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

[*mummy_hen*]

Have just done our weekly clean of the chicken house, puffed it and sprayed it with mite spray...no sign.

Then sprayed the chickens perch and it is covered in bright red mites...they have burrowed their way into the wood though and to look at it you can't see them, spraying it obviously bought them all to the surface!!

 

OH is currently taking apart our beautiful house but after the experience my mum has had i am worried we will never be rid!!

 

If i took away the wooden house, put in a new wooden ledge with a plastic eglu on it and left the exisitng wooden roof do you think she would be safe? Or do you think they could have already made it as far as the wooden roof?

 

If i painted the inside with woodworm killer and then a gloss paint...i know this wouldn't be a preventative but would it help kill off anything that may still be living in the roof area if she then had an eglu in there so they couldn't get into the actual house?! I really don't want to have to take down the whole WIR.

 

I ahve attached a pic so you can get an idea of my set-up. It is from the side so you can't see in brilliantly but it is basically a ledge with a roof and then two doors.

 

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm so sorry to hear that, I've always loved your setup . I'm afraid I don't know the answers, just wanted to say sorry .

[moochoo]

Once you get red mite in the wood it will be all through the house, I'm afraid. It will need a good going over with poultry shield and DE. Make sure you dust all your hens with DE.

From what I've heard from other wooden house owners it can be a real struggle to erradicate completely.

I'm sure someone who's experienced this will be along with better advice soon.

If you can offer alternative acccomodation whilst you're treating it all the better for your girls.

[Redwing]

If you have just spotted them you may be fine, its when they have really taken hold that you need to consider getting rid f the house

 

They will have made it as far as the roof though

 

give it a soak with poultry sheild, you will need to repeat this every few days as you need to stop the breeding cycle, lucky the weather is set to be warm as the house will dry quickly, when I mean soak I mean it, one f those low pressuure sprayers with the pump top is good

 

You could gloss paint the inside or use creosote substitute but your chook will need to stay out of the house for a couple of days. If the run is secure a cat carrier for her to sleep in would be fine

 

You can also try siliconing the cracks and gaps

 

Free standing or removable perches and nestboxes are better than ones screwed in as mites wll hide behind anything that is fixed and cant easily be got at

[*mummy_hen*]

Thanks everyone!

 

Tasha - would i be able to get poultry shield from somewhere such as countrywide or am i going to need a specialist poultry place? I have found it online but the postage is very expensive!!

 

I am keeping her out of the house at the moment...infact it has been taken apart so she couldn't go in if she wanted to!! I will keep her in overnight and pop her back out in the run in the morning.

[Redwing]

Countrywise will sell it as will Mole Valley Farmers if you have one nearby

 

Some people swear by Jeyes fluid (diluted) but others say its bad

[teri]

so sorry to hear about your troubles especially as you have the prettiest home i've ever seen. my daughter thinks your chickens must all be princesses to have such a pretty house. (she's 3 bless her!) i really hope you can solve your problem without too much hassle.

[MissTibbs]

So sorry to hear that, MummyHen. I hope you will manage to get rid of them - your hen house is absolutely stunning.

[abwsco]

Amy, don't get rid of your beautiful coop.

 

As your DH has taken it apart get hold of some old fashioned creosote, which you can still legally buy (although it can be tricky to find I think) and paint it all with that. I'd also swap the wooden roof for a coroline one. Oh, and using a steam cleaner will kill the blighters as well. Also, don't forget to do your WIR frame as well as people have found they can travel 3ft out from the house.

 

There's a really indepth "how to get rid" on Practical Poultry in their pests section. We had a very small infestation last year and I followed their advice to the letter and touch wood! we've not had it again.

[frenchlayer]

Oh no poor you.

 

I know exactly what you are going through. I found an infestation this morning in our chicken house. I must admit I have not been very vigilant but the bleeders were everywhere.

 

My hubbie was having a look around and came here and said oh this poor lady has the same problem, I looked at the house and thought, oh no, poor you, soon as I saw the house I recognised it.

 

Just be careful they don't get on you.

 

Get your hubby to wear shorts, and put an inch or so wide ring of vaseline around his ankles and wrists whilst he works, otherwise he will be covered in them, depending on how many you have.

 

I only spotted mine this morning because they were crawling on the eggs which in turn meant they were on my hands. I freaked.

 

Just had my second shower of the day, but the interior of the box has been dumped, (all wood).

 

I am off to try to find the equivalent of poultry shield or some sort of disinfectant I can use. Luckily I have DE which i brought back from last time i was over.

 

I did think it strange my poor girls had moved from their usual spot but I put it down to the heat at night, I NOW KNOW BETTER - repeat bad chicken mum, bad chicken mum.

 

hope you get them under control.

 

julie

[The Dogmother]

You will also need to treat your hens. Although red mites live in the housing rather than the bird, it's not unusual for birds to carry them and transfer the problem over to the new housing.

 

You will need to treat them weekly until the problem has gone

 

I'm so sorry to hear about this

[Egluntyne]

*mummy_hen* is now the owner of an Eglu. **here**.

 

Will lock this topic.