Keeping the shed clear of nasties.

[Spreckly]

On another thread, Korgscrew has said that he paints his shed each week with diatom paste.

We have had our girls (three of them), for sixteen days now, and so far have puffered them with diatom powder twice, and puffered the shed once. I have also put the powder in their dust bath.

Someone told me about making up a paste, with I think cooking oil and diatom, or it might have been jeyes fluid.

I would like advice on the paste making, please.

[milli]

Hi Spreckly, to answer your question, it's diatom and water to make a thickish paste and paint into the nooks and areas where those horrid little can hide.
We did ours and generally sprinkle the powder around, as you do, and so far so good. ( almost too frightened to tempt fate ) good luck with keeping them away.

[Steve the Gas]

I reckon painting every week is a little OTT.

[korgscrew]

I reckon painting every week is a little OTT.

I dont paint it everywhere every week. Mainly the roost bars and the nest boxes as they get used the most and it gets knocked off.

I use water, and it goes like wet clay. You need a good thick paste. You will also be suprised how little water you need! I would make a nice big bowl full, if you have some left, put it in the shed and it will dry, then when you need it again, just add water!

Its messy, but does a great job! It dries in about an hour or so if its exposed to the sun. If you lightly run your finger over it when its dried, you will see residue on your finger and thats how it kills the so and so's! I didnt think it would work untill I did the finger test.

I get the brush everywhere in the house, paint the roost bars and in the bars resting places as this is where they are most likley to hide during the day.

[Steve the Gas]

In that case........
Mates??

[korgscrew]

[Spreckly]

Thank you for your helpful replies. OH is going to be busy!

[angel253]

Just found some of the little blighters in the crevice one of the roost bars sits in.

There were only very few and the girls aren't showing any signs of any bother so I hope I've caught them early enough to not be a problem.
Needless to say the whole coop has been cleaned & diatom cemented. I'm so annoyed! I diatom the coop and the girls regularly. Guess I missed a bit and that's where they found a home.

[Steve the Gas]

Seeing as it's early still I would spray that area with an insecticide - ant/wasp/flea spray- just to be sure...

[angel253]

Done. Thank's Steve.

[mabel88]

i use a product called poultry shield as recomended by this forum diluted in water in a squirty bottle once a week when i clean coop out give it a good spraying its spot on would recomend it

[angel253]

Ok so it appears I didn't nip the problem in the bud!
Have emptied the coop, burnt the bedding, cleaned thoroughly with Stalosan F.
Once it's dry will Poultry Shield, then Diatom cement everywhere.
Birds are all getting Diatom'd again too.

Anything else I can do?

[silverback]

Would have been cheaper in the long run to go for a plastic coop!

[Willow]

Ok so it appears I didn't nip the problem in the bud!
Have emptied the coop, burnt the bedding, cleaned thoroughly with Stalosan F.
Once it's dry will Poultry Shield, then Diatom cement everywhere.
Birds are all getting Diatom'd again too.

Anything else I can do?

You'll have to run through the same procedure every few days for a while to get the little*uggers at whatever stage they're at..
(keep your eyes open for a plastic shed)...

[mabel88]

silver back do they do lge plastic coops might be interested