Hay mites

[cob1]

Is it possible to get Hay mites?

 

[mccarron6769]

Do you mean for a human to get them?? My dog had them and we had two years of a special vaccine to treat the skin problems they caused her.

 

[AlexThe Arab]

Do you have millions of pale microscopic bugs covering everything that is near to your hay then ?

Bought a few bales of hay from a feed merchant that I don't normally use and the feed room was crawling with them - yuck - at first I thought they were mealy bugs from the feed nuts but threw the hay out and the mites have gone!

 

[pottamus]

Yes it flippin well is...I have been going through a nightmare as my hay I got this year has them. I had other stuff in my stable too and have had to clean and spray everything and not keep anything near the hay at all. It has driven me mad and I know I will have a permanent problem now as you will never ever get rid of them all.
I had loads and loads of microscopic white bugs over everything and now these seem to have gone after about 2 weeks and I now have red mites everywhere that I presume are mature white ones!!!! AAAHHHHHHH!

 

[AlexThe Arab]

Hmmm...I hope the red mites aren't adult white ones

Googled Mealy Bugs and they seem to like damp warm atmosphere's (British Summer then) and feed on plant stems - hay ?
I only had half a dozen problem bales of hay - and the cows ate them - so no great loss, can you clear out the hay or is this your main supply? Awful things aren't they, all my rugs and tack were covered in them so had to clean/wash everything and felt itchy for days after

Hope you can find a way of getting rid of them.

 

[buzzles]

I have them on the hay I got this year, I think they're fodder mites but not too sure

. They're white but leave a pinkish dust after them. They crawled out from the loft down into the tackroom and I've just spent the evening clearing out the tackroom and hoovering them all up

. Does anyone know what the best thing to get rid of them is and once their gone is the hay quality affected? The hay hasn't been paid for yet and the farmer can take it back for his cattle if it's no good for horses

!

 

[pottamus]

Well I guess you need to spray or put some mite powder down but it will be impossible to get rid of them all. I am feeding my hay upon the advice of my vet and because I do not have the money or option of getting rid of my 90 bales bought! My horse seems okay with it and I feed him outside off the floor anyway.
I think the hay this year is just crap generally and most people baled a little earlier than they would like. Mine was and it has sweated a bit which is ideal for mites.

 

[AlexThe Arab]

http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th7g.htm

Mealy bugs, fodder mites or flour mites are all colloquial names for Acarus siro

It would seem they are difficult to get rid off

Glad I only had a few bales, I wouldn't have been keen on feeding it long term as they leave a residue on what they are living on

Sorry to hear you are stuck with 90 bales

 

[buzzles]

I usually feed haylage but I got 120 square bales of hay for next summer. Pottamus, did your vet say it was ok to feed then, would you soak it or steam it to remove them and any residue? They're just such a b****y pain, they fall off the hay in the loft and cover everything and have now found their way into the tackroom

. I'm reluctant to spray anything too strong onto the hay in case it leaves a residue, but have tried a dilute solution of benzyl benzoate and also a dilute solution of permethrin which seems to kill them. I'm not sure how much of the hay is affected

.

 

[pottamus]

The vet had never come accross health problems in horses caused by hay mites...bit vague but they had not had cases reported so could not comment really. I am feeding as is because he has it outside off the floor. I also have no water access to soack with or elec for a steamer.