Moving breeding cages with care usully is fine. You would have to judge where the best position is for them that closely resembles what they have now.

I agree with Kaz. I have moved cabinets before while in use and it has not caused any issues.

Thankyou Kaz and **Liv**

 

I moved them this afternoon and both females are still incubating the eggs, which is excellent.

Great news

Hi

What are the chances of summer still feeding her babies if I move them all to another cage?

The mites are back and they are obviously breeding in the wooden crevices of the cage, and I cannot get to them.

 

If I were to move summer and the babies to a metal cage, and put the babies in a tub on the floor during the day and put them in the nest box at night for warmth, do you think she would feed them?

Any opinions on this would be greatley apreciated.

hmmm.. Well I look at it this way... if you don't move them the mites will continue to get them... at least if you move them to a metal cage the mites shouldn't come back... You'll have to re treat the birds but it might be your only option...

 

How old are the babies now?

 

Wait for the others to answer cos I'm not experienced enough...

You should be able to get the mites if you really wet the cage with AIL

The mites don't die really quickly and you may need to retreat.

 

If you keep losing the battle with the mites then it is probably safer to move mother and babies like you said, rather than leave them with the mites.

 

I really hope you can get rid of them - they are nasty little horrors!!

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by **Liv**

I have just had red mites through too. A.I.L killed them all and treated the babies

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by KAZ

Hi

 

What is A.I.L and cant it be bought from a shop or do I need to go to a vet?

By the time I can get a hold of the product it might be too late for the birds..

And If I do spray the entire cage wont it stink and if the babies inhale it they will die? Remember the cage is fully wooden so it could rot or produce bacteria when wet.

 

Thankyou all/.

HiWhat is A.I.L and cant it be bought from a shop or do I need to go to a vet?By the time I can get a hold of the product it might be too late for the birds..And If I do spray the entire cage wont it stink and if the babies inhale it they will die? Remember the cage is fully wooden so it could rot or produce bacteria when wet.Thankyou all/.

Reading my above post....I have just treated mine for red mite.....I cleaned and saturated everything with A.I.L. especially the nestboxes....into every crevice in the box. Put fresh nesting materials in, applied AIL to chicks also, and saturated parents with Ail. All cages treated have had none return. A.I.L. can be sourced from any good bird supplier..not vet

The mites are back and they are obviously breeding in the wooden crevices of the cage, and I cannot get to them.

Its not that the mites are back...the product you used didnt do the job. A.I.L works.

 

 

Are you also aware that the mites can cause the issues you have had with the babies feathers ???????????

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by KAZ

Their are no mites in the steel cage, just the wooden one. I am not even 100% sure they are mites, I dont know what they look like so I cant identify them as mites or not. I used aristopet bird mite and lice spray which should have done the job... It clearly says on the bottle that it gets rid of all feather mites and lice. I am going to ring aristopet and see why this lice and mite spray is not working.

 

Thanks all.

Their are no mites in the steel cage, just the wooden one. I am not even 100% sure they are mites, I dont know what they look like so I cant identify them as mites or not. I used aristopet bird mite and lice spray which should have done the job... It clearly says on the bottle that it gets rid of all feather mites and lice. I am going to ring aristopet and see why this lice and mite spray is not working.

 

Thanks all.

Aristopet is one of the cheapie generic petstore things.

A.I.L. works best and so does COOPEX.

The mites will also lay eggs and hide in drinker clips, in the joins of bars of a wire cage and all conceivable crevices, including the perch slits.

You do have red mites by your description of what is going on.

 

PS mite eggs laid in crevices just resemble specks if dust so very hard to determine what it is.

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by KAZ

I agree with Kaz,

I have used Coopex when treating for mites - AIL is better as it has added chemicals to deform lave and stop breeding of the mites - you have to clean and treat EVERYTHING - nothing can be missed as one mite or egg will cause re infestation

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by **Liv**

I was also surprised to find the mite eggs attached to plastic and to steel bar junctions etc...they get into everything.

