Red Mite Concentrate is an effective repellent to be applied to poultry as a proactive ‘on bird’ deterrent to Red Mite infestation or to rectify an existing problem.
Fully HSE Approved - Licence No. 8719: In accordance with the Biocidal Products Directive, regulations require any product which holds itself out as any form of repellent to secure an approval and licence number from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). This approval requires the active ingredient (Ai) to be listed on the label together with the amount of Ai being used. Barrier Animal Healthcare secured the necessary approval and the licence number 8719 for this product.
**Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use**Suitable for use in Organic Farming Systems: Developed for use in intensive farming systems, but also suitable for use in organic farming systems, as it falls into the exempt category of products which use only plant oils as active ingredients, as listed in Annexe IIB (Pesticides) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (as amended).
Have I got Red Mite?: An increase in feed consumption accompanied by a decrease in production/growth is signs that a poultry house should be examined for mites. They are often found by looking under loose clods of litter, under slats, in nests or in any cracks and crevices in the house structure. They are evident as tiny red to blackish dots often in clusters.
Severe Irritation: Birds will suffer severe irritation resulting in depressed production. There is usually an increase in vent pecking, cannibalism and general distress to the birds.
Outside treatment: In warmer conditions, Red Mite can survive outdoors - even in grass and will wait until treated areas are no longer a danger. Entrances must be regularly treated.
What is Red Mite?: These tiny free-living bloodsuckers are a common problem for the poultry industry with many producers seeing their effect on the health and productivity of their stock. Chickens are the main hosts, with mite troubling flocks of broiler breeders, free range and barn egg layers. They may also occur in ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons and other avian species. Red Mite can survive away from birds for up to 36 weeks. It is important to continue application after they appear to have gone. It is also advisable to treat housing - entrances, slats, roof structures, cracks and crevices with an effective AND suitable pesticide.
Life cycle: Red Mite are able to live away from birds for up to 36 weeks and so it is essential that application continues to prevent re-infestation.
Know your enemy: Red Mite are nocturnal ectoparasites, feeding on the birds as they roost at night and disappearing into the cracks and crevices of the building structure during the day. The adult female measures 0.7 mm x 0.4 mm and is red in colour after feeding or otherwise grey/black in appearance. They thrive in the warm food-rich environment of a poultry house where their life cycle can be as short as 7 days. The larvae hatch and mature into egg laying adults in as little as 3-4 days, which can result in dramatic population growth. They persist in empty poultry houses due to their ability to roll themselves into a tight ball putting their tough sclerotized, chemical resistant shell outwards. In this kind of hibernation state they have been known to survive up to 36 weeks, even without feeding. They may arrive on the farm in equipment such as egg trays, contaminated feed, through intakes of infested birds, or through wild bird transmission.
A red mite infestation can mean one or more of the following problems:
- Mild to severe irritation of the birds resulting in depressed production.
- An increase in floor eggs - since birds will avoid heavily infested nest boxes.
- An increase in vent pecking, cannibalism and general distress to the birds.
- Clinical anaemia, leading to dull, pale combined birds and possibly death.
- Pale yolk colour.
- Eggs stained red with crushed mites or mite faeces resulting in downgrading of eggs.
- Dermatitis or skin irritation of farm staff collecting eggs and caring for birds.
Eggs: Red Mite infestation may cause eggs to be stained red with crushed mites or mite faeces, a decrease in egg production or pale coloured yoke.
Hygiene: The risk of the Red Mite infestation can be reduced by a complete and effective farm hygiene programme, with regular health checks on bird intakes, careful examination to ensure any new equipment brought onto the farm is properly disinfected and effective measures against wild bird contamination. At depletion all equipment should be removed from the house and completely mucked out. Terminal disinfect using our MAFF approved Barrier V1 Virucidal Disinfectant. This is suitable for organic farming systems and can be used on all equipment, slats and fabric of the building.
Best time to apply: The best time to treat the birds is in the evening, because Red Mite are nocturnal and so feed on the birds as they roost at night. Apply in accordance with the directions for use, directly onto the birds.
