Help - Major Infestation

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Bit of a long one but here goes

Have been away on holiday for two weeks, chickens were thoroughly cleaned out before I went

Came back today, and went in to check on them, there was one broody, so I picked her up to check for lice, mites etc, she had a few lice, but nothing major so was quite pleased

However, my feet started to feel funny, was only wearing flip flops, looked down and I couldn't see my feet :o They were covered with lots of little bugs, put broody back in nest box and beat a hasty retreat

Went back shortly armed with Diatom, and trousers rolled to knees, Lol

One spot on the floor was absolutely heaving with bugs, like a moving carpet, Eww, Liberally dusted with Diatom, moved food pot, top was covered with bugs, covered that, pulled shavings away from the walls, thousands of the little critters, dusted them, the shavings were black with bugs, had to keep stopping to get bugs off of me as they were swarming up my legs :? Funnily enough, no bugs in the nest boxes

Main question, what are they? If you read up on Red Mite it says they don't come out during the day, but that Northern Mite live on the bird. Checked broody again, no sign of mites on her anywhere. So what are they?

And, more importantly how do I get rid of them? Of course it would happen at the weekend when everything is now shut! Have been reading Dettol works, does it? Anyone with any experience of it?

Was planning on taking all bedding out of shed tomorrow, steam cleaning it, then using Dettol, if it works, and not putting any bedding back in for now, so I can see exactly what's happening

Sat here now continuously itching/scratching, and my poor chooks have got to sleep in there tonight :(

Is there anything else I can do?

Thanks for reading,

Hayley :)
 
Grim, you poor thing, I had a similar occurrence but on far less scale, had been away for wk end, when returned picked up my broody, when I put her down, saw loads of small black creatures all over me! They were similar to fleas, but they were too easily killed to be the type of fleas I have seen before. I immediately got out the diatom, shook it where she had been sitting in the broody box, on her, on me ! ! The next day no sign of the retched things thank god. I hope you get rid of them as quickly as i did, good luck
 
Dettol works well at keeping red mite at bay. Its also a disinfectant that won't be nasty for your chooks. No harm in giving the run and hen house a good scrub out with it and giving it time to dry.

I'd get a sample of the critters and post a few pics of them here so hopefully you can indentify them. Could they be newly hatched flies?

Also was someone looking after your chooks while you were away? Did they notice anything when going in or cleaning them out?
 
Neighbour was looking after the girls for me, they haven't mentioned anything, though to be fair, doesn't appear that they did much on the cleaning side

Have just been back to the shed, and they were on my feet again, unfortunately not baby flies, I have the bites to prove it, think they like the taste of me :(

Going out to get Dettol now, will scrub out hen house tomorrow, as is always they way nearly out of Diatom so will try and find somewhere open tomorrow that stocks it. Failing that what else is recommended powder wise. How often would you recommend I spray with Dettol?
 
I'd not bother spraying, I'd pull everything out, sweep the floor etc and sweep up any debris and just get in there with a bucket of hot water and a half bottle of dettol in it. Then go nuts with a scrubbing brush and get in all the nooks and crannys. Rinse with hot water (as hot as you can manage it as it can kill little bugs if its hot enough) and repeat. Then leave it to dry out for the day before putting down shavings etc again.
 
Well I'm back, armed with two large bottles of Dettol. God I hope this works

Not looking forward to tomorrrow, know I'm going to get absolutely covered in bugs :?

Do you still think I should steam clean first, or just go straight in with the dettol?

Have also uncovered some creosote in the garage, so weather permitting, will do that during the week as well
 
Beware, Long Story ;)

Well the deed is done, Lol

Went out this morning armed with two large bottles of Dettol, turned out this wasn't enough, so hubby had to go to shops and buy some more

Fashionably dressed, everything tucked in to everything else, no shoes, and oldest clothes so I could burn them afterwards

Started off at the door, there was no way I was walking in there after yesterday, and started taking the shavings out, took the food pots out went to throw the food in the run but then realised there were mites in it :o in the bag it went

Used to use offcuts of logs to raise food pots above the shavings for them, they all went. Had one nest box which is bolted to the roost rails, unscrewed that, millions underneath it, used to have plank of wood on the roost rails as one of my girls suffers from bumblefoot so it's easier for her, pulled that up, the wood looked like it was alive, so decided to go the whole hog and took the roost rails out, yep, you've guessed it, loads more :?

By now, felt like I was crawling with mites, couldn't stop scratching, god knows what my poor girls went through, who are by now gathered at the door thinking "Mum, what are you doing to our home! And more importantly, can we eat it?"

Finally got the shed emptied out, then the fun began, decided to spray and then scrub, and forgo on the steam clean. Filled sprayer up with mix Dettol 1:4 mix, and got spraying

Honestly, I must need to get out more as I thoroughly enjoyed myself, Lol

Started off with the ceiling, then moved on to the wall with the nest boxes, sprayed them all, then moved on to the next wall. When I checked back on the first wall, loads of mites had crawled out of the cracks, so back to the first wall, this time putting the sprayer in the cracks, they went everywhere, Woohoo! By now, I'm thinking "Die, you b*****s, Die", and they were. Whether they drowned, were scalded, the fumes got to them, or the Dettol actually worked, perhaps a combination of all four, there were dead mites everywhere. So just kept going all round the walls, in every single crack and crevice till no more came out, all the while trying to stop the girls who where determined to come in the shed and help me :roll:

Several hours and bottles of Dettol later, decided hopefully done enough for today, so scrubbed the shed down. Checked everywhere again, and only found one live mite, squashed him 8-) Whether they had found a new hidey hole, or whether I had got them all, only time will tell. By now the floor is swimming in Dettol and dead mites, Mmm, yummy, Lol, so cleaned that up

Opened all doors up to air shed out, walked all round the outside to check for mites, and found some more :evil: On the outside wall, behind the roost rails, in the shade, they were merrily gathering. Don't know if they had been there all along, or they were forced out by the Dettol, I don't know, but couldn't leave them. Was running low on Dettol, and it was a nice, sunny day, blue skies everywhere, and I was feeling particularly vindictive, so out came the creosote :twisted:

Think this time I might have got them, as they had to choose between the creosote outside or the Dettol inside, but only time will tell. Creosoted the roost rails as well, so the girls will have to slum it tonight and sleep on the floor

So, after all the fun and games went and boiled myself in the bath.

Two more questions, when should I next treat for mites, even if I don't see anymore, was thinking of spraying again on Thursday, and then again on Monday, possibly on Monday weather permitting, maybe not Dettol but creosote inside and out.

Think some mites might have hitched a ride in last night, as I woke up with a few new bites. I have other animals indoors, know mites don't live on hosts, so will get some spray to use around the birds, but what can I use for dogs? Is it just normal flea shampoo?
 
All I can say Hayley, is thanks for making me laugh! Loved the LONG story, glad to see someone else throwing themselves at looking after chickens as much as me! I almost started to feel sorry for the poor wee mites! lol! :D
 
__________'Orrid little blighters! I think you need to spray/treat every 2/3 days for a week or so to catch the ones that hatch as the eggs can hatch in a couple of days.They hide where you are sure nothing could possibly get! Good luck -its worth it when you feel battle is over and you think you have temporarily won!Ros
 
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