Leaving Home because of Red Mite? Photo: Tony The Misfit
Over the last five or six years, I have been dealing with the dreaded Red Mite in my poultry houses and trying different control methods to get rid of them. Since posting “How to get rid of a serious red mite infestation” (when I found a large number of mites in one of my hen houses: Summer 2009), the comments to my post have been flooding in. It’s a popular post and hopefully it has helped people to remove the dreaded Red Mite from their chicken house.
From the comments that were made, a few people were saying their own house (that’s house, not poultry house) had been infested with Red Mite and many people were asking whether Red Mite can bite / feed from us. From my own experience of dealing with red mite, I have found that they will crawl on me and make me itch but a shower gets rid of them and I didn’t believe that they could feed from us or other species. Unfortunately I was wrong…
Here are some extracts from a comment received from Laura in Ireland for example that really made me think I should investigate this further:
“We haven had a serious mite infestation for the last 6 weeks in our own house brought in probably by the dogs and ourselves, as we were all very scratchy all over and definitely getting bitten by them and no amount of scrubbing would remove them.”
and she went on to say
“…I would really like to know if there is anyone on this blog that has had their own home and body infested and how they dealt with it. We are getting a steamer for the houses and are praying for a very cold winter to kill them off and going to keep our heating off, but so far vets and doctors have very little knowledge about these new breed of red mites that definitely reproduce on and bite humans. It is frightening if this strain of red mite really takes affect in the UK and Ireland, as it is very nasty, tough and reproduces at a bionic rate.”
So there does appear to be a problem here. Laura seemed to think that this was a different type of red mite that would bite humans so I decided to go to the experts at the University of Newcastle to find out more.
Dr George (now with the University of Lancaster) has been studying Red Mite and told me this:
“With regard to red mite feeding upon humans, it seems that this is actually more common than once thought. An increasing number of reports in the academic press are identifying cases of this, where red mite have also been found to infest other mammals (including rats and horses). In my opinion it’s likely that this has always been the case, but that such infestations have ‘traditionally’ been misdiagnosed. That said, I’ve never personally been bitten and I suspect that avian hosts are more preferred by the mites, where they may nevertheless take a meal on an alternative host if desperate. The ‘deserted birds nest in the attic’ is a classic case of this, where red mites (and other avian mites) are forced to leave the nest after the young birds have fledged – often encountering a human meal as they do so!”
Ideas for treating your house for Red Mite.
There are numerous products out there that will treat poultry houses but what can you use in your house?
Well, in commercial poultry houses, red mite are treated with pesticides, although there is growing concern that some mites are becoming resistant and different types of pesticide are used to try to prevent this from happening.
There are pesticide based products that are designed to be used in the home to remove common fleas that can infest the carpets and other areas of the home. These traditionally would have only been available from a vet but now are available from companies like Medicanimal. You spray it around the carpet / edges and under skirting boards in cracks and then vacate the room, leaving the door closed for a couple of hours. Follow the manufacturers instructions and certainly don’t breathe the spray – ideally wear a mask. One I have used is Ardap Spray and another similar product is Indorex spray, available from Medicanimal for example.
There are pest control companies that will deal with fleas in a home. They will have access to knapsacks of pesticides that they can use so if things get too bad, it might be worth calling them in. I would still repeat the spray application every 3 to 4 days. The life cycle of a mite is 7 days – so treating before they have a chance to lay eggs will reduce numbers faster.
Chilling the mites, as suggested by Laura, leaving her heating off over the winter may stop them reproducing and feeding but I don’t believe it will kill them – they can survive in a poultry house outdoors over the winter.
Newcastle University are testing different essential oils since these contain chemicals toxic to pests. For example, linalool from lavender is toxic to red mites. Their latest research shows that red mite mortality rates decrease with time – so the oils need to be fresh to work. My granddad used to hang fresh Lavender bunches in his pigeon loft and I thought it was to keep the loft smelling fresh!
The female red mite lays her eggs after a feed. There is also evidence though from Newcastle University that the acaricidal effect (killing power) of essential oils increases as mites are starved for longer periods of time so could covering yourself in an insect repellent preventing them feeding for a few days whilst treating your house may help to knock down more mites?
Diatom is safe and can be used in the house – dust cracks and crevices – the good news is it will hoover up without leaving a mess afterwards.
Eat more garlic! The locals in Charente, France where I sometimes stay eat a lot of garlic and say it stops the mosquitos biting them (and Vampires?)… I give my birds crushed garlic (2 or 3 cloves) in their water to keep them healthy and I am sure this is why I have had far fewer problems with red mite this year. I mentioned this to Dr. George and he replied:
“…some work has been going on there recently to control red mite using garlic in either feed or water, so the fact that this has worked well for you should be of particular interest to them.”
I look forward to finding out more about this and will share it with you when I do but it may help you to get less bites.
If sofas or chairs are infected, I would get rid of them. There are just too many places for them to hide. (Sorry!)
I hope this gives you some ideas of things to try around the home, if I come across any more information, I will share it with you here.
Have you had Red Mite living in your house or biting you? Please leave a comment to help others who read this.
#1 by Laura Loo on August 19, 2010 - 4:28 pm
HI Tim, Thanks so much for looking into this for us – we are so grateful! Will keep you posted on our progress. Fingers crossed.
#2 by Natasha on August 25, 2010 - 11:01 pm
Hi, I would like to say that the varroa mite feeds of of you, and they are red, but the red mite is a different kind of mite, does this mean the red mite or do u mean the varroa mite?
#3 by Tim Daniels on August 26, 2010 - 5:08 am
No, it’s Red Mites we’re talking about here that usually infest poultry houses and birds nests.
