with last night. Or do I clean with soapy water than just spray every where with poultry shield after. It doesnt say whether to wash it off.

[The Dogmother]

Probably the best way is to wash with warm soapy water and a few drops of tea tree oil, then dry off with a towel or in the sun ( ). Afterwards, spray with Poultry Shield and let it dry naturally if you can. Sunlight will kill off the little vampires.

 

Virkon animal disinfectant is another good thing to clean it with ... nice cinnamony smell too.

[Hen Huggers R Us]

Hi, we have a traditional wooden coop and over summer noticed a large amount of red mites in and around the ends of the roosting bars. We bought some Diatom but felt it was never very successful at detering or killing the beasts. In fact they seemed to thrive in it if anything, every day when the bars were taken out there was a mass of wriggling red mites in the powder and they didnt seem to be dieing.

We jet washed the whole of the coop and tried again, but they kept coming back with a vengeance and just found othere places to hide in, eg cracks and crevices.

We are now using Poultry shield by the gallon load and they do seem to be noticibly down in numbers. In my opinion the poultry shield has been by far the best yet, I bought one of the large concentrates for £13 and dilute it myself, we have put it in an old spray bottle and its great for getting into the cracks. Fingers crossed they are on their way out.

Is it true they are not around in winter?