Of mites, lice and fleas....

[marleen4]

NZ has a heat wave and this has contributed to a pest in my aviaries, especially on the inside walls of the nest boxes. They are crawling with tiny black insects that move really fast, at most a millimeter in diameter. When I get them on my skin they are really itchy and fast, a terrible feeling. The birds are all looking a little itchy and I've struggled to know what to do, assuming this is mite.

I looked up an earlier thread as ivermactin for aviary birds is not available in NZ. Nev told me that ivermactin can be obtained from a vet and needs to be mixed with poly propalate / propalene (he was not sure) to create the 0.1% solution required.

So, with this wisdom in hand I went to a local pet store where they have a vet. The store has nothing for mite, and is not planning to get the powder back in stock. So I spoke with the vet. She asked me how I knew these were mite, and not lice or fleas? She googles some pictures and got me terribly confused, and I don't think she knew a lot about birds. She explained I would have to bring in a bird so she could examine it, and she was not legally allowed to give it anything unless seen. She referred me to another shop without a vet where they may be able to make up the solution I asked for.

So, what do I do next? My partner is saying he will treat the nest boxes with ivermactin for chooks before they are stored for the season, and they will be good as gold next breeding season. I'm worried that the birds will remain untreated, but he says this is how it works for chooks.

I'm so confused I'm not sure anymore what to do. Any suggestions?

[Hezz]

Not sure, Marleen, but here in Australia, what a lot of budgie societies use and buy in bulk, and this is the same thing, is sheep/cattle pour-on. I was lucky enough to get some from a pet store that does just this - buys a drum and decants a small amount for bird owners. The only difference, with mine, was it is 0.08% ivermectin, so slightly lesser strength than that recommended and readily available in UK. With the number of sheep in NZ, there would have to be a constant source of ivermectin available. Do you have any agricultural produce stores need you? They may be able to help.

[marleen4]

I suppose my question is, are these mite and will ivermactin help? If so, I can try a rural store. We have plenty of ivermatcin around, just not in the right solution.

I wonder whether Nev had to take his bird in to be examined, before the vet made up his solution....

[Deleted]

Mar 21, 2013 18:37:26 GMT marleen4 said:

I suppose my question is, are these mite and will ivermactin help? If so, I can try a rural store. We have plenty of ivermatcin around, just not in the right solution.

I wonder whether Nev had to take his bird in to be examined, before the vet made up his solution....

Can you take a picture of them so we can see?

[Hezz]

I doubt a photo is going to show up well enough, if they are as small as Marleen is saying. Marleen, I would go with your gut feeling ...... it is not going to hurt for the birds to be treated, is it? Fleas are big enough for you to know if it is a flea ....... we treat our birds for scaly face etc without actually seeing the culprit ......... get your ivermectin and treat, I say.

[Deleted]

I don't think it would be fleas. Birds don't get fleas to my knowledge, unless there are different fleas in other parts of the world. Fleas live on furry animals. They may bite a bird but they wouldn't be infesting somewhere birds live. So they are either lice or mites, either way, as Hezz says, treat the birds with Ivermectin, you can't go wrong.

[marleen4]

Thank you both! I've finally found a shop that sells ivermactin for birds in West Auckland, they also sold a spray for nest boxes and wooden perches for mites, which is basically a diluted flea powder for furry animals. I suppose at the end of the day it does not make much difference and I can start the counter attack!

[Hezz]

Yay, well done you! Hopefully you will all be able to rest easy once the dreaded treatment has been done.