Insect Season

Whether in your home, smallholding or farm Spring is the start of insect season!

As Spring progresses in the UK more and more flies, mites, fleas and bugs begin to emerge.  You will also see more Wasps as they set up nests.

Now is the time to check lofts, garages and sheds for any signs of wasp activity and nests.

We now have the new Wasp liquid bait and disposable traps now in stock!

As we head in to May the temperature will generally increase, therefore flies will also start to become an issue.

House flies shouldn’t be ignored as they carry so many different diseases which they leave on every surface they land upon.

Cluster flies are a persistent nuisance and can leave dots of dark excrement on windows which is difficult to get off. Hibernating in tiny cracks and crevices it is often difficult to proof your home to prevent cluster flies intruding.

You can bait flies using a number of methods, including, fly strips, traps or pesticides or resort to swatting them.

Whichever method you use, dispose of the dead flies and clean the area.

Insect Season – Spring Checklist

• Check lofts, garages, sheds for any signs of wasp nets
• Trim branches and shrubs so they are not near your home or anywhere you don’t want to attract flies
• Remove rubbish and food waste. Make sure external rubbish is sealed/covered.
• Check your birds regularly for mites
• Remove manure and feed mess frequently which are prime locations for fly breeding

Poultry Mites

The warmer seasons of May through to September is the prime time for mites to affect poultry.

Mites generally reside in small cracks, holes and crevices in housing, but they become active at night, gaining access to the bird to feed.

Mites typically spend 30-60 minutes on the bird and then after feeding they return to the crevices away from direct light, to mate and lay eggs. Red mites need blood to reproduce, once they feed, they lay their clutches of eggs and repeat again after each blood meal. The lifecycle of a red mite can be completed within 7-17 days, however eggs hatch within 2-3 days ultimately causing a rapidly growing population of red mites in only a matter days.

Signs to look for

• Noticing excessive preening in your poultry
• Decline of feather quality
• Seeing blood stains on feet and eggs from squashing mites.
• Lifting perches to see blood stains or mites hiding underneath

How to control red mite

Powder based products such as Smite Diatomaceous Earth when used correctly, can be a highly effective solution to keeping mites out of your poultry housing. Using a dry brush is ideal, for application in to holes, crevices and cracks, where mites may be residing and move from onto the birds during the night.

Some keepers also like to use it as part of a dust bath so the birds can get some of the powder ruffled in their feathers, preventing the mites from accessing the skin.

Smite is an effective, 100% natural way of controlling mites. Diatomaceous earth (DE), is sourced from sea fossils known as diatoms.

We also have the new Powder Shaker in stock to make your life easy!