How to get rid of Red Mite in Chicken Coop

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Just had some great feedback that really I should be bagging the straw instead of putting it on the ground as it could be just scattering the mites on the floor - worth me noting for next time!

[@karlap7889]

Do u spray it on the chicken too?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

@@karlap7889 No this is just for the ones in the coop - but if they have good areas for dust bathing (the likes of diatomaceous earth or even wood ash is great) that will help them

[@angelica.normand5512]

I have a bit of a tip for you, to save some time on the perches, rather paint them before the lice get on there, us e pva paint and they won't grab onto the wood, they hate the taste of it✨

[@theresaneace1267]

Hi my name is Theresa and I'm a new subscriber to your channel from Indiana, U.S. I enjoyed your video and love your accent, I wanted to give you information on another KZbin channel it's called chickenlandia, she's a professional chicken educator and has a lot of useful information and she's extremely funny to watch. I've learned a lot from her and truly enjoy the way she explains things. It's very obvious how much effort she puts into her chickens and their care. Blessings to you Theresa. For the family

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome thanks for that - I'll definitely look her up 😊

[@marywolochowicz5348]

I watch her also! Educational and entertaining! I’m going to try your mixture though. So simple and economical! Ty

[@vickyannpaintingwithoils]

Double sided tape at the ends of perches changed every day within 7 days they will be gone. I clean my perches weekly and spray with a mixture of castille soap, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, and citronella oil. Never seen a mite once. Praise God.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome I'll have to give this a go too - thanks!!

[@jamesscott4613]

Praise God if there was one

[@surayasidhusingh5459]

Ka pai...! Just been dealing with a red mite infestation and this is exactly what I did coincidentally. Good tip about re-spraying in a few days' time... didn't think of that. I use a mix of cooking oil, water, dishwashing liquid, neem and a few drops of peppermint oil.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Thanks for the feedback - hope it works as well for you as it usually does for us

[@ramblingrosie3762]

I have tied rag at each end of the perches and sprayed a mite oil onto the rag as a preventative measure and redo it when necessary. Also I sprinkle diamotaceous earth around the coop, onto their shredded hemp in their nesting boxes and also on the soil where they take dirt baths, so far, so good.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh that's a good idea with the rags - we've had crazy on/off weather lately and getting a lot more mites than normal so I might give that a go as well!

[@lindahilger5121]

Use, the weather has been hot and humid a perfect breeding temp for bugs ..and I also have a wooden chicken coop looks just the same as yours ...THE WOOD IS THE PROBLEM, WE BOTH SHOULD GET PLASTIC COOPS ..HOWEVER VERY EXPENSIVE.....I LIKE THE RAG IDEA AS WELL

[@libbysevicke-jones3160]

I’m sure it is this extra wet humid summer that is creating the worst mite problem I have had on my hens. Thank you for posting this video. It great to see a Kiwi video, it’s hard to relate to overseas content

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Thanks! Yeah we've had a problem with them this year too - Poultry Defender mites work great as well but have to be patient for them to do their thing!

[@tweir1609]

Also don't Poultry defender mites need to be at ground level to be effective?

[@lionessofariel]

Wonderful! Just what I needed to see on my feed. You’ve got a new subscriber 😊 I’ve been dealing with mites this year, for the first time ever - Rotten things! Thanks for sharing and hello from the Hunter Valley NSW 🙏🏼💗✌️

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome - glad to be of help!!

[@robrenhar]

I'm sure this will work great! If I find mites on my girls and don't have any spray mixed up, I grab a small bowl and put coconut oil (either solid or liquid form) and it seems to get rid of them within a few hours. I use it on their bums, vents, oil gland and around necks and under wings. Sometimes on legs too. They seen to enjoy it. Thank you for the spray recipe.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh cool thanks for the tip!

[@ruthieharrison2609]

I’m gana do both my girls are covered in them. I have never had a problem before

[@sallywyatt1328]

This worked brilliantly for us much better than the spray stuff we bought thankyou

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome thanks for letting me know! 😀

[@robynbrown4627]

Great video. I've just done my coop today after noticing a small cluster on the wall. I use DE like you mentioned. Its brilliant stuff. I Get food grade and add it to their food, put it directly on them etc. It is an irritant on the old lungs so mask up and use in well ventilated areas. Before that though I used a neem oil spray and I will sometimes use a natural paint to seal everything up. Awful little critters!