#4 by bryony trafford on August 31, 2010 - 12:47 pm
Hi, I am letting you know the latest on my red mites!! I have successfully desimated them with Toal Poultry Solutions Red Mite kill ready to use pink spray. I brought red mite into the house, they have definitely only bitten opportunistically and died after 4 days or so. None were red in the house, despite being with several dogs and cats, so they weren’t getting enough blood to breed, I hope. Frontline spot on does not kill red mite on dogs or cats. Have had success with flea sprays(Permethrin) for furniture and flea collars (Permethrin impregnated) for cats, as permethrin spot on can kill cats this is out. I now take all my clothes off, after treating the coop, put them in a bin bag with flea spray and shake them around, then go in the shower! NB The info about Frontline spot on was from Merial, the manufacturers, they do a fipronil spray which should work. Hope this is helpful to others.
#5 by Laura Loo on September 6, 2010 - 9:29 am
Hi, Thanks for info. I heard a vet on TV saying Frontline does not work for mites and that this summer (in Ireland) has been dreadful for the mites on dogs, which like us, is taking a long time to treat. I think vets are using a combination of Advantage and steroids on dogs (which they used on ours), to get rid of these horrors. The hens seem to be ok now and the rest of us including the dogs, house and us slowly getting better thankfully, also with the help of the weather getting colder. We are also doing a lot of steaming everywhere which I think is helping a lot and lots of Diatom DE. We freeze our bedding and clothes daily. wash ourselves twice daily, apply tea tree and epson salts to bath and try and keep skin as dry as poss, as they love oily skin. I have learned that mites and other parasites love people with a lot of yeast in their system (candida), as yeast is formed by sugar from foods we eat, which like us, they love. Which explains why some people do not get affected by them living in the same house as others being affected. The anti parasite diet is very similar to the anti candida diet. Also having a dehumidifier helps alot, as they hate dry air. We did try mini fogforte fumers all over the house, but found the house very prickly the next day, so not sure they are that effective. Fingers crossed we are completely successful soon. Will keep posted
#6 by kokorako on September 10, 2010 - 1:25 pm
I want to have a go mixing a spray of natural oils to keep the red mites still left in my 2-hen coop unhappy. I plan to spray into the crannies, under the perch etc. Any ideas on the mix level of peppermint, lavendar, eucalyptus, citronella and tea tree?
#7 by Tim Daniels on September 10, 2010 - 2:12 pm
I’m afraid I don’t know. You could run some tests with a solution – take a jar and get a few mites in there by tapping them out of a crack, then add a piece of cotton wool in the bottom and moisten with your test substance – make sure the mites are on the solution (but not drowned!) then check them 12 hrs, 24 hrs etc later and see how many die. This is essentially how they test the products only using laboratory containers and so on.
#8 by Jill on September 12, 2010 - 6:55 am
Whew … I’m glad this problem is finally getting some attention. A friend bought hay bales for her garden and fowl run which, it turns out, were infested with red mites. The mites soon colonised the hens but also adopted my friend as a host. She is covered in bites and has had an allergic reaction to the toxin. These critters are aggressive, hardy and nasty. My friend has been dealing with them for months – they are throughout her house and garden and she can’t even sit in her driveway without being invaded. (They’re small but you can see them in direct sunlight.) She has had them identified by the local vet and they are definitely red mites. She feels sure they are breeding on her body and sees ‘bubbles’ under her skin where she feels they are laying eggs. People have called her crazy but she is a professional counsellor and very level-headed. Needless to say, these things are driving her mad. They crawl on her at night and keep her awake. They also crawl into her nose and mouth.
She vacuums every day, washes all her bedding in super-hot water, ‘cooks’ all clothes and bedding in the clothes dryer, has had her house, garden and car bombed with insecticide etc etc. The mites are lessening but have virtually wrecked her life. These critters should be seriously studied and solutions developed. I suspect many people could be suffering from an infestation of bird mites but don’t know what they are. (We are in South Australia.)
Jill
#9 by Laura Loo on September 14, 2010 - 4:08 pm
Hi Jill, So sorry to hear about your friend. She must be unbelievely strong to have put up with the horrors for so long. We have only been two and a half months and they really affected us. My Mum and myself still have mites infested on our body, but our animals and home seem to have cleared. These mites definately reproduce on you, which vets said they could not. There is so much vets and the medical world dont know about these parasites, but they need to get their head out of the sand soon, as these horrors are getting out of control . We tried the Lyclear and Derbac – body treatment with 5% Permethrin for mites and lice, which must have been like mineral water to these guys, as had no effect. Our doctor even said he did not know what to do next. We are going to see a tropical med doc next week, so fingers crossed. In the meantime I found this website – should be helpful for your friend http://www.skinparasitesebook.com/ You can download his ebook, which has tonnes of information for your friend. It has been a bible for me, especially if doctors cannot help. I will blog more info as I go along with our horror problem.
#10 by Laura Loo on October 10, 2010 - 10:07 am
Hi there, Just following up on our progress. The tropical medical doc did not know anything about bird mites, so was no help. We still have the mites on our bodies and the dogs are still a bit scratchy, but getting slowly better. The house is better, but on hot days, you can feel slightly scratching in a couple of rooms – this Sept and Oct has been unusally hot in Ireland, which has not helped the situation. Thanks to the weather getting cooler in general, the infestation is slowly improving. I am trying the parasite diet (no sugars or refined sugars etc) and think you need to do it for a while before it has effect, so will continue with it. I found another useful website http://www.avianweb.com/bitingmitestreatment2.html. I think when dealing with these parasites, there is no magic pill, but only keep trying different ideas. There are blogs on the internet which you can read people different treatments and how they got on. Looks like permethrin etc is not working anymore for many people suffering from all theses parasites eg: lice, scabies, mites etc. They even had it on the news last week in Australia that 80% of the locusts are not dying from being sprayed, which is very serious for farmers.
