Red Mite
(Approximately 4 minute reading time)
Red mites are tiny bugs that live in the chicken coop, they’re most active at night, when they feed. They cause itching, distress and in severe cases can make your birds unwell or even kill them.
Adult red mites (Dermanyssus Gallinae) are around 1mm in size. You’ll probably be aware of red mites before you start to look for them! Usually, it’s that itching or crawling sensation on your skin after cleaning out the coop. The mites will hop on to anything warm in the hope of a blood meal!
Red mites are not fussy eaters and will feed on the blood of most animals including other birds, cats, dogs and on humans too, they can cause skin irritation and itching, which can result in dermatitis.
The mites are most active in the chicken coop at night, when the birds are locked inside, the mites are attracted by vibrations, the birds body heat and carbon dioxide as the birds breathe.
The birds will feel the crawling sensation of the mites, and will try to peck and preen, but often the red mite numbers are too high and the birds are subjected to the mites activity all night - this interrupts their sleep and is likely the reason your birds seem a little out of sorts (sleep deprived and grumpy), the birds may seem noisier than usually or there may be an increase in feather pulling and bullying other hens.
The mites feed on the birds blood, and this can lead to anaemia (low red blood cells) and immune suppression (due to low white blood cells) making the birds more at risk of picking up infections. The mites can also spread disease.
The life cycle of the mite is rapid, they grow from an egg to an adult in 7 days, in the right conditions and the red mite population can double every 7 days!
The mites mostly live in the environment (coop, run, under perches etc) and will only be found on the birds during a severe infestation. They prefer warmer temperatures for breeding, and will hide in the environment over the colder months, where they can go for 6 months or more without a blood meal. In spring, as the temperature warms up, they become active and start breeding again.
What can I do about red mites?
Regularly check for mites - even in low numbers the mites can affect the health of your birds. The numbers can multiply rapidly, so it’s better to be ahead of the game. Check around the door to the nest box, under perches, and in the corners of the coop - sometimes just holding a warm hand in there will encourage the mites to hop on to you. Note: Not all mites are red, they can range from pale grey to red depending on when they last fed.
Clean - if you find mites, remove them by cleaning. Jet wash or scrub the coop to physically remove the mites, use a mild detergent. This reduces the number of mites that can feed on your birds, but the mites are very good at hiding in nooks and crannies. Cleaning alone this won’t cure an infestation. When the coop is dry, apply a very light dusting of diatomaceous earth everywhere the mites were found, concentrate on corners, cracks, under perches etc. Petroleum jelly can also be applied around the end of perches, this acts as a physical barrier for the mites.
Dust bath - always provide an area for dust bathing and include a small amount of food grade diatomaceous earth - or other suitable desiccant, which is safe for birds. The diatomaceous earth sticks to the feathers, and when the mites hop on to feed they become coated in the diatomaceous earth, which acts as a desiccant (dehydrates them) and they die. Be careful using the desiccant powders - use small amounts, as it can create dust if used in large quantities, which can cause breathing issues in birds.
Predator mites - can be released in the coop to feed on the red mites. They will be effective as long as there are red mites to eat, but they may not keep red mite numbers under control in heavy infestations.
Pesticides and chemicals - use with caution! These can be toxic to: the environment, cats, and they will kill friendly insects too. Only use as a last resort!
Treatments - there are licenced veterinary treatments for red mites. These treatments are prescription only medicines and your birds would need to be seen by a vet to legally prescribe.
Book an appointment with the Chicken Clinic - book a telemedicine call for advice, or book a home visit where I can check for red mite, advise on specific cleaning products and preventative treatments, health check your birds and help them to recover from an infestation, I can also prescribe licenced poultry medicines if needed.