Red Mite: How to Spot Them, Treat Them & Prevent Them
Knowing how to get rid of red mites starts with catching them early, treating the coop thoroughly and then making your set-up a place they can't come back to. Red mite are tiny, blood-feeding parasites that hide in chicken housing by day and emerge at night to feed, which is exactly why an infestation can take hold before you ever notice it. This guide walks you through the three stages that matter: spot, treat and prevent.
Short answer: spot red mites with a night-time check and a white-tissue test, treat by stripping and deep-cleaning the coop with hot soapy water (and repeating across the mite life-cycle), then prevent them with good hygiene, quarantine and a smooth, easy-clean coop with no cracks to hide in.
What Are Red Mites?
Red mites are exoparasites — parasites that live on the outside of their host — that feed on the blood of chickens while sheltering in the coop itself rather than on the bird. They are most active at night, which is what makes detection and treatment so tricky.
Red mites spread via wild birds, arrive on new flock members, or hide away in second-hand wooden chicken coops and kit — so always source birds from reputable suppliers and take extra care with rescue hens, as red mites are very common in commercial flocks. For the full background on the parasite and its impact on your birds, see our guide on how to recognise red mites and their effects on poultry.
Why Do Red Mites Multiply So Quickly?
A red mite's life-cycle from egg to egg-laying adult is just 5–10 days, so an infestation can spiral fast. Each female lays only a handful of eggs, but that short cycle drives exponential growth — a single infested bird can support a population of 26,000+ mites within 9–10 weeks. Now multiply that by every bird in your flock. This is why timing matters so much when you treat: you have to break the cycle, not just clear what you can see today.
How to Spot Red Mites in a Chicken Coop
Because red mites hide by day and feed at night, you have to know where and how to look. Red mites favour warm, dark places: perch ends, the cracks where two surfaces meet, under felt roofing and inside tongue-and-groove joints. They especially love soft wooden surfaces.
Here's how to check for red mites in a chicken coop:
- Inspect the hiding spots. Look closely at perch ends and any crevice or joint — clusters of mites, or a grey, ash-like deposit (their droppings), are tell-tale signs.
- Do the white-tissue test at night. After dark, when mites are active and feeding, wipe a piece of white kitchen tissue along the underside of the perch and into crevices. Red or rusty-brown smears mean mites are present.
- Watch the birds. Hens that are suddenly reluctant to roost at night, look pale around the comb and wattles, or seem off-colour may be reacting to mites feeding after dark.
- Notice yourself. If you feel itchy after cleaning out the coop, suspect red mites straight away.
Red mites look white or grey while juvenile and turn red or brown once they've fed as adults, so a colony can look quite varied depending on age and feeding. They're most active in spring, summer and autumn. For a bird-by-bird check, follow our guide on how to check your hen for lice and red mites.
Left unchecked, red mites cause real suffering — anaemia from blood loss, fewer eggs, weight loss and, in bad cases, death. Broody hens are particularly vulnerable, so stay vigilant.
How to Get Rid of Red Mites: Treating an Infestation
If you've confirmed mites, the goal is a thorough coop clean-down — and then repeating it to catch every wave of the life-cycle. Here is the general approach to treating red mites:
- Remove your birds from the coop before you start.
- Strip the coop down. Disassemble it as far as you sensibly can — remove perches, nest boxes and trays so no crevice is left untouched.
- Clean every surface with hot, soapy water. Hose and scrub right into the joints, perch ends and corners where mites hide. The aim is to physically clear mites and eggs from every nook.
- Dry thoroughly before reassembling, as damp, dark conditions suit mites.
- Repeat across the life-cycle. Because eggs hatch within days, one clean rarely finishes the job. Repeat the clean-down every few days over the following weeks to break the breeding cycle, not just clear the adults you can see.
For any treatment product, chemical or powder — and especially if a bird looks unwell, pale or weak — speak to your vet or a qualified poultry specialist before acting. They can recommend what's appropriate and safe for your flock; we don't advise on specific products or dosages here.
How to Prevent Red Mites Coming Back
Prevention is far easier than treatment, and it comes down to denying mites the cracks, hosts and hiding places they rely on:
- Keep up regular hygiene. Clean the coop often and check the high-risk spots — perch ends and joints — every week, so any new mites are caught before they multiply.
- Choose a smooth, easy-clean coop. Red mites thrive in the cracks and tongue-and-groove joints of timber housing. A coop with smooth, crevice-free surfaces gives them nowhere to hide and makes deep-cleaning quick.
- Quarantine new birds and second-hand kit. New flock members and used wooden coops are a common way mites arrive. Isolate and inspect new hens before they join the flock, and check any second-hand equipment carefully.
- Stay alert in the warm months, when red mites are most active, with more frequent checks through spring, summer and autumn.
For more habits that keep mites at bay, read our 5 tips to avoid red mites in your chicken coop.
Red Mite-Resistant Chicken Coops
The single biggest thing you can do to make red mites a non-issue is to remove the cracks they live in. Every Nestera coop is made from durable recycled plastic with smooth, crevice-free inside panels — there's simply nowhere for mites to harbour, unlike soft timber with its joints and felt.
Cleaning is just as easy. If mites ever do appear, remove your birds and wipe the coop down with hot, soapy water — and because recycled-plastic panels dry in moments, there's no waiting around for damp wooden boards. Large rear hatches, removable roofs and detachable nest boxes mean you can reach every surface, and the maintenance-free build is backed by a 25-year guarantee.
Red Mite FAQs
How do you get rid of red mites fast?
The quickest route is to remove your birds, strip the coop down and clean every surface with hot, soapy water, getting right into the joints and perch ends. Then repeat the clean-down every few days for several weeks to break the life-cycle. For any treatment product or an unwell bird, consult your vet or a qualified poultry specialist.
How do I check for red mites in my chicken coop?
Look at perch ends and crevices for clusters or a grey, ash-like deposit, and do a white-tissue test at night — wipe white tissue under the perch and in joints; red or rusty smears confirm mites. Reluctance to roost and itchiness after cleaning are also warning signs.
Why do red mites keep coming back?
Usually because eggs survive a single clean, or because cracks in timber housing give them a permanent hiding place. Repeating the clean across the mite life-cycle and switching to a smooth, easy-clean coop removes both problems.
Can red mites live in a plastic coop?
Smooth recycled-plastic coops have no cracks or joints for mites to harbour in, making them far more red mite-resistant than timber. Good hygiene and quarantine still matter, but a crevice-free coop gives mites nowhere to hide.
Make Red Mites a Non-Issue
The easiest coop to keep mite-free is one with no cracks to clean and panels that dry in minutes. Explore the Nestera recycled-plastic chicken coop range — smooth, crevice-free and easy to wipe down — and give red mites nowhere to hide.