I am now trying tonnes of vaseline and Neem oil (stops the reproduction cycle) on my affected areas and at night put extra vaseline around my eyes, nose and mouth to stop them coming down from my hair into these areas, which is really works. The vaseline actually suffocates them, so put a good dollip on. I also sleep with a shower cap – material, not plastic – as the plastic heats up your head too much, which makes them hatch. I also put two cups of epsom salts in the bath at night, which also really help. Another thing I noticed is sleeping in a sleeping bag and a couple of squarts of repellent has really stopped a lot of activity on my body – not sure why, but definatley much better than duvets, sheets or blankets. We continue to freeze our bedding daily – I also have an allergy mattress cover, which also gets freezed. Wash clothes at 60 degrees. Shower in the morning, epsom bath in the evening – get scrubbers and either sulfar soap or perfume free soap (perfume attracts them). I also use T Tree deodourant, as they also hate T Tree. Freeze the clothes and shoes I wear daily and continue to hoover (strong hoover) and steam the home. I will post again any new ideas for people as I go along. The main thing is if anyone gets these horrors on their bodies, to try and keep as calm as possible. I noticed the more stressed I got (which I also read in other blogs), the more activity would occur. One blogger thought that they might be attracted to a stress hormone, not sure why, but try to keep as strong as possible and do plenty of exercise – not easy at all, but really helps situation. Good luck and be in touch soon. Laura
#11 by Ann on October 27, 2010 - 9:36 am
Hey Laura,
I live in Wicklow and have had a bird mite infestation since late August. Great to find someone else in Ireland !!
I’ve sent samples to an expert for identification but I think they are probably northern fowl mite. We have chickens outside our bedroom window and sparrows nested in both eves of the house this year.
I’ve tried all sorts of *things* but decided that strengthening the host is best route as my husband is bothered by them at all.
So far epsom salts have worked best for me – I cover myself in a solution and let it dry – usually get 6 -8 hours without too much crawling after that.
My eyes have been badly affected – the one place that is really hard to protect. I often go to sleep with cotton wool pads soaked with witch hazel and borax lying on my lids.
I had a bath with Citricidal the other day and that seemed to kill a lot of them (gawd, how many can there be!).
I use DE on the carpets and steam the bed and clothes as don’t have a freezer.
Today we are going to spray the house with Permethrin. I am totally fed up with them but it seems that it takes time and persistence to get rid of them.
It is great to hear about your protocol. I haven’t been to a doctor yet as have been waiting for the identification to come through.
Keep blogging and thank you,
Ann
#12 by LauraLoo on October 29, 2010 - 4:44 pm
Hi Ann,
Great to hear from you. I am in Wicklow too! – if you want to contact me, I will give my details to Tim.
We also did have the hens right outside my extension which must have made us more vulnerable to the mites. I now think my Mum and I have contracted morgellons disease caused from the mite infestation. We have sent samples to our vet and all come back negative for parasites. Only a couple of weeks ago my Mum and I decided to put olive oil over us for a few hours, which is supposed to smother any parasites, and all theses black and white specks came out of our skin. After getting on the internet, we ticked all the boxes for morgellons disease. We even sent the specks to the vet and it came back negative for parasites (another trait of morgellons). The dogs are still scratching, which has the vets scratching their heads thinking what is going on, but supposedly from my research the animals can get it too.
Morgellons sounds like it is becoming an epidemic. They are even saying that many of those people on birdmites.org and other bird mite sites and forums actually have morgellons (invisible bugs causing horrors). You might be lucky and just have a mite infestation, but do check the websites below to be sure.
Check out http://www.morgellonsuk.org.uk and http://www.morgellons.org.
Fasinating reports from Dr. Staninger at http://www.staningerreport.com/#indexMainWindow.html AND
http://www.healinggrapevine.com/morgellons/is-morgellons-contagious.html
I have today emailed both morgellons US and UK to get more info on doctors that can help in UK or Europe, so awaiting their reply. If we did not improve or got worse and could not find a doctor in Europe, we would go to the US.
From what I have read, Dr. Staninger treatment is a detox program (which I presume would be very strict and maybe focus on no sugars, refined sugars – anything that causes fungus or what parasites like) and far infrared sauna (to get specks and toxins out of body) twice a week.
I will blog again any new info I get and how we are getting on.
Take care,
Laura
#13 by Ann on October 30, 2010 - 5:58 pm
Dear Laura,
Yikes – Morgellons! When I first got the *mites* I read birdmites.org and saw that quite a few people progressed from mites to Morgellons and wonderd if this is because all the skin washing etc strips the skin of it’s natural defenses and leaves it vulnerable to other invaders? I’ll read more on your links now.
I’d love to get in touch with you – quite a coincidence that we live in the same county.
Tim, could I get contact details for Laura from you ?
Meanwhile good luck with your search for treatment.
all the best,
Ann
#14 by LauraLoo on October 31, 2010 - 4:58 pm
Hi Ann,
Great to hear from you. Not sure how or if we definately have it, but sounds like it
. Also not sure if this was due to stripping my skin, but I have a feeling this morgellon thing whatever it is hangs around parasites, animals, plants etc.. because the symptoms have been happening from the start of the body infestation.
I got a responce from morgellons UK and they know of doctors in UK and also stated they have fellows suffers they are in contact with in Ireland, so not alone. They are going to ring me, so will keep you posted.
Tim if you are reading this, will you give Ann my email address? I will keep posting my progress and any new info, for help anyone that is going through this nightmare.
Thanks for posting my posts!
All the best,
Laura
#15 by Tim Daniels on October 31, 2010 - 5:48 pm
OK have passed on your email address. Keep us posted, we’re certainly thinking of you. Take care, Tim
#16 by LauraLoo on October 31, 2010 - 10:05 pm
Thanks Tim, myself and Ann are now in direct contact. I will be in touch soon.
