Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    • July 2025
    • 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    • October 2023
    • Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    • September 2023
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Twitter LinkedIn
Podcast
Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    1. July 2025
    2. 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    3. June 2025
    4. 2025 Innovation supplement
    5. May 2025
    6. April 2025
    7. March 2025
    8. 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    9. February 2025
    10. January 2025
    11. December 2024
    12. November 2024
    13. October 2024
    14. September 2024
    15. 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    16. August 2024
    17. 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    18. July 2024
    19. 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    20. June 2024
    21. 2024 Innovation supplement
    22. Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    23. May 2024
    24. April 2024
    25. March 2024
    26. February 2024
    27. January 2024
    28. December 2023
    29. November 2023
    30. Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    31. October 2023
    32. Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    33. September 2023
    Featured

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    By Chloe RyanJuly 1, 2025
    Recent

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement

    July 1, 2025

    Poultry Business – June 2025 issue

    June 9, 2025
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
Poultry News
Health & Welfare

New way for poultry producers to tackle red mite

Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanFebruary 28, 20172 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
A red mite
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Poultry producers are facing a particularly high risk of red mite infestation this spring, with warm weather and the need to house birds causing outbreaks across the country. 

“The worry of avian influenza is at the forefront of everyone’s mind right now – but with free-range birds having to be housed as a result, the reality is that red mite populations are exploding,” said Alison Colville-Hyde, field services manager at St David’s Poultry Team. “Red mite can be debilitating to hens and irritating to egg collectors, as well as causing economic loss through egg downgrades and increasing the risk of disease transfer.”

The forced housing of birds due to avian influenza, combined with the warm weather, favours the red mite’s life cycle, said Colville-Hyde. “Fortunately, we now have a new product with which to treat red mite in one quick, easy, and safe way.”

“When mixed with water and sprayed onto the inside of the poultry house, Dergall, a new red mite treatment creates a unique three-dimensional molecular structure which is air permeable,” said Colville-Hyde. “This structure immobilises the mites and blocks their spiracles, through which they breathe. This action results in destruction of the mite eggs, nymphs and adult red mites.”

Used at 1%, one litre of Dergall dilutes into 100 litres of solution to spray – and can even be safely sprayed directly onto the birds. “One treatment is usually sufficient to knock back the mite population to practically zero,” she said. “If you need to treat again subsequent treatments at half the concentration can be made.”

Red mites feed on birds at night, under the cover of darkness, by sucking their blood. Once they have fed the mites crawl back out of sight into hard-to-reach places of the poultry house, often never seen until the infestation is out of control. 

A red mite
A red mite
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleBrits put welfare of egg laying hens before meat chickens
Next Article Captain Marvel joins forces with 2 Sisters for epic desert challenge
Chloe Ryan

Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

Read Similar Stories

Health & Welfare

Comment: Why I still believe the Better Chicken Commitment has a future

July 14, 20254 Mins Read
Health & Welfare

EFSA warns of bird migration and US imports pathways for AI into Europe

July 11, 20252 Mins Read
Health & Welfare

Tackling red mite

July 4, 20254 Mins Read
Latest News

EU poultry meat imports rise

July 18, 2025

Broiler production increases, latest Defra data shows

July 17, 2025

Price rises for meat and poultry during June

July 17, 2025
Sponsored Content

Navigating Sustainability in Egg Production: Practical Steps for Producers

June 1, 2025

Maintain stable and continuous coccidiosis control amidst stocking density reductions

November 1, 2024
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • Farmers Weekly
  • AA Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • Pig World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.