Feather mites

[GregH]

Can anyone tell me about feather mites? I've had a hen diamond sparrow unable to fly propperly for 3 months and I had a theory that she had somehow missee moulting due to nesting continiously (mostly unsucessfully) for 12 months. Over the last couple of days I've noticed a Star and a Gouldian putting extra effort into flying too. I can't see any mites but if they are like the blood suckers that only come out at night I shouldn't expect to. What is the chemical that is used to treat them safely if they aren't actually residing on the bird and they aren't sucking blood (so systemics like ivermecttin or moxidectin won't be effective)?

[Diane]

if you hang a white cloth over the nest box, the next morning you might be able to see the mites, so the theory goes.
There are sprays you can get for them, dont know how effective they are. I think if you hold the birds wings up to the light, the feathers look "bare"

http://www.google.com.au/images?q=feath ... 24&bih=599

[jusdeb]

I found mites on one of my birds and have since sprayed all the birds with vetafarm insect liquidator , it lasts for 6 weeks and Ive noticed less preening by the original bird .
This one had red mites which are visible but my googling tells me there are smaller black mites that can only be seen when the bird is wet .

When our Corella first came home he had a almost transparent mite , couldn't see them on him but I could see them clearly on my arms( brown) and not very pleasant being bitten by them .

The insect liquidator is also sprayed around the aviary ,on perches and nest boxes etc ....good stuff

[VR1Ton]

Pea Beu low allergenic ouderless (used to be Pea Beu Grey). Only has 2 active constituents, Bioallethrin 2.09g/kg, Bioresmethrin .039g/kg. Both are synthetic Pyrethrins, & relatively non-toxic. I've use it on everything from finches to Blue & Gold Macaws. Even used to use it on Red Factor Canaries for Air Sac Mite, quite funny to see a red bird flying around with a white head for a couple of minutes.

[GregH]

Hit 'em with the ole Pea Beu - Yes but that would only work if I were in Australia but I'm in the Philippines. I've got a couple of sachets of Coopex that I brought back from Australia and nothing else at hand. I sent an SMS to the university vet today and they want a me to wash a few feathers with Xylene ( a nasty organic solvent and known carcinogen) and bring in what washes out for diagnosis. I don't have Xylene but I've got Chloroform (not much less nasty). I guess I need to get a diagnosis before I treat. I'm pretty convinced that it is mites now and then I'll have to see what is aroung for their fighting cocks I suppose and hope it doesn't kill the finches. I daven't cleaned the aviary out for 12 months now because there wasn't a time someting wasn't nesting. Funny nesting too often has become a curse. Even now there is a nest of cut throats and I think nesting stars, double bars and gouldians.

[jusdeb]

PLEASE dont take this as gospel but I recall someone saying they spray their birds with coopex ..perhaps a search of coopex might help you.

[jusdeb]

Coopex

Active Constituents
250 g/Kg Permethrin 25:75

Vetafarm

Active Constituents: Permethrin, Piperonyl Butoxide, Methoprene