Diatom Powder can also be used in a similar manner to a louse powder and can be applied directly onto the bird. In the henhouse pay particular attention to perches and nest boxes to kill any other remaining mites. Feeders and waterers, even the ones kept outdoors, are also potentially areas where mites may be found. Wash these thoroughly too and spray the surrounding area. Then, give the coop’s dark nooks and crannies a generous sprinkle with some Absorbacide (a natural insecticide) or diatomaceous earth. Make sure that when you apply these, that they do not get wet - they will not be as effective. Wearing a set of gloves and also dust masks is advisable - these powders aren’t toxic, but it is a fine powder, so might give you a sneezing fit! Powders tend to have a lasting effected and are easily dusted around the hen house both in the bedding and nest boxes

When the new crop of birds has been introduced, or the original birds re-introduced, and the unit temperature has stabilised, spray the building and equipment with a 6% solution of Smite Professional. Poultry Shield is a liquid cleaner and sanitising product by Biolink that is best applied to your hen houses with a pressure sprayer. It works by breaking down organic matter and eradicating the mites' habitat. An easy way to tell if you have a red mite problem in your coop is to place a small square of white towelling material in the corner of your nest boxes or over the end of a perch. The product is effective because it removes the protective coating of wax that mites have on their bodies and this means they dry out and subsequently die. Because Poultry Shield is a liquid, it effectively gets into all the nooks and crannies where mites like to hide during the daylight hours. Red Mite-X Concentrate Corrugated cardboard – make ‘traps’ to fit on the underside of perches. As these fill up, remove them and burn.Egg production will usually decrease and eventually birds will stop laying. They may lay outside or on the floor of the coop because they get bitten whilst sitting in nest boxes. Egg yolks can be pale.

I am now worried however as if I find a red mite infestation, I would presumably need to remove all the bedding? Before any of the benefits of deep bedding could potentially take place, would I have to burn all the bedding? Creosote applied at least annually to the hen-house. It would help if you had the ‘old fashioned’ creosote (banned in 2003). Sadly Creosote substitute sold in DIY stores doesn’t seem to have the same result. It is illegal to sell or use Creosote now unless it is for professional use. It can still usually be bought from agricultural suppliers.It is very hard to get rid of them completely so it is often better to get the numbers down and then find a way of keeping them down that doesn’t involve you spending hours on cleaning the house out. There are lots of different treatments that people use, some more effective than others but I will focus on what I do and have found to be the most successful for me. Red mites are generally nocturnal and usually feed at night when their victims are resting. Unlike fleas, they don’t necessarily live on the hens themselves, as there is the possibility that they could end up being the food rather than the feeder, instead they often retreat to safety during the daylight hours finding shelter in dark areas of the coop. If you own a coop with a tarpaulin covered roof, you will often find that the red mite lives in the gap between the tarpaulin and the wood.

Here we look at how Diatomaceous Earth powder can help you to keep your hens and their coop red mite free, as well as being a great addition to their daily dust bath. How to tell if you have a red mite problem

Types of ProductsYou Can Use on Your Chickens

At night they can be more easily spotted because they will be feeding at red. Wipe a perch with a tissue and you could find it dotted with the squashed bodies of recently fed mites. Application rate: 30 - 50 g/m 2: Dust hiding places and breeding grounds of vermin or apply dust barrier of approx. 5 - 10 g/running metre around roosting areas.