How can I prevent Northern Fowl Mites?
First rule of thumb for prevention of Northern Fowl Mite is to be vigilant: It is important to keep an eye on your chickens; these mites live on the chickens so you will be able to tell if your chicken’s health is being affected by an infestation. Also check housing regularly to catch any outbreak fast – it makes it that much easier to deal with.
a. Housing: Check the housing carefully every week when you clean it, pay special attention to all the nooks and crannies, ends of roosting bars and the nest boxes.
b. Chickens: Keep an eye on your flock for any unusual behaviour, give them monthly health checks after they have gone to roost (they are more biddable then). It really helps you to know what’s ‘right’ for each chicken and spot any issues quickly.
Bedding can make a huge difference. Try not to use straw, hay or newspaper: Mites and Lice love heat and dampness, so eliminating these from the housing helps to keep the parasites away. Straw and hay also both harbour mites in the stalk tubes and contain dust spores, while newspaper will ‘wick’ wetness and get damp. We all love the image of a hen sitting on a nest of straw, but in reality, you are best to stick to something dried such as one of the shredded hemp beddings
Another handy tip is to use Nettex Buz Busters Louse Powder in the dust bath. A dust bath in your covered run encourages social behaviour, and Nettex Buz Busters Louse Powder in the dust bath can help discourage Lice too.
If you do spot any Lice act fast, clean your coop weekly and treat for any possible lice problems using the Nettex Total Mite and Lice 3 step regime.
Thoroughly clean out the coop with Nettex DEFRA Approved Virocur Disinfectant, remove all faeces, dry matter and bedding.
2. Spray the entire coop with Nettex Total Mite Kill Ready To Use Solution– this will disinfect as well as eradicate mites and lice. Both products contain a coating agent which will continue to act on the mites even after it has dried – therefore always shake the product before diluting the concentrate and before each use.
3. Sprinkle Nettex Buz Busters Louse Powder liberally over the surface of bedding, perches and nest boxes and refill with fresh bedding. It’s also important to include the Total Hygiene Powder in dust baths.
4. Additionally, use Nettex Total Mite Kill Aerosol Spray monthly to treat hard to reach areas of the housing such as cracks and crevices. This high velocity spray will penetrate deep into these areas where mites like to hide. A regular routine like this will help keep the lice at bay and ensure that your flock is parasite-free and healthy.