Poultry mite invasion in my garden and house

[Jaffa Cake]

Hi,

They are def not midges. They are coming into the house. They run like mites, they don't fly, they behave exactly like the mites that I had in the coop last year. They hide during the day and then come out at night. I tried to upload some photos last night. After 5 hours yesterday of smiting and trying to make sure that there was nothing around the house that they could hide under, stupidly I did it in bare feet and crocs so that I could change over to another pair that I leave in the coop so I don't take any in, my feet were so painful last night as they had been bitten to bits. I found one hiding in the coop under their dust bath. I also discovered a water can running with yellow bird mites which after much research recognised them immediately. My neighbours said that they had red mite a couple of years ago but nothing this year.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Also, thanks for all your help in loading photos up! I think I have done it, but it says not viewed yet!

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Rick, Thanks for the picture and apologising. The picture made me laugh last night. I am so freaked out by the little critters and they hurt!!! They are hiding, they only swarm when I pick something up or turn it over. The Xmas tree was in a pot and they were hiding inside the external pot. When I took the tree out of the pot they came at me from all angles. I think you might be right though. I am now thinking that they are not red mite as I got brave yesterday and if you say that they seek heat then that is not the case. I found a huddle of them under a pot and I kept putting my finger close to them to see what they would do... they would move away every time I put my hand near them. I found one hiding under my dust box in the coop in the DE. I keep finding them sitting in the DE under things. I over did it and smitted everything and then added ant powder and DE all around the windows inside and outside of the house yesterday. My house looks like something from a horror movie.

Also Marigold I saw that you had sent me a private message but I am struggling with the lay out of the forum. I saw it on my phone but I can't find it here on my computer. Where are the private messages.

Thanks

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Can anyone actually see the picture have posted? I can't!!

 

[MrsBiscuit]

I can see it, but its too small to be of any use I am afraid, although possibly this is because the mites are so small anyway that it will be hard to tell much unless they are magnified. From what you have said they don't sound like redmite, but I have no idea what the problem could be, and I hope you get it sorted soon. I know Ficam W is effective, but it is also very potent. Please be careful for your health and don't use it near any bees, it is fatal to them.

 

[Tweetypie]

Hey Jaffa, it is like Mrs Biscuit said, the photo is too small to be able to see the mites. Might have to take another with more pixels/don't shrink it so much. It was me who sent you the private message with those links, hope you found them useful.

Cannot imagine how bad it must be living with all those mites, it would drive me insane. I was cutting my hedge the other week and ended up with 10 bites on my leg! I googled it and it was a fire ant bite, nasty things. Reckon it must have somehow got into my jeans, was trapped and bit me. :evil:

The USA site suggesting the house be sealed off and a special gas used, sounds just the ticket! There must be a UK Company does that.

 

[Margaid]

I was able to enlarge it a bit but still not big enough really to be able to tell what they are and there is no real sense of the scale. How wide is the piece of wood?

If your neighbours had redmite is it worth asking them to come and have a look? Redmite are tiny, not much bigger than the full stop at the end of this sentence as I expect you know. They move quite fast but are very easy to squash with your finger, so if they don't squash they are probably something else.

 

[Marigold]

For private messages, go to the row of symbols at the right hand side of the grey bar at the top of the page. Click on the little 'person' symbol and select User Control Panel. On your user control panel, select Private Messages and then Inbox to see your messages from other people. You can try out other ways of setting up your profile etc via the other options on your Panel. BTW, the message wasn't from me.

You could try re-posting your photo using a larger file size. If you reduced it for your first go, try putting it through without reducing it and see what happens. It won't take very large files, but obviously it can manage bigger ones than your first go.

 

[LadyA]

I think your most likely culprit may be these: Harvest mites. Absolute bug***s! When I had outdoor cats, they used to sometimes get them. They are very tiny, almost invisible to the naked eye. But, they do congregate on grass, shrubs etc. https://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th5i.htm#harvestmite

I'm scratching like mad, reading this thread!!

 

[rick]

Though the numbers and the large area of this infestation seems to go way beyond anything we have seen before ( maybe in a commercial poultry outfit) I think , from everything you have said, it is likely that they are mites of some sort. Anything beyond that is likely to be a guess from us and sprinkling and spraying everything and everything around your house is likely to be a hazard in itself.
Have you contacted Environmental Health? You need a positive ID of these critters and a targeted plan. We all know what a challenge it can be to control a moderate infestation of red mite in a coop (a few hundreds of thousands) you are describing a probably tens of millions in your whole property! They have to be eating something to breed and a few bites in the night isn't sustaining that population! It has to be a public issue for EH they may already have it on their radar.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Right got it right this time ... the deadbris around is the dead ones after a smitting session!! You spot the one who survived!!! I so appreciate all your help!!! I am at my wits end!! I hate being out of my house!!

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Here it is again

 

[Jaffa Cake]

They are as small as pin heads or smaller!!

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Lady A,

I think that you might have something here as I am surrounded by field crops!! Perhaps the neighbours haven't noticed them as they aren't worried about their chickens.

What did you do?

Mandi

 

[rick]

Springtails? Mite have 8 legs as adults.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

Hello Rick,

Could be! Had a look and it said that they live in the soil. I noticed that these little buggers are hiding in everything but not in the soil of the plants. I will have another look though! I have had a look at harvest mites too and they look similar. I think that we are getting nearer. I am going to contact the council tomorrow. I went up to check on my chocs tonight and they were happy and squashed a couple on the office as they were starting to come out which means me spaying Sat night at 1 in the morning did nothing! Ahhhhh!!!

Thanks so much for all your help though all of you ... you are giving me hope!

Mandi

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I am def covered in bites though after yesterday and itchy as hell and it says that the springtail bugs don't come near humans! The plot thickens ...

 

[rick]

Its really starting to sound like the farmer has been busy in the fields, or maybe just the winds, and a whole bunch of stuff has been blowing in. Springtails in clouds for one but also everything else thats living out there (maybe mites too.) If it was me I'd give the house a good vac all over with a dust mask on. Diatom mixed with insecticide is enough to bring anyone out in a rash without harvest mites and the whole gambit to top it off!
The council (particularly Environmental Health) will know all about it, presuming you are not the only one to receive the cloud of intruders.
I suspect you may owe your chooks a grape or two (they have probably eaten the intruders in the run!) and I probably owe your pest control guys an apology for doubting their observations re the conifer in a pot!
Maybe...


If its helpful, Ive blown up your image.

 

[Margaid]

They might also be a type of Thrip which come in a variety of sizes and colours. The information is contradictory as some websites say they bite and others say they don't. Apparently they are actually testing to see if you are a plant rather than biting a human deliberately but I don't see that really matters if you're bitten and the bites itch!