Mumsnet Talk

We've got red mite lots of them

Tonight I've pressure washed the coop, then sprayed it with barrier red mite concentrate, then sprinkled diatom earth powder in the nest boxes and crevices, and on the chickens.

What else can I do? I was planning on repeating the above in five days.

I've seen MissB's suggestion of creosote, but I don't have anywhere else to putt the chickens for three days while it driess.

I feel really down that I've allowed it to happen. Poor chooks

Diatom earth is great, but the best stuff is Poultry Shield, available from Flytesoffancy who deliver really quickly. I use it when, spraying the coop when cleaning and then mix some up in a pressure sprayer. I then spray the perch ends every day for a while as it works on contact. I never knew mumsnet had chicken lovers. How lovely! Good luck.

Poultry shield fan here too, also powder them at dusk so they have plenty on when they go in to roost. I pressure wash too.

Milbenex. Tis toxic stuff which destroys all before it, where the other stuff just politely asks the mites to leave when they are ready. One bottle lasts forever.

I've been using poultry shield when cleaning out the coop, so I guess it's not enough. I'm going to find some big scary chemicals tonight, but I need to be careful because we have cats who sit on the coop.

Dettol works as well as the best red mite specific remedies.
It breaks down the waxy outer layer of the mite itself. Make up a dilution of one part dettol to four parts water and spray into the house, particularly in the nooks and crannies.

Red mites have a similar lifecycle to head lice, so you need to retreat every two or three days for 2 weeks to get the emerging baby mites as they hatch.

Posted too soon
Dettol isn't poisonous at all to chickens or cats, although the smell may keep the cats of for a little while!

Don't feel down. It happens to everyone. They multiply so quickly.

I think Poultry Shield is great for many things but no good against a big infestation. Dettol is meant to be good and it is worth a go (it didn't work for me though ) You MUST MUST MUST retreat though to break the cycle.

There are other things like Ficam W which is the dogs bollocks but it's not licensed for amateurs.

Try Frontlining the girls and don't eat the eggs for a week.

Good luck

How much Frontline would you use on a chicken? I've never been sure.

I use 2/3 drops on mine (Large Fowl Silkie) but it will depend on how big they are. Something like an Orpington would need a bigger dose.

Try a small steam cleaner.

Well I've pressure washed the coop again, then sprayed with the red mite concentrate, then diacom earth. I noticed tho that after I finished loads of red mite appeared (it was dusk), I'm hoping they walk straight into the diacom and DIE.

I'll speak to the vet tomorrow about frontline. MissB - is it the cat stuff, or is there are special one for chooks?

it's always worth going in again once it's dark and spraying around the ones you see.

is your coop wooden or plastic?
if it's wooden, then a heat gun on the mites as they appear will work (be careful not to char the wood!)