It of course depends from farm to farm and the infestation whether it is necessary to treat the hygiene lock. During the empty period you can of course treat the hygiene lock as a preventive measure. If for example during the flock there are large clusters of red mite present in close proximity to or you notice red mites inside the hygiene lock you would in fact treat there as well. During the empty period you can of course treat the hygiene lock as a preventive measure.
Treating the surroundings of the building (including the manure storage) can be done to prevent mites that were removed from the hen house with the manure from re-entering the hen house. So treating the outside of the buildings with for example silica can be done to create a barrier for the mites that are looking for a way back into the house.
