What is ChickenHeppie?
ChickenHeppie contains predatory mites - Stratiolaelaps scimitus - that prey on chicken or poultry mites, black lice, and many other harmful mites that attack animals. Mites are a major problem for many animals such as chickens, pigeons and aviary birds, as well as for reptiles and even rabbits.
The most affected species of reptiles are snakes, bearded agamas, monitor lizards, and iguanas. A parasitic mite can easily survive six months in a terrarium. Since they lay many eggs that can hatch in a terrarium after only one day, the mite population can quickly explode. They hide in cracks and bedding to lay their eggs. These places are difficult for you to access in order to clean, but they are easy for tiny predatory mites.
Most problems with blood lice and black lice occur when temperatures start to rise, but they occur throughout the year in animal enclosures. During the winter months, however, they hide because of the cold, so chickens aren't bothered by them during colder months. In heated aviaries and terrariums, however, mites remain active during the winter months.
How to use ChickenHeppie
Release small piles of predatory mites into enclosures. The mites are packed in a humus-rich substrate that looks a bit like potting soil. Simply tap this out into small heaps in your chicken coop, terrarium or other animal enclosure. Do not sprinkle ChickenHeppie onto the animals themselves. Chicken mites are only found on chickens at night and hide in the cracks of the coop during the day.
Regularly misting the pens with water to raise the humidity will help the predatory mites live longer and breed. Each predatory mite eats an average of 5 chicken mites per day. If there is no more prey for ChickenHeppie, it will die off after 4 weeks. Chickenheppie does not cause any harm to your pets themselves.
Prevention is best
You can use ChickenHeppie curatively. However, for the well-being of your animals and to get quick results, it is recommended to introduce predatory mites into the pens at the beginning of the infestation or as a preventive measure in the spring. ChickenHeppie can go 4 weeks without food. If the presence of mites has already spiraled into an infestation, you will have to introduce many more predatory mites and repeat this several times. Especially during the summer months, when blood mites are in large numbers, several treatments will be necessary
Results
After two or three weeks, you should see a marked improvement. If this is not the case, it means that the infestation was too heavy for the amount of predatory mites you released. Repeat application is then indicated.
When you apply Chickenheppie, you may notice more chicken mites in the first few days. This is because they are driven out of their hiding places by the predatory mites and are then eaten.
ChickenHeppie biology
Chickenheppie contains beige predatory mites of the species Stratiolaeleps scimitus, formerly known as Hypoaspis miles. They measure approximately 1 mm as adults. They actively seek out their prey and then suck them dry, leaving an empty hull behind.
Development from egg to adult stage at 25°C takes 10 to 13 days. During this time, three immature stages are completed. The predatory mite is active at temperatures above 10°C. The ideal temperature is between 15 and 25°C. ChickenHeppie does not survive periods of frost.
Combining with other treatments
From experience, we know that many people use the product "Bio-kill" or "ITEC Spray Natural" in the fight against chicken mites. Bio-kill and ITEC Spray Natural, despite their name, are harmful to benefical predatory mites for more than 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, the product remains as harmful to predatory mites as it was after the first day of spraying. These products are not residue-tested for longer than 8 weeks, so we do not know the correct withdrawal time before it is safe to release predatory mites. Keep this in mind if you want to use ChickenHeppie. Otherwise, 50 to 75% of the predatory mites released will die. If you have used other treatments besides these products, contact us to find out the appropriate waiting time.
How many predatory mites do you need?
Available for 10 m² (10,000 predatory mites) or 25 m² (25,000 predatory mites). Don't forget to consider the side walls and ceiling of your enclosure when calculating the amount needed. Many mites hide in the cracks of these side walls.
The packaging for 10 m² is therefore used for an enclosure with a floor area of about 1 m x 2 m depending on its height. Not sure how many mites to order? Do not hesitate to contact us.
Storing ChickenHeppie
ChickenHeppie consists of live predatory mites that you should introduce into the chicken coop as soon as possible upon receipt. The product can be stored for a few days in a humid environment between 12 and 15°C. However, as the product can dry out very quickly, the cardboard tubes should be kept damp by wrapping them in damp paper towel.
Tips and tricks
- Ideally, use preventively.
- If using curatively, then start to treat as soon as you notice the presence of chicken mites.
- Also sprinkle in nest boxes, and any other areas in the chicken run where poultry mites may shelter, such as other wooden structures in the enclosure.
- Regularly mist the animals' enclosure.
- Repeat the treatment after 3 weeks if necessary.