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yeah once you notice a small cluster of them it's amazing how many you seem to keep finding eh! Really need to seal up some of the wee nooks in our chook house so they can't hide!

[@almusti]

Please be very very careful with DE powder regardless of being food grade or not as it is irritant to the lining of the lungs. I used to dust it liberally all the time and I got hospitalised and after 5 courses of different antibiotics it left scarring to my lungs. Funnily it’s a natural product but like I said not good for the lungs and can’t be good for the chickens either. I also noticed to my surprise that mites were still able to live through it. One thing I’m hoping to try soon is Androlis predatory mites. They feed on red mites a bit like ladybirds on aphids and they are supposed to be very efficient in killing red mites. It’s native to the uk but please check if allowed to use in New Zealand. Hope this helps.

[@janinemelton8948]

Have tried your mixture, seems to be working well. thanks.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome fingers crossed it makes a dent in them!

[@anesauaga297]

Sarzie you're one brave Woman!!!

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

… if not slightly itchy … lol

[@makeroomtogrow]

😂 I saw you rubbing your arms and trying not to itch your hair! I'll definitely try this out next weekend as have found mite (although not the red mite) in my coup. I'll make sure to tie my hair up and wear a woolen hat over it! As well as some long gloves maybe! AND have bath on standby for when I finish 😂😂😂

[@carterseib223]

Nice organic stuff great job

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Thanks 😀

[@picinana6871]

Hiya, thanks, dealing w rescue girl w scale mite, using vaseline over, colloidal silver lavender oil rinse, getting great results, Also diatomaceous in dust bath, bedding etc. Learning as I go. I ♥️ Chimkins. X

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Good work - so nice when they go to good homes and get looked after 😊

[@poochyface1]

I never heard of using Colloidal silver with treatment of mites. How do you use it ?

[@picinana6871]

@@poochyface1 her legs were so bad I just used it as a spray to dilute the lav oil, sorta as a rinse, Then slathered the legs n feet in vaseline

[@Bmedeiros-youtube]

I had red mites on one of my lizard. I had to clean the whole tank and I bathed him in warm water with olive oil. It worked perfectly

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh that's interesting - I just thought it was a bird thing! Always learning new things 🙂👍

[@Bmedeiros-youtube]

@@CheaperWaysNZ no. We got them on lizards and snakes too. Mine was a rescue. So he had both mites and ticks. Spent the whole day de miting and pulling ticks out. Thanks:)

[@tweir1609]

Wow who knew that reptiles get mites as well. But when you think about it chicken legs are scaley too and oiling them helps protect against mites too. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@nezayorkina]

This works!!!! I sprayed and omgggg these things died and when I rinsed off so many came out. A few still alive but sprayed a second time and hopefully this killed 95% of that big population of mites. Thank you so much. 🫶🏼

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome!! Unfortunately it won't keep them away long-term but certainly satisfying to get rid of them!

[@tashar3210]

Great video and a bonus its a kiwi one. Just got some ex battery rescues and this may help me spot them and treat them.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh great - yeah we've had some ex-battery hens before, best layers we had for years!

[@littledancingfawn]

Double sided tape on the ends of the perches for a week changing the tape daily for a mild case of mites may help. You had an infestation of them. Thanks for the recipe. Chickens feeling much better now you did that I’m sure.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yeah and that's a great idea with the double-sided tape ongoing too - thanks for the tip!

[@MollyHowze]

I'm a crazy chicken lady from Florida and I am about to binge your channel 🥰🐓🐤🐥

[@StupidRobotFightingLeague]

Wise choice. I recommend any video that has Clint in it. Clint is my hero.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

LOL thanks Molly :D

[@briankrishna1736]

I’m a crazy chicken guy in Vancouver Canada cheers 🥂 so gonna do the same 😂

[@tweir1609]

It's mostly about the dishwashing liquid that helps to penetrate and the oil that will suffocate and they hate you other added oil like eucalyptus, Rosemary,Teatree, lavender etc

[@alphastarcar]

I’m now a new subscriber to your channel. Thanks for the great tips!

