It’s not just a good idea to have a ‘spring clean’ of your hens’ housing – now is a good time to get on top of any parasites – especially red mite – to help minimise the numbers that survive over the winter months.
As vet Ben South explains “Red mites are the most prevalent ectoparasite in back yard flocks in the UK, their control and prevention should always be high on the agenda for all keepers, especially at this time of year.
As the daylight hours shorten, we see longer periods of mite activity due to their nocturnal behaviour but more usefully the cooler weather will slow population growth down. Therefore, we have a prime opportunity to make significant impact on their presence and population size inside hen houses.
You should be aiming to eradicate mite populations entirely at this time of year to stop over wintering populations surviving through to spring when populations often increase exponentially and cause significant disease in a flock.
Keepers of poultry should aim for a thorough coop clean out with removal of all organic material and washout with water and soap/detergent. Once dry the houses can be sprayed with disinfectant specific to avian disease and then followed by more specific mite treatments such as Dergall, Home Shield or Diatomaceous Earth (DE). DE should be incorporated into bedding and nest boxes as well as in dry areas of the scratch. In flocks where a moderate to high level of mites is present it would be prudent to give a treatment of Exzolt through the water after discussions with your flock’s vet.”
Step-by-step guide
Step1. ‘See it, clean it’. Take off all organic matter – ideally by blasting the surface with water - as it’s a hiding place for bacteria and viruses. Faeces is acidic and will rot a wooden shed and corrode those that are metal.
Step 2. Apply a good quality soap/detergent. Once applied leave for around 20 minutes (or as per the product instructions) to remove grease and oils. Remove with water, making sure there’s no residue left behind. Allow the house to dry completely.
Step 3. Spray the house with poultry-specific disinfectant. Click here for The Chicken Vet hygiene range.
Step 4. Apply mite-specific treatments to the house, bedding, nest boxes and dry areas of the scratch, as instructed. Click here for our product range.
Step 5. As well as giving the house a good clean, it’s also a good opportunity to clean other equipment such as drinkers and feeders.
For more information on red mite and mites/lice in general, take a look at our Advice Hub.
