Medimite - What is it and what does it treat?
Posted by Dave Page on
What is Medimite?
Medimite is a product developed by Meditech for the effective treatment of Redmite, Worms & Lice. Treatment is given orally as opposed to externally thereby ensuring 100% of the treatment is given, if given externally there is a risk of part of the treatment not reaching areas needed.
What is Redmite?
Both lice and mites can be harmful to the wellbeing of the pigeons. Not all lice and mites can be detected with the eye. Shaft mites for instance are smaller than 1 millimetre. You can see these mites only through a microscope or when you hold the feather up to the light. Therefore, a change in the behaviour of the pigeons can be an indication of a lice infestation, although you cannot see the lice. When pigeons have lice and mites, they may puff up their feathers, they may appear agitated and you will notice weight loss.
When there is a mite infestation in the pigeon loft, we immediately want to protect our pigeons and ourselves against these parasites. Therefore, we usually buy a chemical insecticide to kill the mites.
The life cycle of mites of pigeons is the same as that of other birds and chickens. An adult mite lays approximately 5 to 10 eggs per day. After 2 to 3 days these eggs hatch and within 5 days they grow into adult lice that also lay eggs. You can imagine that a mite problem on pigeons can grow exponentially because of this fast life cycle!
Exponential increase
Because of the life cycle described above an infestation with mites in pigeons can grow rapidly. This means that each mite can reproduce up to tenfold each day. So 10 mites will grow into 100 mites in no time.
1 blood mite lays 5-10 eggs per day.
At temperatures above 20° C mites produce 8 eggs per day. But they lay eggs even at 5° C, therefore problems with mite on pigeons, chickens and birds can start in the winter months.
Red mite behaviour
The mite are red because they suck blood - this can lead to anaemia in birds. Red Mite hide during the day and feed on the birds at night only. Certain mites live on the pigeons skins, feathers, quills, nostrils and air-sac - these mites stay on the birds all time. Whilst they may be inhibited to a certain degree by sprays and dips, they will only be effectively killed by systematic medication eg: Ivertmectin. Air-Sac mite are also killed by oral Ivermectin.
To treat red mites successfully it is good to understand the behaviour of red mites, then you can understand why you need to treat the coop and the pigeons together and additionally why you need to treat for longer than 14 days.
Red mites hide during the day
The usual pesticides do not attach themselves to surfaces. As a result, their effectiveness only lasts very briefly. When we use pesticides during the day the red mites are not on the move and therefore, they are not affected. Therefore, using pesticides during the day is not very effective.
Red mites eat once every 10 days
Because 55% of the mites present go to the pigeons only once every 6 to 10 days, you will only reach 16% when you spray insecticide at night. The rest stays in the hiding place and is not affected. So, when it comes to treatment, you will need to treat for more than 20 days.
Mites protect themselves by creating layers
The population in a “blood mite nest” can consist of as many as 10 layers. Even if you manage to reach the places with a spray, you will only affect the outer layer. Everything underneath is protected and will not be reached with spraying.
Medimite is available to buy online
Contact us Today on 0121 505 6370 for further information or visit our website www.meditechuk.co.uk