Poorly chicken

[bronze]

When putting the cube back together after cleaning it thoroughly and blasting it with lots of red mite deadifiers I discovered that not only were red mit pouring out of the screw holes again but a really big problem was do with the grey plastic.

 

Its quite hard to explain. In the plastic is lots and lots of little bubbles. These of course leave some tiny holes along the edges where they're not a complete bubble. Mite have got into holes the size of pin pricks and 'nested' in the bubble underneath and obviously multiplied. They show up as tiny dark patches but you would never guess what they were if you weren't looking as closely as I have been. DH didn't even spot what I was talking about until I dug one out for him.

Obviously because of the nature of these holes the mite have been protected through all my administrations and may have been there a while for all I know. You just wouldn't know.

 

I'm now trying to find a way to get rid of them without gouging out each hole but at the moment my cube is worthless and useless.

 

This and the screwholes would explain why my birds have managed to get ill without me spotting mites. They just haven't been where I've been looking and I doubt anyone else has looked in these places either.

 

So this is more a warning to those who have had mites in a cube to check again.

When I jetwash my cube I do it in pieces on the lawn so there are sometimes tiny bits of earth on the cube after. I would have just assumed these tiny dark sports were those but are not

 

 

I've enclosed a couple of pics magnified to the extreme. Some of the holes I have burst open. ~Most of the ones I have I can't even see the hole the mite have got in by. There are also other empty bubbles just waiting for occupants

 

ps any ideas for toxic solution to dip my cube in would be great. I can keep the girls out of it for a few days but the eglu is tight for 8

 

 

[bronze]

the two dark circles on the very right of the bottom pic also contain mites I just haven't opened those ones up

[Jools]

Oh Bronze, poor you and poor chooks, so sorry to read your other post.

 

This is just my first thought and I have no idea how practical it is, so tell me to shut up if it's too stupid!

 

Is there anything you can paint onto the plastic to seal it up again? A liquid plastic or something like that?

 

I know that won't work with the screw holes, but I guess they're more easily managed.

 

Jools

[bronze]

worth trying. Anyone any ideas? Will start with some kind of glue. I'm going to go along with a stumpy brush soaked in mite stuff and hopefully a bristle mite penetrate each hole.

 

Its ruined the vale of my cube whichever way

[ClaireG]

Would silicone be any good for filling the holes? I'm thinking the gun bath sealer type. I'm sure Redwing has posted before about using it to seal nooks and crannies on wooden housing.

[bronze]

I wouldn't be able to get it in the holes. They're so tiny. Some of the patches I can't even see where the hole in is

[abwsco]

OMG Bron, what a nightmare As you'll know I have a wooden coop and always assumed the plastic on the cubes was smooth so no hidey holes like that for red mite. Not really sure what to suggest to fill the holes in with if they're miniscule.

[Jools]

I was thinking of something you could just paint on rather than trying to find all the holes and fill them. I still don't know what though, sorry.

[Couperman]

So sorry to read this Bron. I would be tempted to try a solvent, lightly brushed over the surface so that it would melt the top layer a touch and seal it. Something like Acetone or 1.1.1 Trichloroethane might work but having said that it might also wreck the thing and I don't think either is easy to get hold of anymore. Another thing you could try in the short term is lashings of Diamatactousisoisisisis Earth that should be fine enough to infiltrate the gaps and kill the little blighters.

 

I would e-mail this to Omlet, maybe it's an early casting problem that has since been rectified. A new base might do the trick.

 

As the 'anti-red mite issue' is a big selling point for the Cube I think it deserves a good coat of looking at.

 

Edit: Another thought, PVC solvent weld glue could work depending on what the Cube is made of it basically melts the plastic which then resets. It would need to be applied thinly and then left to dry. Again this would be risky so I would test it on the nest box divider first

 

Good luck

 

Kev.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Guest

[Seagazer]

I'm really shocked! I shall have a good look at my cube.

 

I hope you manage to get it sorted out.

[bronze]

I would e-mail this to Omlet, maybe it's an early casting problem that has since been rectified. A new base might do the trick.

 

 

Good luck

 

Kev.

 

 

we have contacted them, not much help so far

[AJuff]

Thank you for the warning and the pictures. Apart from imersing the whole bits of plastic I can't see how you could get rid of them. What an awful situation for you. I hope you get sorted very soon, your poor chooks.

[bronze]

sting problem that has since been rectified. A new base might do the trick.

 

As the 'anti-red mite issue' is a big selling point for the Cube I think it deserves a good coat of looking at.

 

 

Good luck

 

Kev.

 

 

can you help me? where is this stuff on th esite

 

 

found this though

You will not be able to find any by inspecting your birds during the day as they only crawl onto the birds for a nibble at night. Have a look every month or so for mites in the crevices at the ends of the roosting bars.

 

you're having a giraffe. I look weekly and found nothing

[bronze]

Steve here, Bron's husband.

 

I've just got off the phone with Simon in the design team. The gist of the conversation is that on every Cube and Eglu you will have tiny pin prick holes around the seams. This is caused by the way they are manufactured due to air being caught in the plastic in the process, then when cooled blow out to make tiny imperfections in the plastic.

 

If mites are going to appear then they are going to do that whatever and these holes are just one place the mites could be.

 

Nothing else offered apart from you can't beat nature and things would of been worse if we had a wooden house.

 

Pretty sad situation really, last place I would of expected to find mites would be actually in the plastic. I suggested that perhaps a letter explaining this situation to owners, but this was not met with any great enthusiasm.

 

So now we are left with having to deep clean the cube which is going to take a seriously long time, no offers of replacements, in fact nothing offered to help at all.

