I kept my coop floor bare for years until a bad mite outbreak in July

I switched to a deep litter system with pine shavings and diatomaceous earth mixed in, and haven't seen a single mite since. Has anyone else had luck with this method for pest control?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilychen2mo agoMost Upvoted

Worry about the DE getting too damp and clumping up though, it stops working when wet.

rubyreed2mo ago

That deep litter and DE mix is the real deal. I tried everything for mites, even those pricey coop sprays. Nothing worked like just letting the shavings build up with a good dusting of food grade DE mixed in. It dries them out. My birds dust bathe in it now. It's cheap and it just works.

masondixon2mo ago

Yeah, the DE drying them out part is right, but idk about letting the shavings just build up forever. I mean, you still gotta clean it out sometimes or it gets real nasty and wet underneath.