#17 by K on January 26, 2011 - 11:54 pm
Hi everyone. I recently had a problem with mite infestation in my chicken coop and also on myself and in my home. I found this page while researching how to eradicate the mites and wanted to share what worked for me. I live in South Australia and had three backyard chickies. I only found out they had mites when one of my chickens became ill and we took her to the vet, who pointed out the problem. I checked the other chickens, and sure enough found mites all over their bottoms, quite horrific.. Unfortunately, our sick chicken didn’t make it and had to be put to sleep, and I’m sure that the mite infestation contributed, if not caused, her illness. I’d also been experiencing bites on my body that I’d gotten overnight (and had mistakingly assumed I caught fleas from a hotel I’d stayed in a couple of weeks earlier) but when I found out about the mites it all clicked and once I started looking for them I started seeing them all over the chicken coop, crawling up my feet when I went outside, and up my arms when I handled my chickens.
This is how I solved the problem:
1. Chickens and chicken coop. Removed all the litter and burned it. Washed out the house with a high pressure hose, then scrubbed it with Malaban Wash (got this from the poultry supply shop, and have since noticed that Woolworths sells the same thing, called Malowash, for dogs and cats). I paid particular attention to the crevices and cracks in the house, and repeated the washing three times. It took about 2 hours, as I wanted to be thorough. I let the last Malaban wash dry, and then spread poultry dust through the house, and put down a light layer of fresh straw. I raked through the chicken yard, removing the top soil, and then sprayed the malaban all through the yard. At this point, I noticed that the mites were still crawling over my feet and up my legs, so I resorted to moving the now clean chicken house to a separate area of the backyard. I also now put crushed garlic cloves in their water to reduce mite biting. 7 days later, I cleaned and poisoned the house again, and bathed the chickens again to kill any mites that may have hatched since the last washing. For the yard, I sprayed it with Malaban and pymetrhin spray, and shook out ant granules containing bifenthrin. I sectioned off that part of the backyard, and won’t be going in their for a while!
Next, I washed the chickens in Malaban wash. I placed them in a bucket of it so that the level reached their bellies, then massaged it thouroughly through their feathers, until I couldn’t see anymore mites. I then put them into their clean house and created a new, temporary yard, and sprinkled the perimeter with poultry dust and bifenthrin.
2. Me
After washing the chickens, I had mites ALL over me, so I took off my clothes outside and dumped them straight into a tub of poison. I’d bought a laundry soaker from the chemist for lice, which cotains Maldison (the same active ingredient in Malaban, so I figured it would work) I also got some paper towels, dipped them in the wash and wiped down my body, as I had about 20 on my skin. Jumped straight into the shower, scrubbed all over with a mixture of soap, tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus oil, then washed my hair in lice shampoo (again, Maldison, same as Malaban wash).
3. House
To get rid of mites in the house, I first started with the front and back patios. Swept them, hosed them down with a high pressure hose, then tipped buckets of Malaban wash over the tiles and scrubbed them. When they were dry, I liberally sprinkled bifenthrin-containing ant granules all over the patio, and then also sprinkled a thick layer of borax directly outside the front and back doors to reduce tracking mites into the house.
Inside the house, I vacuumed EVERYTHING. Room by room, I moved furniture away from the walls, vacuumed the furntiture, took the couch apart and vacuumed every surface, even underneath the couch, the bookshelves, just everywhere. I then maded up a bucket of borax, malaban, tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus in hot water, and mopped the entire house with it. I washed the skirting boards and the walls, and washed the furniture with it too. I took my bed apart and washed the frame and each slat with it, and then also sprayed my mattress with the essential oils in water. I soaked all the bedding in the maldison laundry soaker before washing it. Shoes I put in a garbage bag with the essential oils and sprayed with Baygon Egg kill bug spray with cypermetrhin and sealed them up. I also sprayed along the skirting boards and corners of rooms, around window sills etc, with the spray, and then shook borax around the corners and gaps under the skirting boards.
4. Car
As we’d transporter our sick chicken in the car, I had the inside of the car professionally cleaned. After that I sprayed almost an entire can of the baygon spray and closed all the doors and left it for a few hours. I then wiped down the surfaces with the essential oil mix.
5. Maintenance
To ensure the house and I stayed mite free while still treating the chickens, I kept a tub of Maldison outisde at all times, and after feeding, bathing, cleaning, or doing anything with the chickens, I would get undressed outside, dump the clothes straight into the tub, take off my shoes and leave them on the borax by the back door and go straight into the shower to scrub with tea tree oil.
And that’s it! The chickens are doing much better and I don’t see any evidence of mites on them anymore, though I plan on checking them and their house regularly, and including the malaban wash and poultry dust everytime I clean their coop. After taking these measures, the mites were completely gone. I had no more bites despite handling the chickens daily to check on their condition.
I hope that helps. Good luck everybody!
#18 by K on January 27, 2011 - 12:05 am
Oh, I forgot to mention something important. All of the above cleaning was done on the same day. It didn’t make sense to me to clean and kill the mites in the yard, and then just go into the house where there were more mites, as I would just keep spreading them back and forth. Same with the car, not point cleaning the whole house, only to jump in your car and then bring them back into the house after all your hard work!
#19 by Sinead on March 2, 2011 - 10:18 pm
I live in Ireland and i thought i was the only one suffering from mites. my problem is i am getting bit at night time, i have had a pest control company into the house over the last 2 years to spray the house. after the first spray i had no bites for about 6 months. now its frequent again , the company suggest i contact my G.P. which i did, i was given a cream from lyclear, it only seems to work when i have it on. i don’t know what kind of mite is in the house, i am so exhausted form lack of sleep , its hard to function the next day. i can’t keep using cream every night, i’ve also used insect repellent, it had a small effect. i feel i have similar sysmtoms to the lady who is a psychologist above in one of the comments. i would greatly appreciate any advcie .
