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hellokelly
08-12-2017, 11:48 PM
Hello! I recently discovered my 15 year old cockatiel has what I assume are bird mites. (I believe I have attached a zoomed in photo of them) There are a ton of tiny bugs all over her cage and I managed to spot one at the base of her tail. ): We cleaned the entire cage with a disinfectant (while she was out of it) and have tried a home remedy of spraying a mixture of vinegar and water on both the bird and cage. Within an hour they returned. I am hesitant to use a bird spray from the pet store because I've heard they're dangerous. What are your thoughts?


Thank you for any help!!
-Kelly and Tweety

Quakerella
08-13-2017, 01:11 AM
Hi an welcome to PP.

So sorry to hear of the problem you are having with mites.

Did you only find one on her tail or were there more?
You cleaned her cage, did you give her a bath as well?
You will also need to thoroughly clean and disinfect the room where the cage is, inclucing the carpets, curtains, bed, furniture, etc.

I would start looking elsewhere for the issue and not at your bird. Carefully look inside and outside your house, do you have any bird's nests nearby?
Look at all the brickwork, gutters soffits, everything. Look inside your house at any little cracks, windows, doors, attic openings etc.
Many times these little critters are coming from outside the house.

You need to pinpoint the problem area before you will be able to get rid of them.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Dragonlady2
08-13-2017, 01:57 AM
Welcome to Precisely Parrots. I agree with Quakerella/Rosalyn, your infestation is coming from somewhere other than your bird. There is a product called Diatomaceous Earth-food grade that you can sprinkle on the bottom of the bird cage as well as dust the bird. As a precaution, avoid dusting the bird around the head. I have used this stuff myself. Here is a link that will explain how it works. [Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]

Quakerella
08-13-2017, 05:16 AM
Great article Helena, and excellent idea. I would imagine this will take care of those little critters.

Casper's 2nd best friend
08-14-2017, 08:04 AM
I can't offer any advice but welcome to PP and I hope the problem gets solved.

Stephen12
09-19-2017, 02:21 PM
Hi an welcome to PP.

So sorry to hear of the problem you are having with mites.

Did you only find one on her tail or were there more?
You cleaned her cage, did you give her a bath as well?
You will also need to thoroughly clean and disinfect the room where the cage is, inclucing the carpets, curtains, bed, furniture, etc.

I would start looking elsewhere for the issue and not at your bird. Carefully look inside and outside your house, do you have any bird's nests nearby?
Look at all the brickwork, gutters soffits, everything. Look inside your house at any little cracks, windows, doors, attic openings etc.
Many times these little critters are coming from outside the house.

You need to pinpoint the problem area before you will be able to get rid of them.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Good tips.

Quakerella
09-19-2017, 11:16 PM
I wonder if she found the area of infestation and was able to get rid of them?

Lady
09-23-2017, 03:28 AM
:th_iagree: hopefully she will stop in and let us know.