Post by Marianne Marlow on Oct 12, 2011 16:27:46 GMT
Detecting mites in the aviary and home by Brian (with some additions by Barrie Shutt)[/color][/b]
What are Red Mite?
Red Mite are a blood-feeding parasite that are a bird keepers nightmare, they attack and feed on the outside of the bird. They attack resting birds, mainly during the night for a short one or two hour meal of blood.
After feeding, the mites then scurry back and hide in cracks and crevices away from the daylight. The end of the perch is their favourite hiding place, here they mate and lay their eggs.
How can I tell if I have an infestation?
Your birds will be constantly itching and shaking more so than preening.
What can be done to eliminate these parasites?
Cleanliness is the first priority, in the aviary we can keep it clean with a weekly wash using poultry shield, spraying in cracks and crevices, you have to remove food and water and let the birds in when it's dry, and monthly, a smoke bomb called Pronafit Pro smoke, this you light on a tile in the middle of the aviary floor and open all your drawers and cupboards to let the smoke in, if you leave your birds in, you only need to use a quarter of the tablet and it is beneficial to their breathing.
In the home you can hang a white cloth over you cage at night and if any mite are present there should be tiny blood stains on the cloth, if so use Ivermectin 0.1% on your birds, a spot on the back of the neck/shoulder blade will kill the little devils and stop them in their tracks, your cages and contents all need to be sprayed with anti-mite spray, remove all seed, supplements and birds before spraying, read all instructions carefully.
Site of infestation - Skin of the host, but most of the life cycle is spent in hiding places in the nest, Aviary, cage, perch-end or roost crevices.
Clinical signs - If the levels of infestation are high, the mite can cause increased stress to the birds - including: Anaemia, due to blood loss - Severe skin irritation - Blood loss can cause increased susceptibility to disease.
A large infestation will cause anaemia amongst small birds. They can be especially dangerous to small chicks in the nest.
Feeding your bird Garlic (helps deter mites). Garlic works by exuding a strong garlic smell through the birds skin, which the mites and other biting insects don't seem to like, add some to your birds softfood.
What are Red Mite?
Red Mite are a blood-feeding parasite that are a bird keepers nightmare, they attack and feed on the outside of the bird. They attack resting birds, mainly during the night for a short one or two hour meal of blood.
After feeding, the mites then scurry back and hide in cracks and crevices away from the daylight. The end of the perch is their favourite hiding place, here they mate and lay their eggs.
How can I tell if I have an infestation?
Your birds will be constantly itching and shaking more so than preening.
What can be done to eliminate these parasites?
Cleanliness is the first priority, in the aviary we can keep it clean with a weekly wash using poultry shield, spraying in cracks and crevices, you have to remove food and water and let the birds in when it's dry, and monthly, a smoke bomb called Pronafit Pro smoke, this you light on a tile in the middle of the aviary floor and open all your drawers and cupboards to let the smoke in, if you leave your birds in, you only need to use a quarter of the tablet and it is beneficial to their breathing.
In the home you can hang a white cloth over you cage at night and if any mite are present there should be tiny blood stains on the cloth, if so use Ivermectin 0.1% on your birds, a spot on the back of the neck/shoulder blade will kill the little devils and stop them in their tracks, your cages and contents all need to be sprayed with anti-mite spray, remove all seed, supplements and birds before spraying, read all instructions carefully.
Site of infestation - Skin of the host, but most of the life cycle is spent in hiding places in the nest, Aviary, cage, perch-end or roost crevices.
Clinical signs - If the levels of infestation are high, the mite can cause increased stress to the birds - including: Anaemia, due to blood loss - Severe skin irritation - Blood loss can cause increased susceptibility to disease.
A large infestation will cause anaemia amongst small birds. They can be especially dangerous to small chicks in the nest.
Feeding your bird Garlic (helps deter mites). Garlic works by exuding a strong garlic smell through the birds skin, which the mites and other biting insects don't seem to like, add some to your birds softfood.