Should I disinfect my chicken coop during a red mite outbreak?
A blood mite infestation is incredibly annoying and it requires a long-term effort to manage it. Unfortunately, getting rid of blood mites completely is impossible, as the eggs can survive for at least 2 years and hatch once the conditions are ideal again. Therefore, it is important to always keep an eye out for blood mites and to intervene quickly. Maintaining the chicken coop is extremely important, but is disinfection also necessary? We are happy to explain!
Red mites
Housing
9 August '22 • 1 min reading time
Blood mites cannot swim
Cleaning the chicken coop in the event of a blood mite infestation is definitely recommended. Blood mites hide in every little nook and cranny they can find. Especially during a large outbreak, you will find them in the most unusual places in the chicken coop. Therefore, it is important to unscrew as many parts of the coop as possible when cleaning it. Think of nesting boxes, perches, etc., and also remove buckets and other loose items. Blood mites cannot swim, so we recommend thoroughly rinsing the coop with a high-pressure washer. The large amount of water will help you get rid of a significant portion of the blood mites. Using disinfectants is NOT necessary, as it will have little to no effect on the blood mites. The eggs of blood mites cannot be destroyed by disinfecting/chemical products.
Environmental Spray and Weed Burner as Additional Application
To manage red mites, the internal treatment of the chickens is particularly important. The blood of the chickens becomes indigestible, preventing adult red mites from reproducing further, leading to a decreasing population. The treatment of young red mites and red mite eggs requires a different approach. An environmental spray based on silicon dioxide helps tackle young red mites as this spray acts like sandpaper, causing the young red mites to wear themselves down. The red mite eggs are almost impossible to remove; they are resistant to disinfection, chemical products, and/or natural products. The only way to partially remove them is through a weed burner. Go along all the crevices and remove part of the nests of red mites in this way.
Water, environmental spray, and internal supplements
Disinfectants are useless to use in the chicken coop against a red mite infestation. These substances have no additional function; they won't harm but the red mites and their eggs won't die from it. In the case of an extreme red mite infestation, a lot of water is a first step in the approach, along with an internal supplement for the chickens and the environmental spray for the coop. You can also take further measures such as red mite traps and a sand bath with minerals.
Due to laws and regulations, we are not permitted to mention related products on this website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