Hi

 

I contacted aristopet and they said the product I have should kill the mites within 7 days. So obviously I need somthing that can kill the mites alot faster than that. I am going to take a look at coopex and A.I.L and hopefully someone stocks one of them. I am going to take pictures of the bugs to see if anyone on here can identify that they are definitly red mite.

 

Thankyou.

 

CAN REDMITES FLY?

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by pearce

I have changed nestbox and sprayed everywhere, I have not seen any mites. If I take a close up photo of one of them could somebody identify that it is definitly a red mite?

You dont need a photo ..................the red mites look brownish when not full of blood and red when they are. If you squash them they show blood.

Have you tried what I said about squashing them ??

CAN REDMITES FLY?

I dont think they fly

 

 

 

 

 

 

When people talk about their budgies suffering from mites, they normally mean the blood-sucking parasites that usually attack birds at night.

 

The red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) measures between 0.7 and 1.1 mm in length. It crawls across the body of the bird on its eight legs and feeds on the bird's blood. During the day, these tiny parasites hide in corners inside the cage or in crevices in perches where they reproduce. The development of the red mite from egg to larvae in temperatures of about 70°F lasts only two days. If the temperature is between 48° and 59°F, it takes five days for the larvae to develop.

 

Red mites

 

Since the red mite is active during the night, it cannot be traced on the bird during the day. A budgie suffering from these mites is extremely restless at night, does not get any sleep and scratches itself often. During the day, the bird sleeps often and appears to be exhausted and depressed. If the bird sleeps little during the night, this can be seen by the distribution of its droppings inside the cage. In order to trace these mites, a white piece of cloth should be draped over the cage which should be checked during the night for any suspicious small red dots walking across the cloth.

 

Red mites in their hiding place

 

Another method for finding the red mite is the masking of the corners of the cage or aviary with tape. The red mite gets stuck on the sticky tape and can be seen as tiny red dots. Dead mites tend to turn dark relatively quick.

 

A therapy in the classic sense of the word does not exist for the bird itself. It is important to rid the cage, environment and accessories of the mites. It is advisable to move the bird immediately into a different cage that contains new cups, perches, swings and probably new toys. This cage should not be kept in the same spot in your apartment where the mite-infested cage used to stand. The surrounding environment can also be mite-infested and these have to get rid of before the bird can return to its old place.

 

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.

 

Attention: The red mite also affects humans! If your bird is suffering from the mites and you notice an itchy rash on your skin, it is very likely that the parasites are not limited to the cage. The best way to prevent an invasion of the red mite in your home is by getting active at the first signs of mites affecting your bird!

 

 

 

MORE INFO

 

Mites

 

 

Listing of Mites & Affected Bird Species ... Wild Birds & Mites

 

Herbal AntibioticsMites can be found on any pet bird or avian species. Mites spread from bird to bird as flock members make body contact. Contrary to what many people still believe, those metal round Protective Mite Killers you hang on the side of a bird's cage are toxic. They do in fact contain an insecticide; however, it is very doubtful they would kill any mites. They just might kill your bird. Not recommended!

 

It is extremely important to eliminate a mite infestation. Note that rodent and bird mites may bite people when their animal hosts are no longer available for some reason.

 

Signs & Symptoms of Possible Mites on Pet Birds:

 

* Some mites are visible to the naked eye (i.e., red mites)

* Restlessness

* Excessive preening

* Ruffling of feathers

* Skin irritation

* In some cases, evidence of feather damage is evident

* Bird Mites / Biting Mites

 

 

Treatment Protocols:

 

* First of all -- there is no point in treating only the environment or only the patient. You have to rid the environment of mites and treat the bird at the same time; otherwise, your pet will keep getting re-infected.

* Environmental Treatment: Other than the treatment options described under each mite problem described below, the Avian Insect Liquidator is a safe solution for pet and aviary birds. It could also be used around wild bird feeders to rid the area and birds themselves of mites. It can be purchased via this website.

