Aussie Finch Forum

Just a question regarding the use of coopex to prevent/kill feather mites and other insects. How much of an irritant is it? Do I need to catch each bird to carefully spray to avoid eye contact or can I just let rip and drench them in the aviary? Can chicks in the nest be sprayed? At what dosage rate do you mix it?
Also if my finches bathe in a bowl of moxi plus drinking mixture is that likely to kill feather mites?

I certainly wouldn't be spraying chicks in nests with anything.
If you spray the aviary including walls, perches, brush, nestboxes, etc. there should be no need to deliberately spray the birds themselves.

Tiaris wrote:I certainly wouldn't be spraying chicks in nests with anything.
If you spray the aviary including walls, perches, brush, nestboxes, etc. there should be no need to deliberately spray the birds themselves.

What strength/dosage do you use?

The recommended strength on the satchet.

Tiaris wrote:The recommended strength on the satchet.

It doesn't list a dosage specifically for mites (airsac or feather) on the packet. The packet has a dosage rate for other insects ranging from 25g/2.5L to 25g/10L which is a big difference.
I want to spray perches and nesting boxes etc. for airsac and feather mites and don't want to use more than is needed.
Maybe I dose at the recommended dose for fleas??

That's probably because it isn't a recommended air sac mite treatment. Moxidectin is the proven effective & safe treatment for ASM & other parasites.
When I mix it up for ants I tip the whole satchet into a 3l milk bottle & shake it up then spray aviary footings, etc with a trigger sprayer. That rate would be deadly to mites as well. If you replace any old perches, brush, etc at the same time every year, spray the aviary when it is cleaned out & replace with new brush, etc. & use clean nesting material, & don't overcrowd your birds you should prevent feather mites ever being a problem. Worm your birds with moxidectin & this will provide further insurance against them.

16g per 4 litres is what i mix as a general use spray. I spray perches the floor nest boxes prior to the breeding season and any bird that flys past while spraying.

gomer wrote:16g per 4 litres is what i mix as a general use spray. I spray perches the floor nest boxes prior to the breeding season and any bird that flys past while spraying.

Thanks gomer.
Although permethrin is relatively safe for birds, I'd think that the high concentration in coopex could be hazardous if not diluted enough. I know the avian lice and mite sprays are alot less concentrated than coopex. Do you think I'd be right spraying a small 2m enclosure with birds in it at that rate? I can weigh the powder accurately.
I read somewhere that birds are safe at around 2000mg/kg (not sure if this true). Coopex is concentrated at 250g/kg. That's a huge difference.

Hi Rob, as coopex is residual it leaves fine powder over everything you spray when the water dries out and continues to be active for some months and depending how concentrated you have mixed it up it could last longer.Concentration isn't really the concern,so long as it is there in an amount that can eradicate mites and bugs for a certain amount of time.
You can lightly spray your birds as the fly past and the preening will act as a deterrent to feather lice,it was originally manufactured for commercial chicken and pigeon fanciers as well as some farm animals and is very safe to use.
Experienced breeders have been using it for years without any ill effects so i'm sure you will have the same experience with it.
I have even covered up or removed food and water dishes and especially any livefood and containers and fogged out my aviaries with a compressor and spray gun and left the birds in the aviary, being such a fine mist it reaches all nooks and crannies and dries very quickly. Cheers Craig