#20 by LauraLoo on March 10, 2011 - 12:23 pm
Hi Sinead,
I am Laura who this “mites infesting your house” is about. Sorry to hear you are having a bad time with the mites. We still have whatever these mites are, which for us is known as morgellons disease. I do think for me there is a link between collembola and morgellons, not red mite, as we were using compost in our hen house. I think we originally got infested by some mite or collembola and this morgellons thing whatever it is came along, as we do have crystal specks coming out of our skin still, but luckily feeling much better.
I dont know what you have, but one thing I think is important with any parasite or bug is they thrive on sugars. alcohol and refined sugars, so try to avoid these as much as possible. I also avoided fruit, but now occasionally have berries – less sugar. I went to a naturopath to get guidance for the best possible diet, making sure I was not accidently eating refined sugars and definately getting the right nutrition. You need to get your immune system up, because the best way to protect yourself, is from within your body. The interesting thing is since the infestation I have only had alcohol twice and both times I would get a couple of lesions afterwards from it, so I know for sure sugars brings them on.
I still get the crawling sensations (especially in hair) and a bit of muscle twitching in all areas on body, mainly after eating or sometimes at night. Its weird, as it seems to go through cycles and you feel different sensations at different times.
At present we are following some of the advice of this site: http://www.stopskinmites.com/ The cedarcide products are so expensive, plus the delivery from US is nearly double, so we cannot use it very often, but I definately think it helps. Another advice from Megan is Arbonne products, which have definately helped so much and they are not expensive. There is a Arbonne rep in the UK to get the products if you want to try:
* RE9 Advanced Nourishing BodyWash
* BefoRE Sun Damage Control Water Resistant Sunscreen SPF 30
You need to follow Megans instructions on how to use the products http://www.stopskinmites.com/products/arbonne.
I will keep updating any products we try out that really helps with this nightmare. Thankfully life is so much better at the moment.
Sometimes whats worse is not the actually bug infestation, but the fact that the medical community do not know how to help. I know for Morgellons there are some doctors in the UK that could help you if you are really bad, even if you do not have morgellons. Just check with Jo in http://www.morgellonsuk.org.uk/
Anyway, hope this info helps you.
Laura
#21 by Kay Watson on March 31, 2011 - 4:47 pm
Help! I’ve found these tiny bugs in my rented flat (I’m on the top floor in the roof) for a few months now and the tests came bac they are red poultry mites YIKES! Pigeons sit on my windowsill ( I don’t invite them them but there we go!) and there is scaffolding there as well so it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a nest there as well. Do you think they couldbe coming from the pigeons? Please help, with that and a mouse problem I just want to move out!
Kay
#22 by Tim Daniels on April 1, 2011 - 7:01 am
Hi Kay,
You poor thing, that doesn’t sound good. The mice should be easily fixed, there are lots of good companies that will come in and help, or you could set traps / put down bait stations yourself. Living in the country with chickens, I have to keep on top of them regularly myself.
The Red Mite probably came in from birds nests – most likely when the young left the nest. They are more of a problem, as you might be gathering from people’s replies to this post. There are lots of products that can help but you may wish to consider contacting your landlord if they were there when you arrived. You could ask him to check for nests and block any birds from nesting this year which will help to stop them feeding and multiplying.
I can highly recommend diatom as a safe product when used as per the directions. Good Luck…Tim
#23 by Kay Watson on April 4, 2011 - 8:58 am
Thanks so much Tim, really appreciate the response. I’m so exhausted by all this so its great to get some good advice! I’ll look into diatom and will let you know how it all goes! Thanks again.
Kay
#24 by Candi Hunt on May 16, 2011 - 10:15 pm
Thanks from Palmer Texas. I have two teen daughters, Amber and Morgan, and know for a fact that chicken mites can and do bite people and spread to other people and even spread to people by their dogs having contact with chickens that have mites too. I do not want my daughters to keep dealing with chicken mites. Your information helps.
#25 by annie on May 20, 2011 - 11:44 pm
I have kept chicken in my back garden in kent for 3 years. Last year, after several attempts at spraying and dusting, I burnt the 2nd hand chicken house.
I asked my son to build a new run, in a different place in garden and I ordered a new house from internet. New house, new run, new area. Some new chicken from a reputable breeder and away I went from october last year. 20 chicken in a house recommened for 25, from pekins to rhode island reds and several in between… The children loved different colours and collecting a few eggs each day..
Then on monday to my horror I noticed a few on the back wall!!! I went down with a cold, checked again tonight and the house and chickens are covered!! I am so sad, it cost so much money and time to set up again.
Please can any one give me any idea’s. I feel like getting rid of the chicken’s and burning the whole set up! Such a lot of work for a few eggs a day, this used to be real fun. The excitement on my childrens faces each day guessing how many eggs, they would find. Now i cant let them near the house.
Just sitting here typing this, I feel like they are crawling all over me! [ there are not of course]
#26 by Tim Daniels on May 21, 2011 - 9:55 am
Hi Annie,
Sorry to hear of your red mite problems. Have a look at the other post in my blog about How to get rid of red mite: and on the main poultrykeeper site about Red Mite
We get them every year and all you can really do is keep on top of them. It takes a huge effort to remove them completely.
Some key things to remember:
In the right conditions (warm temperatures) they can complete their life cycle in 6 days from egg to egg laying adult. They multiply very quickly. When treating, repeat BEFORE 6 days.
They can live for 8 months or so without a feed.
