Why the red mite test is extra important in the autumn

The chicken farmers who had to deal with a red mite outbreak this summer are happy with the approaching autumn. Finally the red mites become less active. But is this the case? Only with a red mite test in the coop you can be sure whether the red mites are no longer active. In this blog, we explain why it is now important to use a red mite test.

How does a red mite test work

A red mite test is a tube that can be hung under the perch or placed in the laying nest. When a red mite has sucked blood, it looks for the closest place to lay eggs. Usually they are hiding in cracks and seams, for example, behind the laying nest or between the end of the perch and the wall. By using the red mite test you create a hiding place for the red mite that is even closer and will be used first.

There is a stick in the tube. By pulling this stick out of the tube you can check daily or weekly whether there are active red mites in the chicken coop. This way you know when to start treatment and avoid being late and there are already hundreds red mites.

Red mite is active in autumn / winter

What many people do not know is that red mites are active at temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius. At these lower temperatures, they just continue laying eggs. However, these eggs only hatch as soon as the temperature starts to rise again in the spring. That is why it is very important that you keep checking the chicken coop for red mites in the fall and winter. This way you avoid suddenly having a super large outbreak in the spring when all the eggs decide to hatch at the same time.

Red mites and freezing cold

Unfortunately, the mite eggs can withstand freezing cold. The mite eggs already laid will therefore simply hatch as soon as the temperature starts to rise again in the spring. The adult red mites cannot withstand the freezing cold. Unfortunately, this is not enough to prevent a red mite outbreak. So don’t assume that freezing temperatures kill all the red mites in the chicken coop.