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

[dixie chick]

This is a horrible feeling - but I think I have several - many - red mite on me at the moment!

After locking up the girls tonight I came back to the house and felt a tickling on my arm -and saw the tiniest 'creature' moving - so tiny it was really hard to squash it.

I am now sitting watching the Opening Ceremony - itching like mad - I have seen several more 'moving specks' on my hands - and am sure I can feel them in my hair!!

My question is - can they actually survive/feed on me?

Also - how do I get rid of them?

This is enough to put anyone off keeping hens - love them though I do!

[Egluntyne]

Try googling. There is lots of info available which seems to suggest that they can. A product called RIP Fleas will sort them out in your home.

[shemybelle]

Hi

 

They could be harvest mites (also known as chiggers). My dog had them last year. Thu can bite humans, but they can't live on us. They are active at this time of year.

 

Lx

[dixie chick]

Thanks - I guess they could be harvest mites - there are none that are red - but they do look suspiciously like a red mite before it has taken a meal - and very tickly/itchy! I am in the difficult position of not being able to wash my hair in the shower for a couple of days - having had an elbow operation - so if they are in my hair they are there for a few more days - an interesting experiment on behalf of the forum - if I find any red ones on my pillow I will report back!

[coco]

We had harvest mites last year, they do look like a redmite before it has fed. I would be sitting watching the tele and find one crawling up my arm. Took me about two weeks to get rid of them but they did go. horrible little things.

[shemybelle]

Yep, that sounds like harvest mites. Do you have a dog? They live on dogs. I had mine at the vet three times last summer as the first two treatments didn't work.

 

Lx

[dixie chick]

I have THREE dogs so could well be harvest mites!

No sign of me being blood sucked by red mites thank goodness....I think the human epidermis is possibly too thick for them anyway.....

[The Dogmother]

Red mites are species-specific so while they won't 'live on you, they do occasionally bite humans but are just attracted to the warmth. They WILL however live in your house and furnishings which is why you'll need to treat the house as described by Egluntyne, either with a DIY spray or get a pest control company out to fumigate.

 

It's worth remembering that you should be very careful about not transporting them indoors if your coop has mites; obviously treat the coop with Total Mite Kill Concentrate and Buz Busters until they are gone and then keep it up on a weekly basis, but if you've been in contact with them then you'll need to remove your clothes straight afterwards (on the back doorstep!) and put them through a good hot wash before having a hot shower yourself!

 

If you think they are in your hair then either treat it with a head lice treatment which contains permethrin or a dog flea shampoo which contains the same, you will need to do 2 treatments a week apart just to be sure that you are rid of them all.

[chickencam]

I had a bit of a problem with having a few of them crawling on me last year, I just made sure that i showered straight after cleaning out the girls and put my clothes straight in the wash, that kept everything ender control. They are very irritating for tiny beasties.