My backyard chickens have red mite, what should I do?

If you have already spotted red mites on your chickens, then this means it is too late to start treatment. Red mites are so difficult to see with the naked eye that when you have managed to spot one you can assume there are lots more. Given the speed with which red mites are able to reproduce, it is essential that you start preventative treatment immediately. You can read how to do that in this blog.

Use a product based on natural ingredients

There are all kinds of products available on the market against red mite, many of which are chemical agents. These chemical agents can be harmful to animals, humans and the environment, and mites can become resistant to them very quickly. While at first the chemicals may appear to work, it won’t take long (if there are already a lot of mites in the chicken coop) until the mites become resistant. To prevent such a scenario, we recommend that you use a natural product like Finecto+, a sandpit and lots of water to clean the coop.

Tackling the red mites both in the coop and on the chickens

Using a treatment that will reach all of the red mites is crucial to achieving a successful outcome. To know how best to do this you need to know how mites behave. Red mites come out to suck blood about once every six days and they do this at night. When they are not feeding on the chickens they hide in seams and cracks where the chickens can’t get at them. This is why it is important to apply the treatment both on the chickens and the coop.

The best way to treat the chicken coop is to spray the route that the red mites take from their hiding place to the perch and the perch itself with Finecto+ Protect spray. Finecto+ Protect spray continues to be effective throughout the day and night after spraying thanks to its ability to stick to every surface. It lasts for more than two weeks in the coop.

Treat your chickens by adding Finecto+ Oral to their food. This makes the blood indigestible for the red mites, with the result that they will no longer be able to reproduce. This will prevent the spread of red mites, and you must do this as quickly as possible after you first see mites on your chickens. Spraying alone is not enough to reach all red mites when you have already signaled red mites.

Method for treating a red mite infestation

This is one of the most effective methods for containing a red mite plague:

Clean the chicken coop using lots of water. This will help to flush away a lot of the mites and eggs. Then allow the coop to dry out completely.
Spray Finecto+ Protect on the perch, in all the seams and cracks and on the routes from these spots to the perch. Repeat every 2 weeks.
Add Finecto+ Oral to your chickens’ food for a period of 14 days. At first you will see a lot more red mites than before because they will be forced to go in search of other sources of food when they cannot suck the chickens’ blood anymore. This is exactly what you want to see happening.
Make a sandpit for the chickens using fine sand. The sand that gets in between their feathers also helps to build up natural resistance.

Spotting red mites on time

Using the method outlined above will allow you to effectively treat both your chickens and their coop against mites. It is also advisable to take steps to prevent mites from reappearing in the future. Finecto+ Test helps you to check for red mites. Hang the two test tubes under the perch and check them each week to see if any mites have appeared. You can also take the following additional preventative measures:

Make a sandpit with dry sand for your chickens
Clean the coop regularly
Make sure the coop is well ventilated
Spray a layer of Finecto+ Protect in the coop once a month