[Hanne Nijs]

Red mites are present in all types of housing systems, from enriched cages over aviaries to flat deck systems,… In general though, control of mites seems more difficult in the more complex housing systems (such as aviaries or enriched cages compared to conventional cages) where there are more hiding places for mites that are difficult to reach when you are applying treatment. However, once red mite are introduced into the hen house and a population has been established, it is currently still impossible to eliminate the entire population, no matter the type of housing system.