Newly hatched mite

chrismahon

chrismahon

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I expected the warm weather to bring on an early red mite outbreak. Cleaned out a coop that was originally creosoted 4 years ago and was Nettex treated for red mite 2 years ago and last year as a precaution. Decided to do the inside with 50:50 creosote:paraffin mix before the TNN's take permanent residence. Took the nest box curtain off and saw a 10p sized cluster of about a hundred tiny white newly hatched mite. Coated the inside and then saw newly hatched white mite coming out of the planking to the outside. Think this year will be the worst ever as we are still in February! Important to stay on top of them, as I've killed a few hundred but it would have been many thousands in a few weeks.
 
Not spotted any mites yet, but two of my girls have dirty bottoms. on close inspection as suspected, lice! not bad, but time for powder baths! Will empty the coop out this week and spray with Indorex for both. We've always been luck with the mites with out Eucalyptus tree. Maybe this year we'll be as lucky! *fingers crossed*
 
This is the first time I've treated a fully assembled coop. Even in the breeze I got lungs full of fumes and have been feeling woozy all afternoon. Obviously it is going to take more than the three days, I had previously allowed for sectionalised coops, to dry befrore the hens go in. But it needs re-felting anyway as water was seeping in. No mite traces under the felt I must add, but it is a plywood roof, although very low and only a foot or so above the perch.
 
What a nightmare with them,so far I had,t seen them at all,but starting to worry a bit.My cop has been creosoted last year before chickens moved inn,how long I should wait until to do this again?I was thinking of putting another coat this year at least for the floor,do this maybe in stages so the small would't to be so strong?
 
I have been told it lasts 12 months as a mite killer, but I think it may restrict them a lot longer than that. I would treat with 50:50 creosote: pariffin mix Tygresek because it soaks in and dries faster. But there is no way you could have the chickens back in the same day -it made me ill so I don't know how badly it would affect chickens. Plus if they get any on their skin it burns like hell !
 
I have ordered a new temporary cop for the yungsters today so maybe I can sqeeze all of them for the treatment period.Last year when I was doing mine it dry prytty quick but smelled for long time(can't remember how lon now)but I had used stuff straight from the bottle.
 
I re-do mine with creosote every year and if I don't I get the little varmints take up residence again. I too think this could be a bad year die to the warm weather but is there ever a good year ?
 
Hi All,

thanks for the thumbs, up my girls and colin will be top and tailed tomorrow evening ( its tipping it down with rain today so I think I will give it a miss tonight).

I , meaning the chooks had lice last year, I was mortified when I first saw them, the vet gave me frontline to use, I parted the feathers and gave one spray below the vent. Good stuff! , it definately did the job.

mine were quite bad and had built tiny mound like structures around the feather bases, some of the new feathers seemed to be a bit deformed after the moult but you would`nt know now.

I also noticed that they were desperately trying to have a dust bath in the usual place but the ground was frozen so I tipped out some used compost that I had dry in bags in the greenhouse and they loved it, perhaps that is a warning sign

I will definately be out there tomorrow, I would not want another outbreak like the last.

thanks Heather
 
I spotted the first of the red mite last week and took great delight in squashing them.

I tried limewash at the begining of last year inside a shed that had a breeze block wall, it was heaving with mite, they had even moved into my bator :evil: , the mite gradually disappeared over the course of a few weeks and the shed has remained clear ever since, so on that basis I have been trying to limewash all my pens but theres a lot of them and I've been making slow progress but I will get there.
Death to the red devils!!!

A bonus with the limewash is it dries in a few hours.
 
I used lime wash in one of my wooden sheds after reading your previous post ccm, but the little birdies decided to peck all the limewash off the walls! It looks really tatty now!

Then the wind blew a door closed (it was a really really bad wind) that was being kept open by the half finished tub of limewash, so the bucket lid leaked! Haven't opened it yet to find out how much is left, but will be emptying that shed soon, so perhaps time to get another coat on it!
 
Limewash sounds like a really good idea on a big shed or outbuilding. Particularly as it blocks up the gaps in the timber where the mite hide. Should make the inside brighter as well.

Just found red mite in our Chinese coop. It was sprayed in September as a precaution but the remaining eggs have hatched now. Can't get Claude out to creosote it until some hens in our spare coop have been collected by their, owner who is now going to be 3 weeks later than arranged. So another Nettex spray. Clue was when he started moving his sleeping position off perches and into nestbox then in front of the door. Not many, but enough to irritate him obviously as he hasn't got many feathers.

The Orpingtons have feather lice ! Confined for worming at the moment so it's spread to them all. One looks like neck lice as well so Frontline on her.
 
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