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome! Thank you! 😊

[@rhythmstick8170]

Really useful video, thank you. I presume it's ok to let the chickens near the spray straight away as it's not toxic?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yep that's right - should do them no harm 🙂

[@johngy40]

i had a big problem with mites last summer a lot of people in hawkes bay did with the hot weather, diatomaceous earth was 100% useless i am going to try this- i hate mites, thanks

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yeah I've heard mixed results with diatomaceous earth - hope this works for you!

[@1motorpsycho]

Diatomaceous earth has been useless for me too. I think it takes too long and they reproduce faster.

[@lwatchorn]

Great video. Love it! Thank you. Do you not need to deal with the mites on the chickens as well? How do you deal to those?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Thanks! I find with red mites just dealing with the ones in the chook house is fine - as long as they have good places to dust bathe (maybe supply some diatomaceous earth, or even cold ash from a fireplace) seems to do the trick 🙂

[@aminaschmiat6476]

Diatomaceous earth didn't work for me or lime I think I'll try this

[@nicolewilson7997]

This is great works really well. Do you rinse the coop after spraying it at all?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

No only before - glad it did the trick!!

[@graceelizabeth4070]

Very helpful! Thank you.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

You're welcome!

[@backyardfarmingaroundbyfa1059]

I had just thought of this idea, and i saw your video today and confirm it for me. Thanks.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Great to hear!

[@mayzai6048]

Have you ever noticed the mites in your home? I have a mite problem for the first time ever and i think it’s from my chickens (never had chickens before, either). And if so, would this help in the house?? I’m making it tomorrow and giving a go, anyway. I hope it works! The mites are really stressing me out

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

No I haven't, but our chickens are some distance away from the house which probably helps - I don't see any reason it wouldn't work in the house too as long as you don't mind the spray everywhere (no worse than the mites though right? lol)

[@emmaculleton9123]

I'm a new chicken lover and only have three banters in my London garden. I noticed one very red mite on my patio so am going to use you mixture! THANKS isn't KZbin great.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

It sure is - there's an answer for everything - lol

[@margaretrees8662]

@@CheaperWaysNZ thank for this, I love natural remedy and have just started to find bald spots and feathers on my girls and Brian. My one big job for the weekend. Stay safe🙂🙂🙂

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

@@margaretrees8662 Brian's a fantastic name for a rooster! Hope this works ... could be a few different reasons for bald spots, chickens are hard ones to diagnose sometimes lol

[@mikiknott5993]

silver spray is great for any cuts or eyes that are going blind from having a bit of straw or something in it btw

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh never heard of that will have to keep an eye out for it 🙂

[@tweir1609]

Do you mean colloidal silver??

[@angelica.normand5512]

THANK YOU!! this is really helpful, I just need to know how to get them off the chickens and if the mixture is safe for them, thank you!!✨✨

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

To be honest I've only ever treated the chicken coop itself ... when it comes to the chickens I've heard people saying there are things you can dust them with (diatomaceous earth or other kinds of mite powder you can buy) ... but also ash from a fireplace is great just to have on hand to put out for them to dust-bathe in and that's meant to be great for them getting them off themselves!

[@angelica.normand5512]

@@CheaperWaysNZ thank you so much! I have tried ash but the chick's don't really like it I'm going to try DE now, thank you!!✨

[@ivormectin.3046]

From England .. Thank you for that great advice.. 2024...

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome you're welcome (I'm originally English myself) 😊

[@joynjrny]

When did you put the bedding back in after treatment? Did you wait a week or so ?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

No I just waiting until it had dried completely and put new bedding back in

[@jeanj169]

What does 1 tbsp of washing up mean. Is that dish detergent

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yes same thing (different country's name for it!)

[@hw5597]

Came for the same question lol

[@terrieperham8494]

Sounds good solution

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yep it works pretty well for us 🙂

[@sannyp120963]

Just noticed red mites in our coop. Just ordered hemp bedding and some anti red mite spray, but in meanwhile I’m about to use this remedy :]

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yeah it works pretty well for us 😊

[@sannyp120963]

@@CheaperWaysNZ this remedy worked rather well, I also added a little eucalyptus oil as apparently that helps. The day after I used it, the wood was covered in tiny white dots, which where dead mites! There’s defo some left but this helped a bunch Just done another clean and used smite and put down hemp bedding, hopefully this is near the end of them!

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

@@sannyp120963 Yay good to hear!!

[@tweir1609]

What does hemp bedding do?

