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HELP! I found bugs!

7K views 86 replies 15 participants last post by  blancawilliams 
#1 ·
OK, I'm totally grossed out right now. A while back I mentioned Kiwi didn't seem to be staying in his little hanging bed. Yesterday I replaced it with another one my sister-in-law made. He hated it and wouldn't go to bed so I put his old one back in the cage. Before I did I turned it inside out and cleaned out the dander and miscellaneous feathers. At the very top I noticed some "dots" and wiped them off as well not thinking about it too much. Then today it kept niggling away at me so I removed the bed and turned it inside out again and lo and behold one of the dots MOVED! I called the vet and before she could tell me to bring one of them in I had immersed the whole thing in hot soapy water. So, what are they and what should I do? Has anyone else encountered this problem? Please don't tell me they are bed bugs and I've brought them into my house! Yikes!!
 
#2 ·
ok... how big were they? bedbugs are a fairly large bug... about as big around as a lady bug but flat ... Is it possible they were mites?? were they red?? Not sure what they are without a pic... hopefully they are something harmless, but maybe a trip to the vet to have your plet looked at and checked for mites. One way to tell if they are red mites is to throw a white sheet over the cage at bedtime and inspect it for mites after a while. http://www.birds-online.de/gesundheit/gesparasiten/milben_en.htm
 
#8 ·
I went to your link just now and I think that's what I saw last night and today. There weren't nearly as many as in that picture, only a few so maybe the infestation isn't real bad. I change the lining of the cage once or twice a week but maybe I should change it daily until this is over. Now I can't quit itching!
 
#3 ·
Maybe Mites ? :confused: If so they have those little thingys to hang above the cage. Out of the birds reach, little round metal box with holes and some sort of chemical to kill mites. Our cages are against a curtain so we have 2 of them, above cage hieght and behind the curtain so birds cant get at em.
 
#5 ·
OK, I think they might be red mites. I calmed down a bit now and did a little looking on the internet. Last night the dots I saw in the bag were reddish and about the size of a grain of sand. I didn't see them moving and thought it was just dust or dirt and brushed them off in the sink. Right now the bag is getting a thorough washing and drying. If they are red mites will this take care of them or are they still hanging around on Kiwi?
 
#6 ·
#9 ·
We moved into an apartment aboit 10 yrs ago that was infested with bed bugs before we got there. They bit me but never bothered the bird cages. They are anywhere from smaller then a grain of rice to about the size of a small lady bug depending on the age and feeding cycle. If what you have is the size of sand they're not bed bugs.

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#10 ·
I don't think they are bed bugs but the red mites. I've never encountered anything like this in my 20 years of birds so I guess I'm a bug-a-phobe! Now when my husband calls him a flea bitten rat he's kinda right.
 
#16 ·
Eeeeeek! Oh no! I can't stop scratching now either. Grosssss! That is no fun at all! Well... I hope you get it figured out soon, I don't even know what you do for something like that but now you have me paranoid about mites. Maybe that's why he's a bit grumpy? Do they hurt I wonder?
 
#17 ·
I don't think he's getting a good nights rest with those little blood suckers in there with him. I'm waiting until later tonight to see if they are still around. I'm hoping it was isolated to his bed but from what I've read they are pretty prolific! If so I don't know what I'm going to do!
 
#20 ·
This is off the link I provided....
Clean and disinfect everything that the bird got into touch with. Especially drinking containers and cage should be treated with hot water and a brush. It is advisable to throw out the perches and swings and to get the litter-bag out of the apartment right away. Furthermore, you will need a contact poison that you will get from your avian vet. This poison kills the mites as soon as they get in touch with it. It is important to use the precise dosage since the bird might otherwise be poisoned.

It is usually not necessary to tread the bird itself or to make it endure a poison-cloud, so do not spray any treatment onto the bird itself! This might actually do only harm! Consult your vet on the appropriate method for exterminating the mites.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I have known a breeder who told me she got mites once on her outdoor birds. She said she sprayed the bird with a solution and it took care of it along with completely disinfecting the cage with hot water and vinegar. They can apparently get into even the smallest cracks. I have also heard of ivermectin, I believe it was on the budgie forum. This gets rid of mites but I think you can only get that at the vet or maybe at a online bird supply. I think that is the one that you put on topical.
 
