General information
The red bird mite (Dermanyssus gallinae deg) is an ectoparasite, also known as the blood mite. It is mostly found in bird species such as chickens and aviary birds, but also in reptiles. In professional poultry farms, it is a major pest that is difficult to control due to the lack of antidotes. As the mites suck a lot of blood, the infested animals usually suffer from anemia, which makes them much more susceptible to disease. The mites are also capable of transmitting diseases themselves.
Blood mites can reproduce very quickly and rapidly build up a huge population. Due to their frequent blood-sucking, they severely weaken the health of the pigeons, which can end in their death. General characteristics
An adult blood mite is approx. 1 mm in size, eight-legged and dark red in color. A female can lay 3 to 7 eggs per day, which she hides in cracks and crevices. Depending on the temperature, the eggs hatch after 1 to 2 days. If the conditions are not ideal, the mites and eggs can survive for months, even up to two years. They will only hatch when the climate is favorable for them again. In this way, blood mites can overwinter without any problems. Before the mite becomes an adult, it goes through a number of nymph stages, which are characterized by the larva repeatedly taking on a different shape.
Blood mites can live for a maximum of six months and survive for months without food.
Lifestyle
Red bird mites live in the immediate vicinity of pigeons. They stay in the pigeon coop, where they hide in cracks and crevices during the day. They are shy of light and only come out when it is dark. They then crawl onto their host and suck blood from the resting pigeons using a special suction snout. They can also often be seen in incubators and on young birds. Symptoms
It is important to detect a blood mite infestation as early as possible. Therefore, regularly check the cracks and crevices in the pigeon coop for the presence of mites. A good place to check is the underside of the ends of the perch. By checking regularly, you can detect an infestation at an early stage.
The pigeons themselves will also give you signs when something is wrong. They often scratch themselves, lose weight and are listless. If you observe these symptoms, the infestation is serious and it is high time to intervene. Control
Controlling blood mites is no easy task. There are a number of chemical control agents on the market, but none of them are effective enough.
You can use Dutchy’s to deal with the problem effectively. These are predatory mites that have blood mites on their menu. Depending on the circumstances, they can survive for a very long time in the pigeon house and feast on the blood mites present, which they devour with their skin and hair. The predatory mites seek out their prey and leave it no peace. Once an infestation of blood mites has been detected, it is important to remove the Dutchy’s® as quickly as possible so that the number of blood mites does not become too high. When calculating the required number of predatory mites, carefully follow the instructions in the instructions for use for pigeonsso that you can get the problem under control as quickly as possible. You can place your order quickly and easily at www.brieftaubenshop.de .