[@vjmightyw]

I am from South Africa and have stick flea problem. Will this remedy help for hen fleas as well? We got a dishwasher called sunlight liquid.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I haven't had that problem myself, but apparently keeping the coop very clean is a deterrent so would probably help, but also smearing vaseline on the actual fleas (usually around the eyes I think?) on the chickens gets rid of them ... I think diatomaceous earth sprinkled around the coops helps as well

[@vjmightyw]

@@CheaperWaysNZ I sprinkle DE weekly and I do use Vaseline every week. The fleas fall of after a day - by the end of the week some fleas return again. Frontline is good but can’t use it on chickens.

[@Jennyann5687]

What is washing up liquid? Is it dish soap? I think my chickens have mites, so I’m looking for natural remedies like this.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yes it is - just what it's called in New Zealand 🙂

[@mhcaffey120]

What is washing up liquid? Just liquid soap? Like dawn?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yes basically just dishwashing liquid 😊

[@ukpaul9221]

Thanks for the vid. A brilliant innovative and economical idea. You really had got a very nasty infestation. I'd likely combine it with plenty of Natural Diatomaceous Earth DE mixed into deep chopped straw litter and in the bases of the nest boxes + the double-sided sticky tape solution at the ends of the perches. With the amount of mites that you have, i would likely re-house the hens for 3-4 nights and paint the interior with a creosote alternative to get in the cracks and make a nasty environment for the little blighters (I wouldn't creosote the perches as it might burn or irritate the hens' feet.) That is, of course, so long as the coop was well-ventilated and aired-out before their return I love the fact that you've got a sensible walk-in coop - so many folk (esp the middle-class 'designer' element) buy Mickey Mouse coops more like Wendy Houses with inadequate space and ventilation (but they look nice, of course!) Well done. A great video and I'm grateful for the tips.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Thanks for the advice - and yeah I love the double-tape idea! I find this spray method works really well although they do tend to return eventually - also getting some Poultry Defender mites tends to really do the trick well too!

[@chriestieypon1591]

very helpful... thank you

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

You're welcome!

[@AlexandreYordanov]

Do u spray it on the chicken too? they keeps scratching and starts to lose feathers

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I wonder if it's another kind of mite that's on the chickens possibly? Usually red mite just stay on the perches and attack at night time, but apparently getting diatomaceous earth, or even cold ashes from the fireplace is good for them to have a dust bath in which helps them out. I've also used Poultry Defender mites which have been really effective at getting rid of the red mites.

[@lucywilson1060]

I have a bad infestation. I relocated my flock. Then emptied all bedding etc from the coop. Power washed everything in sight, followed by spray treatments of Neem oil, dishwashing liquid, aniseed oil and eucalyptus oil in a water base. I sprayed this solution in the houses 3 times over 3 days drying in between. I then checked at night with a torch and numbers were down but there were still many mites. I used diatomaceous earth which killed a few more but I am still having some come out of cracks at night where I can't get the DE. I am going to use some sealer to seal the cracks and then hopefully paint the inside of the coops to seal any tiny holes in the wood. Hoping this will solve the problem once and for all, though a big job! Ive also used Lice & mite powder from the vet. Has anyone tried steam cleaning their coop with an industrial steam cleaning machine and if so, did it help?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Never tried steam cleaning before, but if another thing I did that worked really well was getting some Defender Mites, which eat the red mites and don't annoy the chickens, they were great! If you're in NZ then you can order them from Bioforce

[@1motorpsycho]

@@CheaperWaysNZ This is great!!!

[@1motorpsycho]

@@CheaperWaysNZ If I use defender mites, I cannot treat at all right?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

@@1motorpsycho yeah you don't want to go spraying this where the defender mites are, so it's one or the other :)

[@PAWANGAJULA]

can you spray that on the chicken's skin and the vent? where the lice and mites are?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Not sure I'd spray it on their skin - I've always found during the day they hide in the nooks in the chook house and attack at night time ... I think there are other mite treatments that you can put on the chickens themselves but not 100% off the top of my head what they're called

[@rhianh2886]

Can the chickens be allowed in coop while this is sprayed or should they be locked out for it to dry or something?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

No some treatments I gather you have to remove the chicken but this is fine to have them around while you're doing it 👍

[@mtaj9235]

Good and cheap info thanks for it 👍

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

No problem 👍

[@JessxMichiyo]

Looking for lots of solutions, ‘cause we got a bit of an infestation going on at the petting zoo I work at, haha. So I got a few questions. How many times do you have to spray the entire coop? Every time you see new mites or does it also work for keeping them away? Do you scrub it in or do you leave it to dry?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I usually just clear out and give the whole coop a good scrub and spray once, as soon as I first notice them, then reapply the spray every couple of days (or could do it daily just as you see them) until I don't see them any more and it seems to do the trick (usually they're gone after a few applications). I don't scrub it on or anything just spray & leave it, making sure it gets into all the nooks & crannies as that's where they hide!