You can get them down to a managable number and just keep on top of them but the more you clean the house and treat, the more chance you have of getting rid of them – just make sure you inspect weekly through the summer months. A white tissue rubbed along the underside of the perch at night will show red smears of blood if you have them.
#27 by Stephanie on May 27, 2011 - 1:40 am
I could actually cry reding this. I have the vile creatures in my room. In my bed and in my hair. I hate the chickens best of all they’re my dads and I’m the one suffering
How can I get rid of them?! I can feel them crawling on me :’(
#28 by TaureuLee on June 14, 2011 - 12:09 am
I have had success in getting rid of somekind of critter that resembles a mite. No doc can confirm this for me though. My battle has been lasting for 1 year now, when ever i get rid of it completely, it comes back, because my place of work is infested also. So when ever I’m on vacation I successfully get rid of them, only to get it again in a few weeks back at work. I,m not sure if its the office or the people. ANYWAYS, the most successful product to kill these things, and keep them away SULFuR cheap, effective .. I mix it with my fav. creams (one with out alcohol), with alittle teaTREE oil and voi-la. It take a few days for them to die, but it works. I put the powder directly on my mattress under my sheets ( about 1/4 cup), and instantly got a good night sleep for the first time in 10 months. YES.. the sulfur is a recipe from our grandparents and great grandparents to treat scabies, and lets face it, scabies IS a type of mite. yes, I am the only one suffering in the family also, but i see some people at work who are infested alot more that I am. They think its eczema and treat it with cortisone.. that the worst making the bugs stronger.. stay away from cortisone !!!
#29 by Andrea on July 4, 2011 - 10:56 pm
Hi all. Have found this all very useful, thanks. I have 6 chickens and have been really struggling with red mite this year, not helped by me going on holiday for a week recently and so not being able to spray; as fast as I clean it all out, they seem to be back faster. And I’m finding them on me and my daughter and in the house (they are crawling across the laptop screen as I type!) which is making me paranoid every time I feel an itch. As yet, I’ve not been bitten, it’s just the crawling and the worry of other people seeing them on me – I am in middle of a course of dental treatment and am worried that I’ll be in the chair and a few mites will start marching about my face! And now they seem all over the garden – I can get them on me without even going near the coop – found some on my guinea pigs yesterday & in one hutch (I have 4 hutches & 8 pigs & we’ve been battling some other kind of parasite on them for the last few weeks, too). And now the cats have fleas. Oh, it’s all such fun. ;o)
) Hurrah, a small victory. I also sometimes go out at night and spray inside the coop with permethrin when they’re out more (much to the chooks’ annoyance as they’re trying to sleep and I’m shooshing them from one perch to another so I don’t spray their faces!)
(
For the mites, I am using a ton of diatom in the coop because after trying a range of other things, it seems to work the best for me for keeping the numbers down. Poultry Shield doesn’t seem to touch them (though I know it works for others.) When I open the coop and see them, especially after hosing, I spray them direct with permethrin which seems to kill them on contact.
I’m going to look into some of the other suggestions above, too. I will beat the buggers!
My biggest problem with it all is cost – I am a single mum on a very low income and am spending £20 plus a week on stuff. And it’s not even getting rid of them, or even making much difference. I love my chooks, and my daughter is devoted to them, but if I’d known before I got them that it would be like this, I would never have got them as it’s just a nightmare all round.
#30 by LinF on July 29, 2011 - 7:38 pm
Hi, I’ve been reading with interest all the hard work involved in ridding outdoors and indoors of mites…I live in Essex, and this is my tale of woe…
I’ve kept hens for several years, but recently noticed that I was covered in mites….a pale brownish colour, are these the dreaded red mite?…I’ve at last located the area where they are infested, a stable door which was used as a roost at night for a free range cockeral and his hen (fox got the cockeral two weeks ago so the hen is now in the run with all the others.
I’ve used a Defra recommended product and also Poultry shield, am & pm for over a week and still the pests return, scrubbing and sponging it on, I think they are imbedded deep in the wood. I feel like burning the door!
They are on the door post and lintel, and am sure I’ve had them dropping on to my head and often feel itchy.
I shower and hairwash with Teatree am & pm and will follow further advice given in this column.
Oddly, I don’t see them in the hen house (maybe not looking too carefully), but find it difficult to treat my hens single handedly, sounds agood idea using a bucket tho’.
I do find that when I clean out the hen house the chickens go off lay for a while….like your other contributer I am looking to build another large run away from the current site, but i would be really upset if the problem persisted!
I recall years ago where I rented stables on a disused farm, that there was an enormous empty barn, and was told by an elderly ex farm worker not to go in (I already had, it was fitted out as a huge poultry barn!) as they had had poultry mite infestation and you just cannot get rid of that!
Does Jeyes Fluid combat the mite?
I think I’ll burn the door….
#31 by Tim Daniels on July 29, 2011 - 7:54 pm
Take a look at this page – there is a close up photo of red mite – you can see them grey before a feed, red after a feed and their eggs. You normally find a grey ash like substance (excreation) around the cracks they are inhabiting.
Yes, Jeyes fluid kills them as long as it comes into contact with them.
Everyone reading might be interested to know that there are a number of new products coming onto the market at the moment that look good as well. One is a predator mite that has been tested in Germany. I will blog about it once I have tested it – but I need to find a local coop that hasn’t been treated with any chemicals first – quite difficult because people usually treat the house the moment they find the mites. If anyone is interested, leave a comment asking for details and I will forward on the email address of the people selling them.
#32 by simon on August 8, 2011 - 12:04 pm
I have had red mites for about a year, until this weekend i had them under control, or so i thought, i opened up the coop to clean and under there perchs there was hundeds of thousands of them! I had to make the choice of maybe having them come into the house via other pets of people, of getting rid of them, i choose to get rid of them spent all of sunday burning them and my coop and trying to console the kids, if this problem was talked about more before chickens where sold as back yard pets, hopefully this sort of thing would not happen so often.
