The Red Peril!

As the spring approaches and ambient temperatures start to rise, red mite in hen houses across the land will be stirring ominously. So it’s important to start taking action now!

At its most fundamental level, dealing with red mite involves first realising that the problem even exists. Although this may sound ridiculously obvious, you’d be surprised how many keepers remain blissfully unaware they have an infestation, even when their birds are actually dying as a result.

Part of the problem is obviously the size of these pests; they are tiny. Then, couple this with the fact that, typically, they only operate at night, and choose to spend the daylight hours hidden away out of sight, and you can start to appreciate how they might be missed by the more inexperienced keepers.

But failing to spot their presence can be a costly mistake, especially if they’re allowed to continue breeding unchecked. Infestation levels can be reached alarmingly quickly, at which point life inside the house at night starts to become truly excruciating for your chickens.

Spotting trouble

But even the name ‘red mite’ is a little deceptive as, most of the time, these tiny creepy-crawlies aren’t red at all. Their natural colour is an unassuming beige-grey, and it’s only after they’ve had a good feed that they turn a blood-red colour. This, of course, is because they’re actually full of blood, having feasted on a bird as it roosts quietly at night.