What would you recommend me to do about treating the mites
Thank you!
Mites
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Guest
I had mites in the martin house about 3-4 weeks ago and I treated however I see with the binoculars that there are mites on the outside of one of my martin houses. I want to treat with sevin however there are babies in the gourds and house. Most of the babies are almost ready to fly or have 1- 2 to 3 weeks yet to go and I'm nervous about bringing down the house to treat compartments that have close to flying young.
What would you recommend me to do about treating the mites
Thank you!
What would you recommend me to do about treating the mites
Thank you!
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
I would lower the house very slowly, get a stepladder, and put a 1/2 teaspoon of sevin at the inside entrance of each cavity, and then raise the house back up. The mites will be gone the next day.
I think there will be more damage caused by not treating the mites than there would be done by lowering the house. I would take that chance because they cannot handle mites, and they will jump out anyway if you don't treat the mites.!
I think there will be more damage caused by not treating the mites than there would be done by lowering the house. I would take that chance because they cannot handle mites, and they will jump out anyway if you don't treat the mites.!
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Dick Sherry
- Posts: 774
- Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 5:30 pm
- Location: Tulsa, OK
Have some clothespins handy when you lower the house and use them to quickly block the entrance to any room with young that are close to fledging. Then after you have treated the compartments for mites, remove the pins right before you raise the housing back up. The young martins will definitely be much better off after you treat for mites. Good luck!
Get rid of the mites! They will jump because of the mites and if the temperatures are hot, they will jump sooner. Both great comments already and most practical. Depending on your openings you can use as the PMCA suggests small plastic cups or pieces of sponge (for excluder, oblong, cresent etc.) attached to strings. Plug the holes with the cups or sponge, (after treating with Sevin) then raise the house and pull the strings.
I'm a "nestcamaholic" Is 18 hours a day a bad thing? (I have 2 this year, luckily I have 2 eyes!)
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robndebby
- Posts: 119
- Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2005 1:25 pm
- Location: VIRGINIA/POWHATAN
- Martin Colony History: Established colony in 1990
Please lower the house, take the risk and use the Sevin. We had a terrible mite infestation last year where we had to change all the nests (not an easy job I assure you) and still lost quite a few. At the beginning of this year, we lined each nest with cedar shavings with Sevin sprinkled on them, and then a layer of pine tags. No mites, and just to be on the safe side, we put a little around the entrances about 4 weeks ago so the parents could "dust" the nest with their tail feathers. All have now fledged, but still hanging around.
Good luck and use that Sevin!
Good luck and use that Sevin!
ROBNDEBBY
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Laverne
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:58 pm
- Location: TX/Alvin
- Martin Colony History: Erected 1st house in 1997. Birds were checking it out before Mike got down from the ladder. Six cavities had a little colony 1st year. Grown to 88 cavities all gourds with near 100% occupancy. Most important factor for success is rain = bugs.
an old sock with a string tied to it works well, too...
I leave the sock in the entrance hole while raising the housing. Once the housing is secure, I leave the sock in place for a couple of minutes, then gently pull it free. I then stand a distance away and observe for about 10 minutes to make sure nobody jumps. Since I started doing this - I have had no spooked premature jumpers.
When using Sevin Dust please be careful not to leave it at the surface of the nest where it can get on the nestlings. The PMCA witnessed nestlings vigorously exercising their wings inside the nest cavity and discovered that Diatomaceous Earth created a cloud in the nest when they did this. I don't want my nestling Purple Martins to breathe a cloud of Sevin Dust. That's why most landlords recommend you gently place it on the nesting material and then gently tap it down. It is not necessary to put it all over the nest - just at the entrance because the mites have to go to sunshine in order to digest their blood meal. When they crawl through the nest material treated with Sevin they die.
I leave the sock in the entrance hole while raising the housing. Once the housing is secure, I leave the sock in place for a couple of minutes, then gently pull it free. I then stand a distance away and observe for about 10 minutes to make sure nobody jumps. Since I started doing this - I have had no spooked premature jumpers.
When using Sevin Dust please be careful not to leave it at the surface of the nest where it can get on the nestlings. The PMCA witnessed nestlings vigorously exercising their wings inside the nest cavity and discovered that Diatomaceous Earth created a cloud in the nest when they did this. I don't want my nestling Purple Martins to breathe a cloud of Sevin Dust. That's why most landlords recommend you gently place it on the nesting material and then gently tap it down. It is not necessary to put it all over the nest - just at the entrance because the mites have to go to sunshine in order to digest their blood meal. When they crawl through the nest material treated with Sevin they die.
Sincerely,
Laverne
Laverne