#33 by Sarah on August 8, 2011 - 12:51 pm
Hi
I am looking into the predator mite for treatment of Red Mite
I have literally given up trying the ‘off the shelf’ products and am now at the end of my tether.
My chicken have no become the dreaded chore of the day knowing I am going to end up covered in mites!
Any feedback on the predator mites will be gratefully appreciated!
Thank you!
#34 by Mags on August 8, 2011 - 9:01 pm
Hi there.
I am looking after my neighbours chickens for 10 days. I go to them twice a day. Tonight after seeing to them, fresh water, food etc, I got home & found these tiny little things on me, clothes, hands etc. Now, not having chickens myself, I have no idea what they are! They seem to be about a mm big, & similar to a head lice. Sort of see through, opalescent in colour I would guess. I have spoken to a friend of mine while I still had these little creatures on my clothes & she told me to strip & get them in the wash straight away. Now, my 3 children were with me, but they did not get in the pen with me, but were standing very close to the chickens, so now paranoid about my children being covered like I was! Now, I rang my friend & told her, & offered to treat the chickens, but they said no, don’t bother! I’m sure they don’t believe me! But what the hell am I supposed to do in the mean time! I can’t leave the chickens to fend for themselves, but equally don’t want this hassle twice a day! Please, any advice anyone??
Many thanks in advance!
#35 by john roberts on August 9, 2011 - 4:44 am
Hi- im a casual reader passing thru , saw u posts , and have a probable solution to u problems.
Raid have a new product out called Raid Night & Day which is a plugin diffuser (like the insect mats), that is designed to work continuosly for 24 hours a day , for 10 days at a time. I had a problem like yours and several of these plugins cleaned my place right out. The active ingredient is transfluthrin so there is no adaption like there is with pyrethrum .It is safe enough to use continuosly for 10 days. I found that it was effective enough to kill cockroaches as well as flying insects.
I would try one in a room for 10 days and see how it goes. Then put them throughout the house. Cost is only $10 from the local supermarket for one.
Its something that worked for me.
#36 by Doerte on August 9, 2011 - 2:42 pm
We discovered red mite for the first time yesterday, not bad after 3 years of having chickens. The blog was hugely helpful and I bought some products straight away and ordered a whole load more, to keep things at bay long-term. What really shocked me, was to read that the mites can spread and infest your home too. Realistically, is there just a very low chance of this happening or do most chicken keepers end up with mites in their homes?? In the latter case, we will seriously consider getting rid of the hens or at least not replacing them when their time comes…… Have many of you given up because of the mites and worries for your children and homes?
#37 by jane on August 12, 2011 - 8:02 pm
Hi, I know this seems mad, but in an attempt to “get rid” of red mite from coop I rubbed all cracks and crevices with vaseline and lemons/lemon juice, bit of a gooey mess but it worked somewhat, I dust the birds with Diatom too, there are still a few about, I’d definitely not call it an infestation though, I’ve not had any in the house, but regular bug patrol and treatment is the answer I think. The next clean out will be with Jeyes Fluid (thank you for that advice) on everything but the birds I think….do they live “on” the birds and therefore crawl on and off them etc, so even a clear house may not be the end of them???
#38 by Carl from Cumbria UK on August 14, 2011 - 3:16 pm
Found red mites in our small coop this week for the first time, treated liberally with Barrier red mite powder, burnt bedding and cleaned thouroughly, few days later hardly any remaining – with the ones that are left not looking too happy!
Will repeat treat every few days for a few weeks until all traces are gone.
The five ladies look much happier already, can’t believe the difference – although still not eating or laying normally yet. Will keep a close eye on them over the coming days and weeks.
Fot severe infestations, a local friend told me that Jeyes fluid will decimate them and used once per year will keep them away.
Use wood ash in dust baths as this also kills the little red beggars!
Good luck everyone!
#39 by Tim Daniels on August 15, 2011 - 12:28 pm
I am hoping to test a predator mite shortly although they don’t like houses that have been treated with chemical products. I can put you in touch with a supplier if you wish but you would need to give your coops a serious wash down with the hose before introducing the predator mite for the best chances of them working….
#40 by Charile Stone on August 21, 2011 - 9:49 am
I feel your pain. My house is infested by these damn creatures.
@ Tim Daniels
Tim, I followed your guide on how to get rid of red mite, it worked for about 2 months and now.. here we are again.
We’re seriously thinking to move and change city.
Charlie.
#41 by Steven Spellborgh on August 23, 2011 - 5:25 am
Hi there. I suggest that, since red mites can survive for up to 10 months in an empty hen house, it is important to clean housing thoroughly. House designs should eliminate hiding places for the mites as much as possible. Chemical controls, if used, should be used in rotation to avoid the build up of resistance. Anyways,the following solutions you have made mention are effective, but I haven’t tried it inside the house. How sure is it that it would be safe for my kids?
#42 by Rob Este on August 24, 2011 - 7:26 am
We have an infestation of mites which seem to be resistant to just about everything, have tried most of the treatment off of this site, to no avail, anyone know where you can get Preditator mite from, as suggested by Tim Daniels, and as have been finding out they do bite, and they do survive in the house, as we find them in the container when we hoover, any suggestions please.
#43 by Carl from Cumbria UK on August 24, 2011 - 5:08 pm
Update to previous posts ref getting rid of these pests – we got a tip from a farmer that the best thing for red mites was hydrated lime. This is a fine white powder that you can also make limewash from. We got a 25kg sack from a farmers supply company for under £10. Sprinkled liberally under the bedding, brushed it into the crevices etc not seen a SINGLE red mite for nearly a week now.