[@JessxMichiyo]

Cheaper Ways NZ thanks for your reply! ♥️

[@ianholliday9495]

basically mites have a 7 day life cycle from hatching to laying after their first blood meal, they lay 100's of eggs each, so to break this cycle of 7 days do a couple of the routines on the video to break their cycle, keep doing it twice a week til you see less of the little critters, a good test is under the perches, get some tissue paper and rub it on the underside of the whole perch, if you have mites the tissue will have red on it they particilar like perch ends too as this are usually grainier than the perch itself so they have lots of hiding places amongst the grain in the wood

[@ianholliday9495]

@@CheaperWaysNZ vinegar in a spray bottle is a good knock down on contact to zap the odd group of them, other than that your own thumb does a bloody good job of decimating them too lol

[@gkarenstratton]

"haha"???

[@Marine-qp3hx]

what is washing up liquid is that the same as dish soap

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yes it is 😊

[@doreensarlo7834]

do you spray down the chickens too?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

No I've found these ones generally stick to the chook house during the day and come out at night - best thing I think for the chickens themselves is to make sure they have dust bathing available (ashes from the fireplace are good, or diatomaceous earth etc)

[@martagillette5474]

Ive read whitewashing the walls helps enormously.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Ahh good idea - might have to look into that!

[@tweir1609]

Yes, 8:29 just watched videos on it and Lime is a good deterent to mites and gets rid of the smell but you do have to be careful about their feet as it can burn the soft undersides of their feet. I tried putting it in their laying boxes and under their roosts, so far all is well but apparently so many benefits to using it. I will paint to whole roost soon with a lime wash.

[@katesmiles4208]

Good item. Thanks 😁

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

No problem 👍

[@badstimpy]

I’ve also heard boiling water instantly kills mites and eggs . Need to have lots of water on the boil though !!

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yeah that'd be the hard part - getting lots of boiling water on hand!

[@ianholliday9495]

Use a steamer, I have in the past, red mite also find any essential oils toxic too, I've put a few drops of lavender in the steamer

[@hepzlawrence7710]

Would they get onto you while your cleaning them out and into your house?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I've sometimes found a few on me but afterwards but never had a problem with them in the house - it seems to just be the chickens they target. Other people might have different experiences but they've never taken up residency in the house.

[@najmmussaquib]

Can u directly spray it on chickens

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

No generally the red mites will only congregate in the coop and attack at night time, so no real need to spray the chickens directly (I think it's lice that tend to stay on the chickens)

[@kimberlycook704]

What is washing up liquid? Hand soap?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Dish soap, or dishwashing liquid 🙂

[@RamadhanWaziri-pl7kb]

Madam thanks for education, but material Are water ,oil and what?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Washing up liquid ... in other countries known as dishwashing liquid I believe? 🙂

[@conmanumber1]

Jayes fluid is better as it's water soluble

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Ah ok - good to know i might try that next time - thank!

[@deepgreendesign-exploringn6569]

Would it work for lice to you reckon?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I'm not sure but could be worth a go - I also read somewhere that putting garlic in their water can help with lice as they don't like the taste of it in the chickens' blood! Make sure they have plenty to areas to dust bathe in too.

[@Rhonda858]

I wonder if I can use this in my worm bin without harming my red wigglers

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I'm not sure actually ... might be worth looking up Poultry Defender Mite as they eat the Red Mites - could be a more reliable solution so your worms don't get harmed!

[@Trifle177]

Would you recommend hay or wood shavings for the coop?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Personally I prefer wood shavings as it's much easier to clean and we can get them cheaper, and don't seem to be as appealing to mice & rats making homes! I think either is fine though it's more a personal preference 🙂

[@Trifle177]

Awesome, thankyou.

