Hi

After years of keeping livestock, dogs and horses I admit I am new to keeping hens this year..

coping with everything fine except red mite...

today found traces in all  2 new hen houses depsite using poultry shield often...

tried dettol also and blowtorch in the worst affected part of the worst arc.. and thought I was winning that one but

been cleaning out today and found slight signs in 2 new houses, but just the tiniest signs

someone said use durakil.. is that right if so can the hens still go in the house the same day etc

others suggested the houses need painting with creosote..

one house has 5 layers, the arc has 2 cockerels fattening and the other house has 4 pullets almost 15 weeks old, will plan to put with hens at 20 weeks, at the moment an electric fence divides them

thanks so much

Have you treated the birds?  There are sprays and powders available through licensed suppliers or your vet.

the mite lives in the house and only goes on the birds at night, the birds have been done but it is the house that is the problem

Are you using poultry shield at correct rate we have had good results in my flock(12000birds) better than anything else we have used.Lots of people say use fairy liquid but that uses the same principle(dissloving the fatty protective coat on the mite)to kill it. I wouldnt creosote your ark your eggs will stink of it !!!!  There must be a place in your ark where the little beggars are hiding where treatment cant get to.

Another thing just thought of , put lime down on floor birds dust in it best natural killer of bugs we have the lime dessicates the little beggars when they get onto the birds at night a combination of the 2 should work.We put a tonne of lime on the scratching area mixes in with the litter birds dust in it and bingo . I just have to sort out my other problems see previous posts

thanks

 how often should I use the poultry shield? Perhpas I havent used it often enough. I used diultion 1 PS to 10 water in a 5 litre pump (= 500 ml PS) spray and soaked it, trouble is now it is autumn they go back into damp house at night.

 what type of lime or should I get economite by antec (found on web)  they have so many dusting places too (outside area 300m x 32m)

will the lime be ok with the eggs/ cockerels to eat?

 many thanks

 It depends on the level of infestation, we spray our sheds monthly, it comes down to every 2 weeks in mid summer when the weather is hot as a prevention but we spray where their favourite places are, nest boxes and alighting rails and perches etc

We use ordinary builders lime dust it around the sheds the birds peck at it but it doesnt bother them at all.  Red mite attack the birds while roosting at night climb up their legs from the perches if birds have been stratching and walking through lime its another line of defence.

spent ages today cleaning and using poultry shield on all 3 houses, I was really meticulous too about the corners etc.. I used  5 litres solution on each house with a sprayer

 will put down lime too but had a tup delivered suddenly this afternoon as the vendors thought they might get caught up in the Peterborough zone if it got any bigger...

 so lime tomorrow

 I did not find so many mites when I moved the perches so I was a bit encouraged after all my many attacks on these beggars

will let you know

White vinegar kills red mite. You can buy it in 5 litre plastic bottles. it really does work, doesnt smell that good but who cares if it kills them

We used builders lime years ago to help clean up pasture land for both its neutralising and bug killing properties.

Like a lot of the old remedies it has lost it market to more modern alternatives, and these claim to be more comprehensive in their useage, and less destructive in their side effects.

I am beginning to come around to the idea that some of the benefits of the modern remedies are overstated and so am re-discovering some of the old products. Unfortunately the EU has listened to the big chemical manufacturers of Germany and Switzerland and made it impossible for us to get many of the traditional products.

All in a good cause of course.

We used a made up spray years ago, bought from Pet City, could have been Poultry Shield? I do remember it contained an OP and despite a face mask and goggles left me coughing for a couple of days after. Did kill all of the red mite though.Do spiders prey on red mite? I only ask because we used to get red mite in a relatively clean henhouse but haven't seen any in a cobweb infested henhouse. (Could be they are hiding under the cobwebs) 

Coca Cola is supposed to work too! Its acidity strips away the little blighters protective coating I am told. Personally I use Barricade and Agry com. 

creosote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! best and cheapest way. with paint brush on all wood and perches/ladders/ramp. GET IT DONE SON!

Yes creasote is great but don't let the birds back in the house for a while.

You will however, now be lucky to get creasote unless you have a licence. This being yet another benefit of the EU and our bureaucrats.

I have seen creosote being sold in farm auctions since it was withdrawn, don't know how creosol compares for killing red mite though.