Topic: Natural killer!

[KimT]

I have used a steamer and yes it works................but not for long and the b***ers soon come back and they seem to bring all their mates too!

I have also used all the different potions that are on the market but none of them work as well as my own little natural find.

The only thing I have found that works and keeps the numbers well down is garlic.

I buy bulbs of garlic peel the cloves and rub them along the perches the end of the perches and anywhere I have spotted them and the numbers have reduced massively.

If you decide to use my method then please wear gloves as the smell is very pungent and your hen house will whiff like an Indian restaurant but it does work.

I hope this is helpful to those of you fighting the battle against red mite.

[jonny211]

...as the smell is very pungent and your hen house will whiff like an Indian restaurant but it does work.

Cool... have you added sitar music, flock wallpaper and dodgy green lights?

Joking aside what breed's the hen in your profile?

Jon

[KimT]

Hi Jon

It's the Bollywood films the girls love best! ;D

My avatar is my silver laced Wyandotte. :)

[B7jac]

How interesting !   worth doing this if it keeps them at bay !

I too have battled this summer, but finally i can say that we are fully clear of them !!

I tried scrubbing everything with jeyes fluid then dusting with diatoms ! -still there !
Then I tried scrubbing everything with bleach ! and a dusting with diatoms ! - still there ( but lessoning!)
Lastly I tried scrubbing with stronger jeyes, left to dry and then sprayed everything in the coup with a spray (from PandTpoultry) called 'mite killer' you must then shut up the coup to keep birds out and the spray in ! after a couple of hours you leave the coup open to 'air' before allowing return of birds. I then replaced fresh bedding with diatoms powder everywhere.  After this method I had only very few on the floor only, so I repeated after 5days again and then a week later again.  Now I have none !!!

I dont know if this was the continuous use of everything or the spray that worked , I dont care ! but I will continue to spray perhaps once a fortnight and will always have diatoms powder in the coup !   

So dont give up, I think a continued attack is what is needed whatever you use !