shoura Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 When I went to collect the eggs this evening after work I found that the whole coop was SWARMING with rapidly moving tiny critters---which immediately started crawling all over me too I can only conclude that they must be red mites although I thought they weren't visible in daylight and only came out at night to bite the chooks. They were literally all over the walls, roof everywhere!!!!! Anyway I have spent the last 3 hours disinfecting the coop and have given the chooks a thorough dusting with red mite powder and they are spending the night in the spare coop. I then went and had a long shower and hair wash!!! (I still feel itchy....poor poor little chooks! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 Yuk could they have been those little garden spiders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meganymoo Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 It possibly was red mite, its been very bad for them this year, we have had a couple of nasty outbreaks despite using systemic mite control on the chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoura Posted July 27, 2010 Author Share Posted July 27, 2010 I'm still finding them on myself despite changing all my clothes including underwear and having a long shower and haair wash!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoura Posted July 27, 2010 Author Share Posted July 27, 2010 Well they're definitely mites not lice as I caught one on myself at work and looked at it under the microscope! I bought a 5 litre pump sprayer this morning and gave the coop a very thorough going over---but I've had to leave the girls out in the garden while I'm at work this afternoon as the coop was still soaking wet when I left for work---hope they'll be OK.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Oh heck that sounds awful, hope you have managed to get rid of them all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoura Posted July 27, 2010 Author Share Posted July 27, 2010 I don't know if it's possible to get rid of them completely---evidently I must have got complacent and not checked thoroughly for some time and that akllowed a small number of mites to suddenly become a HUGE number and very obvious. I think I'll just have to disinfect the coop every weekend over the summer and hope to keep the numbers down to a level where they don't bother the girls... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Yes I'm afraid I do think you've taken your eye off the ball if they're in the numbers you're suggesting. That kind of infestation takes a couple of weeks, and probably longer to get rid of. You can eradicate them completely and keep them at bay, but you will have to be relentless with your efforts. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoura Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 I'm getting new glasses next weekend....hope that will help me keep on top of things! Luckily I've got a spare coop but its run is too small for 4 chickens so they are having to free-range while I am at work, which is making me very uneasy... I think the pump pressure sprayer I bought yesterday is going to be my new best friend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
