Mrs

[beulah59]

Does steam cleaning help? I was going to get rid of mine because we hardly ever use it around the house, but if it will help with the poultry house, I might hang on to it!

[The Dogmother]

It certainly would!

[Jools]

Prevention is definitely better than cure. At risk of tempting fate, I've had one minor outbreak in over six years and that was in my first year when I knew no better, and nor did my house-sitter while I was away on holiday. I nuked the wooden house it was in twice, a week apart, and that was that. No bonfire required.

 

Nowadays I have seven wooden houses (don't ask lol!!) and I use red mite powder reguarly on and under the aubiose and I do a spot check every couple of days when I'm cleaning them out. I use Poultry Shield a couple of times a year when they get a really good clean. Lots of poultry keepers swear by the original creosote once or twice a year to frazzle the little blighters, but I never have as I can't stand the smell of the stuff.

 

I can't speak for Eglus or Cubes as I've never had one (or even seen one in the flesh), but from a wooden house perspective, I do know that if you keep your eyes peeled for the first signs, it's much easier to sort than discovering you have a major problem.

[quickcluck]

Have you looked at Nopex BK

 

http://www.mantel-farm.co.uk/7.html

[The Dogmother]

I don't think that the Nopex is a vet med (Chucky Mama, can you confirm?), so it can't claim to kill the mites. As far as I know, it is a dietary supplement and as such, ranks along with Verm-X and the like.

[bronze]

so far total mite kills been the best on the house and frontline (not recommended) and diatom for the birds

 

 

I am fighting the good fight..... and winning!

[Chucky Mama]

I can't find any evidence of this product having the necessary veterinary marketing authorisation to class it as a legitimate medicine so any claims that is makes to 'treat' anything will be unsubstantiated and therefore technically against the current veterinary regulations. Of course if anyone has a bottle and it is marked with a 'vm' number then it is OK but I would have my doubts.

[abwsco]

Isn't it just made from garlic.

[The Dogmother]

From what I understand it is

[abwsco]

From what I understand it is

 

I know that herbalists believe that regular use of garlic will kill and prevent worms, lice and mites but not sure if there are any studies anywhere.

[The Dogmother]

I've heard that too, and it may well have some effect, but they have to be careful as to how their marketing is worded.

[alison]

It must be the season, I have discovered an infestation in my cube this morning. That is despite a major jet wash clean only 10 days ago, including jet washing the pen and all the slabs and complete new Aubiose.

 

I wondered why my birds were sleeping on their roosting bars and the nesting box was so clean! I thought I'd got them trained nicely not to use the nesting box to sleep!!

 

I have spent an hour jet washing every crevice and to my dismay, when I sprayed with poultry shield. it was turning green so there were millions I couldn't see.

 

I have dusted with diatom, everywhere, I feel as though I am crawling with them myself now!

 

They must have been hiding, as I have had a drop in egg production over the last 2 weeks, only 3 or 4 a day from 7 hens, but 7 yesterday!

[quickcluck]

Poor you! I hope that you got them on the first blast!

 

Were they just in the nest box?

[alison]

No, they were under the poo trays too. I'd pulled them out to empty and though what's that, is it liquid poo that has escaped somehow? It looked like a smear of something black.

 

On further investigation, my heart dropped when I realised some of it was red dots, the more I looked, the more I found. I can't believe they spread so fast from a very clean cube! I do hope that have got it under control.

 

Even after cleaning, leaving to dry and then spraying with poultry shield, neat, I am nervous!

[The Dogmother]

Alison, be sure to repeat the treatment after a week to be sure to really cut the lifecycle.

[Redwing]

When dealing with red mite in an Eglu or cube don't forget to treat the groove at the bottom of the eggport door, take the door off, turn it upside down and have a good look, I found quite a few there, also pay attention to screw holes

[alison]

Thanks Claret, I will. I am having an operation on my hand next week though, with 10 stitches!

 

Did I go OTT using a whole tub - 550gm of Diatom?? Off to Titmuss for a 5kg tub of it now. They also sell ex bat pellets really cheaply, £10.29 a bag!

 

Redwing, yes, I sprayed poultry shield in them couldn't believe the 'green river' that flowed out

 

Thank you to everyone for all the tips on here.

[The Dogmother]

Use as much Diatom as you like Alison. You can even buy it in bulk; a friend has bought great bags of it and uses it in her hens' dust baths.

 

Good luck with your operation.

[bronze]

also check along the sharp edges of the grey parts.

[abwsco]

I'm sure that the bumpf which came with my PS said it has to be diluted at a rate of 10 to 1 and that any stronger than this it doesn't work. Can't double check though as I tidied up last week and threw it out. Perhaps someone else can.

[..lay a little egg for me]

I'm sure that the bumpf which came with my PS said it has to be diluted at a rate of 10 to 1 and that any stronger than this it doesn't work. Can't double check though as I tidied up last week and threw it out. Perhaps someone else can.

 

I remember reading that too, and also have thrown away the leaflet!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I have the leaflet .

 

... should be diluted at the rate of 1 part concentrate to 10 parts clean water.

 

The new Ready to Use 1 litre bottles do not need diluting.

[Doris 12]

Oh it's horrible isn't it Still fighting the battle with mine, I think I have it under control, but not out of the woods yet. Mine is a wooden coop, so many places for the blighters to get into.

[Egluntyne]

I have the leaflet .

 

... should be diluted at the rate of 1 part concentrate to 10 parts clean water.

 

The new Ready to Use 1 litre bottles do not need diluting.

 

 

The ready diluted version works out waaaaaaay more expensive than the dilutable in the long run.

[Cinnamon]

Something else to bear in mind is that if you use the ready to go dtuff on a wet Eglu, you are diluting it even more,possibly making it ineffective