 

Hopefully people will realise reading this thread that there is a problem, they aren't going to do anything about it and your on your own.

 

Shame really as Bron has been very active in promoting this product for them, I doubt that will continue now though after this.

 

Steve

[Jools]

found this though

You will not be able to find any by inspecting your birds during the day as they only crawl onto the birds for a nibble at night. Have a look every month or so for mites in the crevices at the ends of the roosting bars.

 

Crikey, look monthly?

 

Weekly is a minimum IMHO but even that gives time for a population explosion at this time of year.

[Mrs Frugal]

Bron, sorry to hear about the red mite problem. Have you got a steam cleaner? I doubt if anything would survive a blast of hot steam and this would get into even the tiniest holes and crannies then spray the Cube all over with Poultry Shield or as Kev's suggested, rub diatom into the tiny holes.

[bronze]

right after my wasted day yesterday I am off to

 

spray cube liberally with total mite-kill spray

then jetwash again then use steam cleaner along the grey edges (its onlt the grey plastic)

 

I will give the birds another coating of mite-kill powder

then I'll out the cube back together with a liberal dusting of the powder as I don't think 8 birds in an eglu can be good when I'm trying to eliminate a problem like this

 

Later I'm going to finish clearing out the run, jet wash it down. spray the crevices with the mite kill and splash buckets full of it over the floor

 

 

tomorrow I will then jet wash it down again spray again leave for an hour and put the cube back. I will spray the cube, powder it and spraythe joins/corners of the run every day this week as well as powdering the girls.

 

Then I'll pick my hemcore in with lots of powder mixed in

 

 

Do you reckon it'll work?

[bronze]

do you reckon total mit kill would work on my hair?

 

I found a couple on Izy when I was feeding him yesterday. They obviously survived my shower and went on him when feeding. I was so at that point

[Cinnamon]

Bron, if I were you I would try to get hold of some Ivomec Eprinex to treat the hens too ***not licensed for poultry in the UK***

 

Its a spot treatment onto the back of the neck, which will then kill anything that sucks the hens blood.

 

I use it really regularly, & have not had a problem

[bronze]

I used frontline yesterday

 

I've used it once before and worked so I took the risk again

 

 

Nell is now looking good. Still a little pale but treating her has definitely worked

[Couperman]

right after my wasted day yesterday I am off to

 

spray cube liberally with total mite-kill spray

then jetwash again then use steam cleaner along the grey edges (its onlt the grey plastic)

 

I will give the birds another coating of mite-kill powder

then I'll out the cube back together with a liberal dusting of the powder as I don't think 8 birds in an eglu can be good when I'm trying to eliminate a problem like this

 

Later I'm going to finish clearing out the run, jet wash it down. spray the crevices with the mite kill and splash buckets full of it over the floor

 

 

tomorrow I will then jet wash it down again spray again leave for an hour and put the cube back. I will spray the cube, powder it and spraythe joins/corners of the run every day this week as well as powdering the girls.

 

Then I'll pick my hemcore in with lots of powder mixed in

 

 

Do you reckon it'll work?

 

It won't hurt. if you finally get rid of them then you could try to seal the pin pricks with the solvent glue.

 

this is what i had in mind

 

or....

 

having thought about it yet again I would use car body filler. Plaster a thick coating over the affected area and smooth it down with wet & dry paper when it's hard that will work IMO and it's usually about the same colour too so it might even match

 

You could always seal them in their plastic tomb

 

here's a link **it is available at all motor factors, probably cheaper**

 

Cathy has found the 'anti-red mite selling point' by the way

 

I hope this helps.

 

Kev.

[Couperwife]

As the 'anti-red mite issue' is a big selling point for the Cube I think it deserves a good coat of looking at.

 

Good luck

 

Kev.

 

can you help me? where is this stuff on the site

 

 

hi bron, ive found this

 

The lid and back panel can be removed to give good access to the inside of the house for a complete clean. The smooth plastic surfaces can be washed with a hose or pressure washer and there are no awkward corners or absorbent materials which attract red mite. Unlike wooden housing, you do not need to treat your eglu - saving you time and money.

 

link here

 

it might be worth shoving this in someones direction, and ask for a solution

 

cathy

x

[bronze]

Thanks Cathy. Didn't mean to ignore you. Was out doing stage one of annihilation. I would make a rubbish Buddhist.

 

Will show Dh when I see him next. Hes the better person in these situations than me. I'm more inclined to burst into tears.

[Tink]

Sorry to hear about your problem!!

 

Thank you for the warning!! Ive had red mite this week, only noticed when one of my girls got poorly. Im a bit worried too now as I have a Mark 1 eglu and when I have just been out to look mine is absolutly covered in those pin prick holes - all round the edges and on the roosting bars ridges too - hadnt even considered that they could be harbouring the mites...

 

also...I cant work out how to get the nesting box away from the front 'wall' as there is a gap I cant get in to clean properly....Ive taken the only 2 screws I can see out but no joy!! Maybe the Mark 1 eglu wasnt sold as 'anti-mite' and had been adapted since....starting to wish I had just gone for the cheaper coop!

[BeckyBoo]

off to check the grey bits on my cube - really disappointed on your behalf at the result you've "not" had.

They're right, nothing is 100% and you can't beat nature, but I wouldn't expect the product to effectively provide secret hidey holes for the mites.....

 

BeckyBoo

 

edited to add I've been to check and touch wood I think we're alright for now - I found the little holes - blimey Bron, how on EARTH did you spot the mite in there?! I don't think I've ever checked that closely before, you must have been really unlucky to get them or to miss them and for them to get a foothold in the seams - I'll be keeping a close eye on it now.

 

I really really hope things pick up for you, really.