RED MITES !!!

RED MITES!!!

Its the time of the year when these Tiny Red Mites breed quickly and infiltrate our chicken coops.

If left unchecked they will multiply quickly and the health of your chickens with deteriorate.

Red Mites will stop your chickens laying regularly and eventually they will stop all together.

In severe cases your chickens will loose condition and become anemic which can cause death.

What is the best way to stop the spread of Mites?

We have found the best way to stop them is with a combined approach.

Follow these steps to halt the mite breeding cycle and start eradicating them from your coop.

Complete these steps on the same day or across 2 days. If you can do them the same day it will give best results.

1. Spray your coop with Coopex Insecticide Spray available from Bunnings. Spray all surfaces, roof, perches, nesting boxes walls etc.

2.Wait for the Coopex spray to dry then Use DE Power or Pestene Powder. Spread the powder into corners of perches, gaps in chook frame, nesting box material, across the floor all the nooks and crannies these mites will hide in. The powder gets into the gaps and will kill them as they come out at night.

3. We recommend the use of Avimec (Ivermectin Based Product).
These drops are like a spot on flea treatment for dogs and cats. Anything that bites your chickens for a few weeks after it has been applied will drop dead.

We suggest to go into the coop at night and apply the drops directly onto the skin of your chickens.

This will protect them from mite attacks and will ensure any mites that survive the spraying and Pestene Powder will be killed.

We have found these steps work great and will protect your flock from the Red Mites.

Always keep an eye of out for future infestations as wild birds, rats and mice will bring more mites back in the future.

The best way to check if you have red mites is to check at night. Mites are only active at night, during the day they find places to hide.

So go in with your torch and look at the perches, nesting boxes etc and if you see tiny little red or grey mites running around then you have them.

Check your chooks as well. Spread the feathers and look at the skin for signs of mites.

Look especially around the vent and under the wings.

The mites are Red after they have had a feed and are grey when they haven't had a feed.

Another tip is to use a suitable nesting material in the coop.

Don't use straw as the mites love it.

They hide in the holes in the straw.

The best material we have found to use is Wood Shavings. You can buy dust extracted Wood Shavings from your local produce store.