| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| colour it green |
red mitewhats your method for getting rid/ preventing red mite? |
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| Cathryn |
An annual scorching with a blow torch of the inside of the hen house on a nice sunny day. (Remembering that it hasn't been done for awhile...  ) I also douse it in some liquid (sorry the name escapes me) if I feel there may be some, but very, very rarely as I have not had this problem. And I leave it wide open to the sun quite often in the summer, not sure that does anything but it feels freshened up.
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| bodger |
As the redmite feed on the birds, my strategy is to treat the birds. The redmite feed on the birds and the mite die. | ||||
| colour it green |
what do you treat the birds with bodger | ||||
| bodger |
Mite- Kill
http://www.ratbait.co.uk/index.asp?function=DISPLAYPRODUCT&productid=185&gclid=CMDG6quL5ZQCFQ86EAodG3IOQQ Its not licensed for chickens but I and many other chicken keepers use it for just that purpose. It contains Pyrethrine which is used in a number of licensed products. |
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| colour it green |
i was looking at the product.. but it actually said not to put on the birds.. and just use in the housing. which put me off. | ||||
| judith |
I use it on the housing only and it works very well for me. |
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| Andy B |
Where do they come from? I have had no new birds since last September but when i gave them a thorough clean last week, which is something i do once a month I found a few red mite, not many thankfully. Put mite powder down and treated the perch with creosote where the wood joins and pivots and the end of perches where the wood is rougher, but not where they stand, if that makes any sense! | ||||
| Frewen |
I paint paraffin on the inside of the hen house 
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| dpack |
grannie treated the wooden henhouses especially crevises with creosote ,now banned as unhealthy but treating with pet friendly wood preservative works | ||||
| bodger |
Wild birds bring them in and it also works fine on your own birds. Its almost certainly the expense of licensing the product for the use on birds thats prevented the product being licensed. Either this, or the maufacturers already have an identical product under a different brand name. |
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| colour it green |
we got new birds.. and an infestation.. so I guess thats where we got them from.. but they are supposed to arrive on wild birds and vermin.. and given we had rats steal eggs from under a broody, that also might be where they came in. grrr
we used red mite powder.. but its useless. trying diatom now. heard creosote worked well, but cant get it .. might try creosote substitute though. also heard limewashing inside of house helps.. |
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| jocorless |
I use the herbal red mite powder you get from places like WCF plus a good scrub plus lots of bokashi bran as it helps build the number of good bacteria up and keeps the number of red mite down - Not had any problems so far
Oh and I always treat new birds when I get them |
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| colour it green |
seriously.. you find this works? as a treatment or a preventative? |
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| Frewen |
I haven't had a red mite problem and I've used paraffin as a preventative on the advice of a chicken keeper who's kept them for over 5 decades.
I also know that paraffin used to be used to keep the red mite down on racing pigeon housing. Occasionally I diatom the birds in the warm weather too (when I remember). So yes - for real
(I'm not to be trusted with a blow torch )
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| Louisdog |
My vet prescribed Ivermectin spot-on when my birds had scaly leg, I think he said it would work for red mite too. | ||||
| dulcilama |
Ivermectins can be used for red mite...though I'd be chary of eating eggs from a bird thus treated so it's a last resort really. 2 drops on the back of the neck for a standard chook, 1 for a bantam if I remember rightly.
Here - used to use creosote but have to leave house empty for ages, but works....as does shutting the house up empty for abobut six months 
I use Poultry Shield in a knapsack sprayer. Works well if you can get it in all the gaps. |
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| spicycauldron |
Actually, simply abandoning use of a hen-house for 6 months ISN'T advisable as red mites can survive without host chickens for up to as long as 24 months! But certainly, treating a house with creosote substitute would do the job if you're then leaving the house empty for a while. Creosote itself is banned for all but agricultural use, for good reason - it's a dangerously potent carcinogen - and only available in significant quantities. But hey, if you want a supply that's going to last two lifetimes...!
I used a combination of herbal mite powder and vaseline, applied to ends of perches and nooks and crannies, to deal with a minor outbreak, my first so far. I've since introduced a regime of treating the birds once a month with the liquid herbal mite solution, and the house at the same time. I will stop come late autumn, and start again in April or March, dependent upon the weather. |
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| colour it green |
have found mite-kill works well
diatom seems effective too. |
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| Rob R |
http://www.moredun.org.uk/feature-article.asp?ref=278 | ||||
| Cho-ku-ri |
I use this. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270248338328 | ||||
| dpack |
the wee critters are most vulnerable in crevices | ||||
| colour it green |
did you find it worked? just we found it highly scented, and mites wandering around in it unbothered.... |
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| Chez |
We've had a really bad infestation - juveniles until last week and now they're all fat and full  . We put the powder in the shavings and all along the perches at the end of last week which reduced numbers a bit; but my ivermectin has arrived this morning and I am going to have a spotting on session this evening. Then get Arvo to Jeyes Fluid all the crevasses when we clean the house out at the weekend.
Got it from hyperdrug.com. |
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| mochyn |
Chez: can I have some please? | ||||
| Chez |
Yes - will do ours tonight. We've got ten ml and you are supposed to do it once a week for three weeks. So if I do Round 1, I can drop it over to you and we can see if we need to buy some more jointly to continue the course? | ||||
| mochyn |
Excellent plan. I may be coming into Llanfyllin tomorrow so I could do a round trip and fetch it then. | ||||
| Chez |
I'll leave it on the step for you, tucked behind Buddha - going to B'ham on a reccy with Arv first thing, not sure when we'll be back. |