Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[jools+6]

does anything kill it ? dettol seems to do something and sticking my roosting bars into bbq coals last weekend was so satisfying ( i imagined it was a bit of adam from select ) are they like head lice ?? they get immune to everything you throw at them . i have even just sat popping them with my marigolds on that is satifying though ...

[The Dogmother]

Have you tried Poultry Shield Jools? That's the best for getting rid of bugs; strip down the eglu or cube and jet wash it, dry it off withh a towel then spray thoroughly with Poultry Shield and let it try on the parts before putting the eglu back together. Be careful to clean and spray into any nooks and crannies.

 

A couple or three weeks of concerted cleaning like this usually shifts them.

[HENthusiastic]

I still like the blow torch idea personally

[jools+6]

haven't used poultrey shield but will . have dettoled to death , bbq'd and powdered . it's the drying ! they lay all day and go mental if they can't get in to the coop . chilli went mental the other day cos i was cleaning again she likes to take in the paper later on in the day and sit for a good bit !! think i am on top of it (touch wood) hens seem to be fine apart from two having scarey botts ,,,, balding knickers but this could be down to the fact my coop is RUBBISH and rain is pouring in the roof .

[The Dogmother]

I still like the blow torch idea personally

 

It's an old 'un and a good 'un if you have wooden housing, but then so's painting it with diesel (although not right before you blow torch it!!! )

 

I spray mine routinely, then dust with Diatom and so far have managed to avoid red mite *touches wood*

 

This has been a bad year mite-wise for anyoen with wooden housing. Must be all the damp we've had. Painting the inside with gloss paint or varnish helps too. Just make sure that it is dry and well aired before putting the girls back in.

[mdp1673]

I've tried everything, blow torching, pressure washing, various things like diatom and all the organic stuff.

Every single one a waste of time and effort. The only thing that I have found to work once you have red mite is this stuff http://www.solwayfeeders.com/productsdetail1.asp?STOCK_CODE=3293

 

Smells a bit but after two applications the redmite are gone and the last time we sprayed it on didn't come back for two years.

[jools+6]

thanks for all the advice . we have just got a new coop delivered (about five minutes ago) and i think ive goosed my back helping it in ( flat pack ) . however though the red mite isn't too bad i think i'd like it gone before i moved the girls into the new house . do you think it would be ok to move them in as soon as , or should i wait ? the new house is a replacement because my other one is leaking and disintegrating after just four months .

[The Dogmother]

After consultation, I have decided to lock this thread - the original poster has got the advice that they needed, but several unnecessary posts about products, which the Omlet forum can not be seen to endorse have been removed.

 

Please note that we cannot recommend the use of builders lime nor Dettol as a means to remove infestations of red mites as they are either harmful to other pets and/or caustic.