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Socoder -> Off Topic -> Red Mites
Fri, 25 Aug 2017, 14:37
GfK
 		Dismantled some old chicken runs and I'm covered in red mites. Horrible little fuckers!
Fri, 25 Aug 2017, 14:37
Jayenkai
 		Eek. What's the best way to shift those? Special crap, or just a simple shower?

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Fri, 25 Aug 2017, 14:59
GfK
 		They don't like water but to get rid quick there are special sprays (i.e. sMite) for getting rid of them - and if your runs still have chickens in then you have to get rid, otherwise they'll kill the chickens. The mites come out at night and feed on the chicken's blood while they're roosting. We lost two before we even realised the mites were there - they're tiny at about 0.1mm but if you don't realise they're there they'll do a fuckton of damage to chickens.

In our case we put the chickens in there because we were in an avian flu observation zone earlier this year, and our main runs are open-top. They're back in the big runs now but we noticed at night our cats were coming in covered in red mites - most evident on our white cat. Then we twigged that they sit on top of the old run, waiting to come into the house. Went out with a torch and looked - thousands of the buggers!

Luckily they don't survive on people, and they don't survive indoors either. But they tickle like hell when they're on you. Been meaning to smash that run up for ages as the roof is rotten - this just gave me a kick up the arse to get on with it.
Fri, 25 Aug 2017, 16:01
Jayenkai
 		Sounds like a bunch of creepy little buggers.
Good luck!
Take a torch. ... The flaming variety

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Sat, 26 Aug 2017, 17:53
steve_ancell
 		Boiling hot water straight from the kettle.
Sun, 27 Aug 2017, 15:40
steve_ancell
 		I don't mean pour the hot water on the ones you were covered with, I mean the ones that are nesting.
Sun, 27 Aug 2017, 16:22
GfK
 		Obvs!
Sun, 27 Aug 2017, 17:33
steve_ancell
 		Sorry Dave, just me being sarcastic.