* Treating the bird itself: One product that bird owners are enthusiastic about is Scatt - it kills air sac mites and scaly mites safely and effectively. 3 week residual effect means one treatment is usually all it takes. The active ingredient is moxidectine.

o Ref: http://www.canaryadvisor.com/parakeet-mites.html

o Product Information: http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/shopping_supply.mgi (NOTE: but because of the success stories I have heard, I would definitely give it a try. For Australian bird keepers, Dr. Marshall is the one who actually produces this remedy.

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by KAZ

That sounds exactly like my budgies.

 

`During the day, the bird sleeps often and appears to be exhausted and depressed.

 

* In some cases, evidence of feather damage is evident

So maybe the 3 babies in neon and thunders nest had red mites? Thats why they had loss of feathers?

 

The bugs That are here at the moment have 8 legs and can fly.

 

Thankyou.

 

Can I give the babies a drop of iverctmin on the back of their necks?

 

I am going to seal up all crevices with sealent.

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by pearce

That sounds exactly like my budgies.`During the day, the bird sleeps often and appears to be exhausted and depressed.* In some cases, evidence of feather damage is evidentSo maybe the 3 babies in neon and thunders nest had red mites? Thats why they had loss of feathers?The bugs That are here at the moment have 8 legs and can fly.Thankyou.Can I give the babies a drop of iverctmin on the back of their necks?I am going to seal up all crevices with sealent.

Red mites have 8 legs...research will tell you if they fly. I just havent noticed if they do or not. They get INTO the feather shafts causing feather issues like you have just experienced :(Research shows you can use the ivermectin at 7-10 day intervals on budgies...I would suggest if babies are around 2 weeks or older Ivermectin should be safest, BUT I was unsure so I lightly sprayed my babies with A.I.L.

That sounds exactly like my budgies.`During the day, the bird sleeps often and appears to be exhausted and depressed.* In some cases, evidence of feather damage is evidentSo maybe the 3 babies in neon and thunders nest had red mites? Thats why they had loss of feathers?The bugs That are here at the moment have 8 legs and can fly.Thankyou.Can I give the babies a drop of iverctmin on the back of their necks?I am going to seal up all crevices with sealent.

 

Red mites have 8 legs...research will tell you if they fly. I just havent noticed if they do or not.

They get INTO the feather shafts causing feather issues l;ike you have just expereinced

Research shows you can use the ivermectin at 7-10 day intervals on budgies...I would suggest if babies are around 2 weeks on Ivermectin should be safest, BUT I was unsure so I lightly sprayed my babies with A.I.L.

 

***Dont use the sealant.....besides being toxic it also still creates a gap big enough for them to still live in.

Edited December 19, 200816 yr by KAZ

okay Thanks Kaz I wont use sealent. Thankyou.

Hi all

 

I went to a show breeders house today and bought alot of different things. He treats his red mite with a product called skatta-7. I just put it under the nest box concave and it will kill all red mite.

I also bought a few water drinkers, calcium and iodine bells, a product called avi-cal (similar to calcivet???) and a 25kg bag of hulled oats.

 

I have never fed the birds hulled oats before so I'm just wondering how Id go about it. Do I feed it to them as a treat? or have it available to them 24/7? Do they still get normal seed?

 

Thanks all

Hulled oats I use in the soaked seed, I also feed it to the aviary birds through winter to keep them fattened up against the cold. I also offer it to my breeding pairs who are feeding babies, dry in s eperate dish, in soaked seed anhd in softfood.

I feed hulled oats to all my birds and avical is the same liquid calcium i use. Its the same as calcivet

okay Thanks very much KAZ.

 

May I ask what is in your soft food and how you prepare it? Feel free not to answer,

 

 

Thankyou everyone for the great help.

We have a whole lot of our members recipes in our food and nutrition section....if you cant find what I feed them PM me for details.

okay Sorry I will take a look now.