[@michellemooresings]

I have been reading that cedar shavings would be best for deterring the boogers. Thanks for this video!

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

@@michellemooresings Good to know!

[@thefreephilosopher7398]

I would advise against hay, as it can twist around the chickens legs and wound them... that is why I use wood shavings. For the mites in my coop, I use my old trusty weed burner... in case of an infestation, I do it every morning when I feed the chickens and get the eggs...they die immediately and the chickens treat themselves with some diatomaceous earth in their dust bath...

[@StupidRobotFightingLeague]

This mite be a good video.

[@MollyHowze]

🤦‍♀️🤣

[@StupidRobotFightingLeague]

@@MollyHowze What can I say... I'm a dad.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Nope can't think up a good pun right now - you win.

[@StupidRobotFightingLeague]

@@CheaperWaysNZ (flexing biceps)

[@tweir1609]

Love it 😅

[@henokaberra5992]

How many days should I have to do it...wt abt on their wings nd their body

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I just do it every 2-3 days until the mites are gone - usually only takes a week, although I've been battling them more this year due to very on/off weather where we are! This is really just for the red mites in the coop - with their bodies just make sure they have somewhere good to dust bathe, maybe even get some diatomaceous earth or even wood ash from the fireplace is good for that.

[@MichaelNguyen100]

Hi What is washing up liquid?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

It's what it's called in New Zealand - lol - you might call it dish soap maybe? For washing dishes 😀

[@MichaelNguyen100]

@@CheaperWaysNZ thank you

[@ebadansar4870]

How long do we let it dry for?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Hey - I just spray the solution straight after cleaning, it doesn't take long to dry, in fact I usually just spray the perches and put them straight back in (especially if it's a warm day)!

[@BrazenBrits]

We sprinkle diatomaceous Earth, in the nest boxes. I will say one year it got really bad and we had to use a flea drop on the rooster as it was him spreading it 🙄

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome thanks for the tip!

[@oliviaclegg9947]

I love this video

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Thanks 😀

[@kevinmagson7570]

When you have that many mite you need to burn everything that comes out of coup [ not the hens ] all them you put on floor would be back in coup the same night . Your home made stuff is ok but it would not kill all the thousands of red mite eggs in the coup and when they hatch you are back to square one again , the cycle is less than 2 weeks..............SMITE LIQUID is cheap and is made for the job AND KILLS THE EGGS......Thanks for the video [ very good ]

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

You're welcome - and yes I did note afterwards that I should have burnt the bedding I chucked on the floor - lol. The homemade solution has always worked really well for us so we'll just continue with that - heard some great reports from other people using too. Whatever works though keep it up!

[@aynos629]

How do you take it from stone, pls? I let pigeons nested in the balcony, I am still fighting this plague six months later after netting the place to evict them

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

@@aynos629 Hey, I'm not too sure about concrete/pigeons but I did just find this on a google search that might be of help? homeguides.sfgate.com/red-spider-mites-concrete-76089.html#:~:text=Why%20They%20Gather%20on%20Concrete,concrete%20cracks%20make%20convenient%20spots.

[@paulbee2447]

do you know what chemical this smite liquid is? please share with me info if possible.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

​@@paulbee2447 hey - no not sure sorry, never used it!

[@sandrakendrick176]

What kind of mites are those that eat the feathers off their necks?? Having a horrible time trying to get rid ofthem

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Can you see the mites on them? First thought would be they're just going through a molt, but if you can see mites then google might be your best friend ... although putting garlic in their water is a good one for getting rid of mites on the chickens themselves as they hate the taste of garlic in their bloodstream so will leave them alone. I've also heard scaly leg mite can sometimes get into the chickens head/neck and can be treated like the leg mites by smothering the area in patroleum jelly ... best of luck!!

[@sandrakendrick176]

Can’t see anything. Had them last year. Moulted in the fall, looked great. Now this Spring, gradually feathers are doing the same thing.

[@sandrakendrick176]

I’ve dusted and dusted, garlic in the feed, vinegar in water.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

@@sandrakendrick176 I wonder if it could just be another molt - some do it twice a year? I'd be giving them some extra protein to get them through it, hopefully that's all it is - poor chookies!

[@sandrakendrick176]

@@CheaperWaysNZ , No absolutely not. You can see where the feathers are half there, plus it’s only on the neck or back of the neck.