#25 ·
Ok, I read the whole thread and have more questions. I've set the cage in a cream colored sheet and brought it up and over his cage for the night. One suggestion was eucalyptus leaves in the bottom of the cage. Would this drive the mites out of the cage and into my home? If I find any in the morning I'm heading to the vet! And I'm still itching!
 
#23 ·
I've just checked his bed and no new mites. I'm going to check again in a few hours. Since I don't have one to take to the vet I'm only guessing as to the type. Tomorrow the cage is getting a thorough disinfecting! All of the perches are the green plastic ones from vision so I'll soak them in vinegar water as well as the toys. How much vinegar to water should I use? There are some with rope, can I soak these and will they be ok to reuse?
 
#24 ·
I would wash the rope perches in hot water in the washing machine, or throw them out. That is just me tho.

But if you do all that and he isn't treated, than you put him back with the clean stuff, he will probably reinfect everything.
 
#27 ·
I dont know if it helps with mites but a lot of bugs dislike lemon grass. I buy it and hang it for the birds to chew and put some around the cage and in the tray. The birds all love it and it is bird safe.

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#28 ·
I have small ants down here in Fla. I would keep my bird out on the enclosed patio, and I did see a small type of ants ONLY when I had food out there. Needless to say, I never leave food outside for her, just millet. I learned that they will "smell" any type of food - maybe you had some food that could have been old and contaminated.
 
#29 ·
Everything I have is new. I have a feeling these have come from where he was originally rescued. It's my understanding there were birds and feces everywhere. It sounds like it was really bad.
 
#30 ·
Well, after wrapping up the cage in a sheet last night I found more of the little blood suckers! I have at least one adult and another group of about 8 smaller ones that were filled with blood. I took out the bed I laundered yesterday and there were more in there again. It's currently sitting in the snowbank in 2 degree weather! I have a call into the vet and am getting ready to order my new cage. Have all his toys soaking in vinegar water with some dish soap. I'm probably going to throw them all away as well as his food dishes. I noticed they have little crevices where I'm afraid they can hide. Plus I'm still itching but I think that parts all in my head!
 
#32 ·
I do have a dishwasher and that's a really good idea! I think I'll tear down the cage and put it in the washer on pots/pans cycle. I think that's the hottest one. Right now I put all his toys in plastic bags and threw them in the snow bank too. Now I'm going to move him to the small travel cage that I just washed. I took the bugs to the vet to have her identify them for sure. She actually thinks they may have come in on a toy I bought. Since he wasn't having any issues sleeping in his bed when I first got him she thinks something I bought was infected. This makes sense since people will buy toys and then return them to the store plus there are birds for sale that could also be infected. It's making me rethink where I purchase future products! At the very least everything I buy from now on will be debugged before it ever goes into my cages.
 
#36 ·
The vet verified they are definitely blood sucking bird mites! She is going to see him at 2:45 and give him some oral medication. I'm not sure what it is but I think it's because he might be anemic now. Either way I want him checked out. I tore down his vision cage piece by piece and rinsed each piece in scalding hot water. I did find a few on the very top section. Then they went out into the cold so if the heat didn't kill the little suckers then the cold will!
 
#39 ·
So does she still think that it came on a toy you purchased or that he had them when you got him?

Are they pretty easy to see on your cage? Did the vet give you any advice on how to prevent it in the future and or treat his things?
 
#41 ·
I forgot to mention that they may have come off of a batch of millet I got from my mother. She had a rescued racing pigeon in her enclosed porch. When he was gone she gave me the left over millet. It was outside on the porch opened so it may have gotten infected. Anyway that also got tossed! She doesn't seem to think he had them when I got him so it was either a rope toy or the millet. I'm actually leaning more towards the millet.
 
#42 ·
Oh my goodness Molly. What a couple days you have had hey? I feel so bad for yourself and Kiwi but glad you found them now. Man oh man. Now Orrin has to come too? Well I hope that's it and all those dirty bloodsuckers evict themselves ASAP. :(
 
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