If you are at the end of the road – Hydrated Lime will blitz them, with no ill effects on the Girls either.
Later learned that this is also a favourite with pigeon fanciers to keep lofts pest free.
#44 by Ana from Perth-Australia on August 27, 2011 - 2:07 pm
Mitesinfestation.
I’m and my 6 months old baby having a bad time during many months with bites,itching hair,burning sensation,red spots as a allergy reaction. This was happening after we got a bed bug infestation from the next door apartment.I’m not sure where they coming from.I’ve trying to catch some samples but not was a mite.I can’t see them just fell this horror movie that our lives are now.I’ve put in the bin mattress,give away new bed frame,contract a pest control that did one application,gave a year warranty and never came back.I don’t know what to do? the doctor don’t believe on me because they can see anything only the red spots that they called eczema.I’ve been crying and getting despaired.I’m not sure if is a dog,bird,rat mite?Please help!
by Ana from Perth Australia.
#45 by Faye on August 27, 2011 - 3:58 pm
Have had a problem with redmites this year – first time after 3 years of keeping chickens – they are so bad now that even if I go into the run to change water etc I am crawling wiht them. I found one in my bed this morning ( red – obviously been feedig)) and I am covered in bites. constantly feel itchy especially in my hair and legs. I have spent hundreds of pound this year trying to get rid of them on the girls and nothing seems to work. My next step is to burn everything. Any tips on checking to see if I have a colony of redmite in my house?
#46 by Lionel Guy on August 31, 2011 - 4:59 am
Hello, I really interested in tying the parasitic mites, please forward the info. Thanks
#47 by anne on September 6, 2011 - 8:34 pm
I have no answers, but will tell you that we are infested right now, from a bird feeder outside out kitchend window. I am the only person who is affected, and now have the infestation interally, where they have entered and reside within my body. I am currently researching where I can find help to get rid of them, and have a doctor appointment in two days. Trying to figure out how to convince him that I’m serious. There is a medical paper written in April of this year by three Drs. regarding this exact issue. Called “Formication Due to actual parasite infestation from Bird Mites”.
If anyone knows of a specialist who will help me treat this, please tell me. I think that I am not long for this world if this keeps up…
#48 by Viviana on September 10, 2011 - 9:16 am
Hello, we had red mites with our first 3 hens one year ago, they were adult hens we saved from a badly kept home, and came to us with the mites. Ant powder from Wilkinson got rid of them. Those hens were killed by foxes in February (the foxes managed to open the locked door of the coop one night, they are clever and desperate). We got 3 new hens in May. Found red mites in the coop in August. The hens never stopped laying eggs and never showed any distress, but since I have seen the mites before, I recognised them immediately. We tried to get rid of the problem straight away, but the mites of course come back and in big numbers each time. Ant powder did not do the trick this time, so I tried a pink liquid sold in the pet shop (from which btw I think I got the infestation through hay), 75 ml cost £8.49, used it all in one go on the coop. This disturbed the hens, as the day after I only had two eggs instead of the usual three. Two days later, the situation was worsening. I went to collect the eggs and saw lots of black mites crawling on my hands and arms. I made the mistake of coming inside the house and just wash my hands and arms, and got straight to the laptop to check the internet for a better solution to the problem. The mites are now in the laptop. I think Carl from Cumbria would not believe this, because I thought I was going mad as well, but it is easier to see them on the screen than anywhere else. I then stripped downstairs, and had a shower straight away, washed my hair, etc. and I have done this each time I go to the coop (which is at the far end of the garden, away from the house) ever since. However, I have seen some red mites on my face, alive, since then, although they are not red, but grey. I think they have not bitten me and this is why they are not red, but they could be on the sofa as well as in the laptop (which is a warm place). I am a teacher and I fear the moment when in the middle of a lesson a student could say ‘what is that Ms, crawling on your face?’. I think there is no exaggeration on this thread, and I believe that these creatures can drive anyone mad. I have now received 5 litres of Poultry shield (much cheaper to buy it this way) and did the treatment yesterday (used 3 litres of diluted product in one go). What has surprised me is the fact that the hens seem not to be affected by the mites (no change of colour on combs, nor in eggs production). I think there is a difference between what a farmer would do in this case and what casual poultry keepers do. Farmers probably wear overalls when they deal with their chickens, and do not go in the house with those. But I go to the coop with my normal clothes on, and then immediately back in the house. I really feel for Laura and all the other people who have their house infested (I think that mine will be too soon). I am trying not to panic, but I am one of these people that start scratching as soon as someone mention lice. So I am scratching these days and do not know if it is because the mites are really on me all the time, or just because I think they are. It is a stressful situation and I think that being able to talk about it somewhere where you can be understood is helping. Thank you Tim for giving this chance to people. Also I understand the frustration of casual keepers who have to spend all this money for the battle against the mites. The eggs we get from our hens are like gold, if you count the cost of the coop, building the runner, the food, and now even the chemicals. I got the hens because I found them therapeutic, they calm me, they are funny, and at the same time they produce eggs, but if the mites are so problematic and add stress to our lives, I agree with those who said here that the info about it should come with the hens.
Good luck everyone! Viviana
#49 by Jane on September 10, 2011 - 9:33 am
In answer to Doerte above – yes I do think there is now a much higher chance of getting home infected. Had a farm 30 years ago with 1000 free range hens and mites could be knocked on the head quite easily. Now retired with just a few hens in garden and can’t get rid of them which have infected home. They must now be more resistant to chemical treatments available.
Thanks, all, for very useful advice – I will be trying several of the remedies suggested and will report back if I manage to get rid of the little blighters.
Good luck everyone
#50 by Tim Daniels on September 16, 2011 - 7:33 am
I have started testing the predator mites – you can read about them here Predator Mite for Red Mite Control