Red Mite trick

[womble]

I'm sure I'm not the first person to have thought of this, but atm I am struggling to deal with a massive invasion of red mite, one thing I came up with, was to put a little vaseline on each end of the perch, then wrap a loop of upside down duct tape over it, so the sticky side was pointing out from the perch.
This catches them both underneath and on top of the tape.

[TPeers]

Nice one!

There is a sticky at the top of the page were we are all having a good moan about red mite, you should post your idea there.

[flowerofshona]

Easy way is to keep the plant damp, they die in damp conditions, Spray them twice a day.

[Flummery]

Easy way is to keep the plant damp, they die in damp conditions, Spray them twice a day.

That would be red spider mite on plants Shona. We are battling red mite on chickens! I'd get looked at funny if I sprayed my girls twice a day!

[vicky]

Although a daily spray of the nooks and crannies of the coop seems to be working for me, so maybe Shona's on to something!

[colliebird]

What do folks use to spray the chickens with to get rid of their mites?

[vicky]

I've been using a very weak bleach solution. When I collect the eggs each day I give the 'dodgy' end of the perch 2 squirts, thats all it takes to keep it at bay. This is usually in the morning so plenty of time to dry off.
Water alone seems to work well against them too.
Chickens get a dusting with powder every so often but I don't think this makes much difference to red mite as they live in the coop not the chook!

[Suechooks]

What do folks use to spray the chickens with to get rid of their mites?

In theory the chickens shouldn't have red mite as they live in the coop and only feed on the birds at night when roosting. The mites however haven't read the text book!
I powder my birds with Red Mite Powder occasionally just before bedtime to deter any lurking mites from biting them. It's the belt, braces and suspenders approach and probably not essential but it makes me feel better! (I usually get a liberal dose as well)
I believe the powder doesn't actually kill the mites but just makes the birds less welcoming as it were! I also feed a little garlic powder every day as this deters fleas in dogs so should have the same effect! Not too much though as it is supposed to taint the eggs.
And now I'm head scratching AGAIN!

[womble]

Chickens get a dusting with powder every so often but I don't think this makes much difference to red mite as they live in the coop not the chook!

As Sue (above) says, in theory this is true, however...
Last week I virtually eliminated all the mites in my coop and I am still getting mites caught every night coming off the birds in my OP idea, the birds are looking much chirpier though and have started laying again.

So although I don't think the mites would actually live on the birds, they sure can spend a long time on one without going back into the coop.

I would really recommend people doing my original idea, at the very least it gives you a good idea of numbers.
I've found it also works very well with brown parcel tape.

[julesapple]

As Sue (above) says, in theory this is true, however...
Last week I virtually eliminated all the mites in my coop and I am still getting mites caught every night coming off the birds in my OP idea, the birds are looking much chirpier though and have started laying again.

So although I don't think the mites would actually live on the birds, they sure can spend a long time on one without going back into the coop.

I would really recommend people doing my original idea, at the very least it gives you a good idea of numbers.
I've found it also works very well with brown parcel tape.

The vaseline idea works really well. I spread it on the ends of the perch and on any knots along the perch with an old butter knife!

Net-Tex Total Kill spray seems to have eliminated all but one or two mites found in my henhouse but I really did plaster the house until it was dripping after a really thorough pressure wash. I don't know if I dare say it, but for the past few mornings I haven't even found any in the vaseline.

As a consolation prize for losing my red mite population, two of my chooks are covered in lice instead. I've dusted them all very thoroughly this afternnon, and myself & DD too. I'll repeat the dusting in a week to catch anything hatched from the egg clusters...little beggars!

If it's not one thing, it's another!

Jules

[RichmondHens]

I would repeat it in 4 days Jules, if they are heavily infested. And then again a week later. Don't worry, they won't live on you, just don't do what I did - dust a bird then go off on the school run and then stand in the playground watching one or two crawl down my arm, thinking, I hope no-one sees any on me!

[julesapple]

I would repeat it in 4 days Jules, if they are heavily infested. And then again a week later. Don't worry, they won't live on you, just don't do what I did - dust a bird then go off on the school run and then stand in the playground watching one or two crawl down my arm, thinking, I hope no-one sees any on me!

LOLOL...we got dusted just by standing there in the breeze. I tried to make sure we were up wind but the breeze was just eddying round and round.

Poor Glady & Buffy are really quite bad, lots of egg clusters, but there doesn't seem to be one louse on the other four. They've all been dusted and I was very heavy handed with the powder around the tail ends especially. There haven't been any eggs from Buffy this week, except a soft-shelled one that I think was hers. Poor girlie, must be feeling bad.

I check them nearly every week for parasites, as the red mite made me very watchful, so it's amazing how fast these lice have multiplied. My many chook books have told me that's it's lice season though - seems there's always something to be vigilant for!

I'll definitely re-dust Gladys & Buffy in four days then, and have a thorough check of the other four to see if they need redusting. Meanwhile the Aubiose is being changed every day in henhouse & nesting boxes.

Jules

[di]

I would repeat it in 4 days Jules, if they are heavily infested. And then again a week later. Don't worry, they won't live on you, just don't do what I did - dust a bird then go off on the school run and then stand in the playground watching one or two crawl down my arm, thinking, I hope no-one sees any on me!

The day we first discovered the major problem was a Sunday...desperately trying to get rid of them,we didn't leave the lottie til really late so no time for the kiddies to have a hairwash!
I was dreading a teacher noticing them scratch during the day & being welcomed with not the routine,"Head Lice are doing the rounds"note but one about mites!
Thankfully it went unnoticed & they got a hairwash that afternoon!

As far as them not living on the bird,when we treated the infested coop last week,the big girls had to go in the teens coop.They were all given a thorough dusting before being put to bed,yet still in the morning a couple of little clusters were to be found at the end of the perch they roosted on...until then I'd never seen any in that coop.Also isn't it thought that they get dropped off by wild birds flying over?Yes,I think the majority of them retire to the coop after their midnight feast,but I certainly think that some hang around on the bird.

[julesapple]

Yes,I think the majority of them retire to the coop after their midnight feast,but I certainly think that some hang around on the bird.

Maybe some are just plain greedy?

Jules

[womble]

The vaseline idea works really well. I spread it on the ends of the perch and on any knots along the perch with an old butter knife!

I tried just vaseline on it's own and it's nowhere near as good as when you put some upside down tape on top of it, try it and see.