Don't let the bugs bite!

I now know what will be my demise.

Let me introduce you to the dreaded red mite. Whenever the weather is hot, we get red mite in the hen house. They live in the corner of wooden houses, and come out at night and bite the chickens. They particularly like hen houses with felt on top as they live in the warmth in between the felt and wood.

We have had them a couple of times before, in the large hen house, and they usually take a couple of days to get rid of, following a good dose of jeyes fluid sprayed in the house a couple of times a day. They are very difficult to see, but I usually find them when I clean out the hen house and find three or four, on my arm. Often chickens will be reluctant to go in the house at night if there is an infestation, but ours have never bothered.

However, the other day the new young chickens didn't go into their house at night, and instead went into the bigger hen house with the others. They did this for a couple of days, so when I went to clean out their house, I wasn't surprised to find red mite. Instead of the usual 3 or 4, there were about a hundred all running along my arm.

Despite two doses of jeyes, when I checked this morning I could still see them running over the small hen house. I have now moved it out of the chicken run, so I can leave the bedding out and just keep up with the jeyes until they are gone. The felt on top of the house will also be removed at the weekend!

I also showered, but I still feel itchy, and everytime I see a little black dot, I think another one is on me. If this goes on for more than a couple of days, I shall be rocking in the corner picking imaginary bugs off my arms!

I am seriously thinking of saving up for a plastic hen house, as they don't get red mite... It's for my own sanity, as well as the benefit of the chickens!

I hope anyone reading this feels itchy just thinking about red mites, so you too can be part of my anguish!