Mites

[bridget503]

Ok, the babies have mites. I was going to buy spray, but my Petco was out of it. I got some hanging thing, but read a link about how they could kill my birds(plus, it smells like one of the toilet bowl cleaner things), and PetSmart had a recall on their stuff, so I'm not sure what to do? Any suggestions? I've cleaned the cages, toys, perches and bowls. If there any non-toxic home remedy?

 

[crimson]

OH!, you poor thing, I feel for you and your birds. I've had those little buggers, and they are nasty, and persistent. You don't mention what kind, so I'm assuming they are red mites??
If your babies have mites, then it's more than likely the other birds too
I've had red mites and feather mites, and both are difficult to get rid of.
I've used A.I.L.(Avian Insect Liquid) with EXCELLENT results, killed those little buggers! thank goodness.
I've purchased it from ladygouldian.com,located in California, you can try SCATT or S76,as well, but personally I think A.I.L. is more effective.
with the holidays around the corner, you may be stuck trying to find some... unfortunately I don't have any home made remedies.
could you contact any local breeders and see if they have some?
the sooner you treat them the better, they multiply 10 fold, and will make your babies miserable.
here are some things you could do to combat them until you get treatment
thoroughly clean and change cages daily, remember to check under the tray
boil toys and perches for 5 minutes, then put in the dryer on high for 20 minutes daily.
remove any toys for now, and only put in perches, and seed cups.
make sure you wash your hands before and after you handle your babies.
purchase iron drops, and add 1 drop into their water daily...they become anemic, then paralysis sets in. I had 3 birds go that way, then I thought of the iron drops, they were all back to normal within 10 days!!...it was amazing to watch
I sure wish you the best of luck.

 

[bridget503]

They are red mites. Just thinking about it makes me itch! Can't tell if the other ones have them, and but they probably do. 2 of them took a bath tonight, and so that probably helped. I will take your advice, and and hopefully they will get better.

 

[crimson]

nothing makes them better until you treat them. red mites don't stay on the bird like feather mites do,they hide in the most craziest places on the cage, even the hinges on the doors. so if you keep their environment as clean as possible, it will be better for your birds, and you.
I had literally 100's and 100's of them within 2 weeks, this is when I first started breeding and not knowing any better, or what to look for. fortunately I had a very good friend of mine help me out, and killed those suckers within the month. I now spray regularly every 3-4 months for prevention. The No-Pest strips can be somewhat helpful, if you hang it in the room.
Diatomaeous Earth will help, I'm not sure if you've heard of that, it's crush crustations(sort of speak) and if you sprinkle it under the tray of the cage, and under the newspaper on the bottom of the cage, it literally cuts up the mites as they walk on it.
I've have it here and it's very effective, mites avoid it at all cost.
I bought it at our local pet store here in town. I know Pet Smart doesn't carry it, so you may have to find it at another pet store. pls. keep me posted will you??, unfortunately I am somewhat of an expert with mites(uggggg) and know all to well how to get rid of them!
I just thought of one more thing, put a white or light coloured towel over the top of the cage at night, then in the morning, lift it up carefully and look at it. it will give you an idea how many there are, if you have a few, then it's not to bad, if you have more than 20, you'll have to step up your search for a treatment. throw that towel directly into the washing machine, not your hamper.
I wish I was closer to you, I could give you some treatments, I really hate seeing people suffer with mites. I had upwards of 20 cages to treat, threw out $100.00 of dollars in toys, and I was miserable for a month. let me know how things go please...

 

[antoinette]

I would hate for mites to be present

Found a very interesting link, sure you will get your answeres here
Identify the Pest - Do- It-Yourself Bird Mite Treatment

How to Get Rid of Bird Mites in the Home, How to Kill Bird Mites

Good luck, please keep us updated

 

[annachi]

I need help is getting rid of red mites. They keep returning. Crimson i like your suggestions but i had tried some of the stuff before. I have a very big cage and live in midwest, so i august took it outside washed it with bleach etc. rubbed DE on the whole cage, treated the birds with ivermectin, put bird protectors in the cage and now the mites are back again. I have ordered AIL from the website. S76 i purchased last year in fall so planning to use that for birds. I have 3 budgies and 4 cockatiels. One budgie is sick. I am new to this forum so i cannot send you detail history through email etc.