Mites?Lice?

[countessbabycham]

I have been lucky enough not to face any critters on my chooks before but I was cleaning them out and realised I had little brownish things on me about the size of a red spider mite ( but not red).

What are they? What is the best treatment?

Hope someone can help and Thanks in advance as must post and run (to work) now.

There should be a picture on the web somewhere of the red mite (dark orange colour)- if it is this then they live in the nooks and crannys of the hen house and suck blood from the hens overnight.

We had them last year and they were devils to get rid of- we took the whole coop apart and blitzed with a special liquid (from a chicken farmer, I'll try and find the brand name) a few times, using boiling water as well. (I say "we" when really my DP did the lot).

The powder you can get seemed to do nothing. They tend to die off in cold winters which should help.

good luck

Yes - that's red mite. Try creosoting the house - repeat after 3 days and that should break the lifecycle. They become less of a problem in winter but you want to try and get rid of them now if possible. I would also put 2/3 drops of frontline on your chickens as well (egg withdrawal is 7 days).

Thanks for the replies!

waiting I was hoping not to have to powder the chickens as that seems a real faff,and if it's not that effective I hold off on that for now.

MissBeehiving if I creosote the house,will the chickens be able to go in there that night with the fumes?

Do they live on other animals/humans do you know?I literally stripped on the doorstep and put my clothes in the wash. It's making me itch now....

Ideally, no as creosote (or the watered down version you buy these days) leaves an oily residue which will get on feathers. I don't put mine back straightaway after the houses have been done. If the house is big and well ventilated enough then maybe. Do you have anywhere else that they can spend the night - a greenhouse? They only need to be shut up at night and cardboard boxes in a garage/porch is OK for that.

You can buy proprietory treatments for RM - but I don't find them as effective. The only other thing which is absolutely brilliant is a commercial treatment but it is a pesticide and is not licensed for home use.

The mites don't live and breed on humans or other animals, they swarm out from their hiding places at night, to feed, so you may find some on you or your other animals, you may even get a bite but you won't be infested with them.

Good luck. I hate the blasted things.