Please help...Red mites

I think the problem lies in the layers of felt on the roof. If they've got under there and have probably been breeding there for years, you will never eradicate them by just treating the interior. If you want to keep the coop, could you strip the roof off, then treat all the edges and joints before re- roofing with Onduline? Or, sadly, it may be necessary to call it a day on this coop, it may be beyond complete recovery. What you are so valiantly trying to do must be getting costly, in time, effort and stress, as well as money and exposure to chemicals.
I understand about the issue with the elderly neighbour, but if he just wants to watch the chickens, does it matter whether they're in the original coop or not?
 
I have removed the felt already but from talking to my neighbour, who keeps pigeons, he believes the problem is due to the fact that the smoke went sailing through the gaps in the roof rather then staying to go into kill the mites. I may try again. I do seem to seeing far less mites which gives me a sense of a light at the end of the tunnel.

However there is good news. I have been getting on average three eggs a day from my potential seven laying hens. Today I got six eggs! I am hoping this is a good sign and they are happier.
 
Excellent progress there, then, Lynette. Could you perhaps cover the roof frame with plastic, fastened down securely, but loose enough for the smoke to get under it to the frame, before you try another smoke bomb?
 
I have 9 large sheds to house our poultry and ducks, the largest being 20 ft x 6ft. I use an insecticide twice a year..spring and autumn with a residual action. I have never had an outbreak of red mite. Occasionally I have seen the odd few mite but nothing that I would consider a problem. I have never used some of the household recommendations such as dettol, jeyes, bleach etc....I do however believe in preventative measures so all our housing is treated very early in the season. I find this system works well. A lot of experienced poultry keepers start the season in a similar way but use creosote on their housing to the same effect.

It does take time and patience to get on top on an infestation, but you can crack it without any need for drastic measures. A good insecticide is expensive but in my mind, the right product in the first place saves a lot of time and stress later on.
 
Good news!!!!!

I think I may be on top of this issue. I went to the chickens for my daily clean today and I saw not one mite in the big coop. I got some mite spay and sprayed it in all the corners. In the past when I have done this the mites all come running out. I spray many different locations around the coop and not one mite came out. I didn't have any crawling on me either. I went and asked my neighbour to take a look and he agreed. I am going to put a plastic cover on the roof and set one more smoke bomb off to be on the safe side and then give it a few days to see how things go.

I did however sadly still find one or two in the small coop. So I will try again this time trying to contain as much of the smoke from the smoke bomb in that coop as possible.

Oh course before I return any of my chickens back into the coop I will treat them.

Can I get Creosote from my usual DIY store? I am familiar with it as my Dad mentioned using it for a variety of things. Not sure if he used it on the chicken coops.

Most defiantly now I know so much information about these little mites I will be on the ball next year. I have missed out on my holiday aboard making sure I am on top of this.
 
It's unlikely that you will be able to do that Lynette,it's worth asking but they will try and sell you Creocote which is a substitute and not as good. Also you will probably have to buy 25 litres.

This site will sell it without you needing to prove that you are a farmer or other professional http://www.creosotesales.co.uk/s/index.php
 
Short and sweet does permanent job. Red Stop,1ml in litre water 10 days.
then once a week from then on.Makes chicken blood inedible to mite,thereby
starving it to death.Yes it works,mite all dead or gone in 10 days.
 
Brahmist: presumably this goes in the birds' drinking water rather than being sprayed in the coop? What's the withdrawal period for eggs & for meat, & how long does the effect last after finishing treatment?
 
brahmist said:
Short and sweet does permanent job. Red Stop,1ml in litre water 10 days.
then once a week from then on.Makes chicken blood inedible to mite,thereby
starving it to death.Yes it works,mite all dead or gone in 10 days.
Click to expand...

I have heard about Red Stop too, would be interesting to hear about others experiences.

Application of RedStop seems very simple, just add to drinking water, gets into their system and thus becomes a very unappetising feed for redmite. I believe the ingredients are all organic therefore there is no withdrawal.

I am thinking it would be more useful when there is no evidence of a redmite infestation,so more as a preventative system, they can go 8 months without a feed, they would still in effect be around?
 
Well the sad news is after a whole summer of mission get rid of mites I have finally decided to knock my Dad's chicken coop down.

I have spent so much money and time there trying to get rid of the mites that I have decided that its time to draw a line and stop. So I have brought a 10ft x 10ft fully enclosed run and I have already got a eco coop which my chickens are currently living in. I've noticed Marigold giving advice on coops on another link so I also took the advice and decided to get a green frog coop as well as the coop I have already brought.

The thought of another summer with mites fills me with a sense of dread.

I will be interested to also learn more about 'Redstop' to introduce this year and also keep in mind for next year.
 
Well done, I'm sure your chicken keeping will be much less stressful.
Can you burn the old coop, mites and all? If you take it to bits and carry it away, you risk mites falling out and being picked up and transmitted to the new coop.
 
Yes I am planning on knocking it down and burning it where it falls.

I hope so as I went back to school today and I have already got a list as long as my arm of things I need to do.
 
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