[@garyvee6023]

I give a quick spray around the roosting area with a surface "fly" spray everytime I clean out the coop (once a week) whilst the chickens are out free ranging and haven't had a problem for over 18 months now..., a can lasts me a couple of months, so cheap prevention.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Awesome - thanks for the info!

[@christinaedwards7159]

Washing up liquid? Dish soap?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

lol - yep same thing - just what it's called here 👍

[@Ukman-england]

Just get a blow torch and run the flame over everything really fast it will kill everything everything

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I bet it would! Not sure I'm game to try it though lol

[@Ukman-england]

@@CheaperWaysNZ I'm serious no joke a small one hand held just run the flame over everything inside o do it on perches floor walls all timber

[@Ukman-england]

@@CheaperWaysNZ try it on a piece of wood outside with mite on it

[@tweir1609]

Probably not practical

[@Ukman-england]

@@tweir1609 honestly it works doing it for years better than everything

[@rhianh2886]

I was feeling like such a POS because my chicken coop was just as infested and I thought I hadn’t cleaned enough or something but they just seem to have appeared overnight, did a full clean they were all over me but I’m praying when I do another in a few days i will see a difference 😫

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I know that feeling! This video is about the worst mine have ever gotten and I definitely check on a more regular basis now & spray as soon as I see them!

[@rhianh2886]

@@CheaperWaysNZ Thanks for replying! I can’t wait to be able to go out to the coop again without hosing myself down afterwards🙈 Your videos been the most relatable to my situation so far and it really helped when I was at a loss at what to do☺️

[@wasitribe]

So mites are like chicken version of bed bugs?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Actually yep ... pretty much lol ... or nits 😂

[@ianholliday9495]

yup, but if left untouched they can make your chooks anemic, they will have grey combs and their faces look less red, the loss of blood can cause organ failure too and other complications and eventually death if not sorted asap

[@mariem7250]

Whatvis washing up liquid???:

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

What you wash dishes in ... I believe in America it's called Dish Soap?

[@kimberlycook704]

I think a 1 gallon garden sprayer would be easier.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

haha you're not wrong!

[@mikiknott5993]

we use diatomaceous Earth for any flea or mite problems

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yeah I've heard that's pretty good!

[@jpennturner]

Hi we creosote the shed once a year (moving the hens out for a few days) then use diatomaceous earth if we see any mites.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh I've never heard of that - will have to look into it, thanks!!

[@joanjarrette8691]

I love the Australian accent..

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

New Zealand :)

[@joanjarrette8691]

@@CheaperWaysNZ oh sorry....my friend was from New Zealand..still love your accent.

[@christinaedwards7159]

Watching this is making me itch🤣 psychosomatic

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh yeah it has the same impact on me 😂

[@rose-qo3iy]

boiling water where you can

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh haven't heard that one - good to know!

[@learningtolivewithhumans1859]

bentonite clay!!! it kills them fast sharp

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Oh never heard of that one - I'll have to look it up - thanks for the tip!

[@learningtolivewithhumans1859]

@@CheaperWaysNZ i literally found a young squirrel and he had red mites all over him and i bathed him and powdered him but i just lost him 5 mins ago, im so gutted

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Ohhhhh no poor thing ... at least you tried 😔

[@jay24277]

Why cant i see the video anymore

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Hey not sure - everything looks ok at my end - ?

[@joanpharo1140]

Dust the perches and the floor of the coop with diatomaceous earth. Also you can put it right on your crooks start at the neck some under there wings and on their bum. Wear a mask .it works great.

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

Yeah I've heard that's pretty good - thanks!

[@ramoninininini]

What type of oil ?

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I just use Canola ... but any type of vegetable oil will do the trick 🙂

[@tweir1609]

Or coconut oil, just food safe oil

[@Johnshackles]

Hmmm if you use this two times a week why are you infested so bad ???? Maybe you need to remove chickens and use demon max once a year like I do and never have this problem again.....just saying

[@CheaperWaysNZ]

I hadn't used it for ages at the time of filming this video - I'd only just noticed how bad the infestation had become at the time so used a method I'd used previous years which had worked really well - I'd continue to use twice a week or so until they're gone, which doesn't take too long 👍 I found getting Poultry Defender Mites in a really good option as well if you're not into spraying.