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Kakariki, Care, Breeding, Ecology, and Conservation :: View topic - Out damn mites
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Out damn mites
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MyGully
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Joined: Jun 22, 2006
Posts: 91

PostPosted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:34 pm    Post subject: Out damn mites

Sad I've just been ridding my aviary of mites and I have been finding them every where I touch-
I've read everything i could find and it looks as if I have to throw out all my nestboxes to get rid of the things.
I wrote because I found this site about mites- thought you'd be interested. http://medent.usyd.edu.au/fact/birdmite.html
BTW I have waited to spray a sitting bird and some two week old babies that are in another box- should I spray them too? I am frightened I will poison them and they will die wall
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Kaka-riki
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 11:03 pm    Post subject:

There is a bird and mite spray on the market made by Aristopet. This is harmless to the birds and is actually used by breeders with show birds to enhance feather condition. We have sprayed day old chicks with this product and had no problems. The spray is used whenever we change nest boxes to stop mites.
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MyGully
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 11:06 pm    Post subject: Out damn mites

Thanks, once I read here that one of you used a burner (?) on your boxes.
How did you do this?
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:53 am    Post subject:

I do this...
I make our nextboxes out of 12mm rough sawn untreated pine
They ar scewed together like a kitset.
It takes a couple minutes to dismantle .....waterblast down, let nearlt dry in the sun, the with a large LPG burner, scorch then wood and reassemble.
Dont leave unassebled cause the wood will warp.
I then spray withh 50/50 binidat and water.

The fights and birds, I have never done chicks, are mist sprayed every 1 to 2 weeks with the mix....We have had rescued birds, damn near naked from mites, and didnt take long to get back into full feather...
No worms...

I have no solid evidence to support the vinigar works...All I know is we have had no mite problems (other than rescued birds in isolation,) no worms...and have not had to treat for about 4 yrs now...

The birds I suppioed to DoC all had to be checked for deasease at Massy Universirty....full clean bill of heath.

I boubt if a Vet...or a veternary drug company would ever substantuate the vinigar....publically....no profit in that.

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JimP
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:10 am    Post subject:

it is the white vinegar you use isn't it steptoe and not the brown malt vinegar i put on my chips?
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:00 am    Post subject:

For the spray I use white or malt, even spiced depends what is in the pantry.
2x a week I added a few drops of cider vinigar to the veggies also...
I feed veggies 2x a day, and diced fruit during the day

When I spray the flights/birds, they blink for a couple minutes then they go around licking the droplets off the walls, perches etc.

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MyGully
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 11:34 am    Post subject: out damn mites

well forget the babies, one was in it's third week. the other one week old- died yesterday, if it wasn't the mites it must of been the disturbances.
So I said to hell with it and dipped every bird that was left in this cage- you have to keep in mind there are approx. 60 birds in all to look after. I have some for sale - bad isn't it but at least I know how healthy they are.

When I lifted the box lid on the dead babies box it was crawling with them.
Do you think it is this weather?
It wouldn't be so bad but I don't have any helpers- all on my own here.
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Kaka-riki
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:53 pm    Post subject:

My Gully,

Mites are not that hard to control with a simple but routine procedure in place. We spray our nest boxes EVERY 3 months regardless of the time of year and regardless of whether there are young in the boxes or not. Once a batch of young birds have fledged and weaned the box is removed, pressure cleaned and sprayed again before being stored. The parents of the young birds are also sprayed at this time.

If you use the spray I mentioned there is no need to catch and "dip" birds. You simply spray them while they are in the aviary. Saves the stress of catching every bird. We have been doing this for a few years now and have not seen a mite in that time.

The biggest carrier of mites are wild birds especially pigeons. It is nearly impossible to keep them away and why simply spraying the boxes and birds is the easiest method of controlling them.
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 1:57 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
well forget the babies, one was in it's third week. the other one week old- died yesterday, if it wasn't the mites it must of been the disturbances.
So I said to hell with it and dipped every bird that was left in this cage- you have to keep in mind there are approx. 60 birds in all to look after. I have some for sale - bad isn't it but at least I know how healthy they are.


We had some friends a couple yrs into breeding budgies...and they didnt rely have a preventive program in place, isolation of new birds etc etc
Everything went fine for a while...Then they got hit with mites, big time
They consuklted the local vet, and of caorse he treated birds, supplied stuff etc etc...and the vet bills mounted.
Thats when they asked me...
Big problem needs a sledge hammer...
Nesting boxes, eggs, chicks everything was dismantled, at a large cost to young, sprayeded burnt, Almost like starting from scratch again...well it was...basically the season was lost...
Since then with a good preventive program in place (like Kaka-riki sugests above) they have not had a problem since.
Be it one has a couple birds or a large breeding program, preventive measures saves a lot of heartache, time and money.

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MyGully
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:00 pm    Post subject: out damn mites

I haven't had this happen before and I've had my aviaries for more than 6 years (at least the oldest). I may have been oblivious- I really do not think so tho. in any case I will work to manage it better. Thanks you have been really kind- and patient- again
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tossi
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Joined: Oct 26, 2006
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:14 am    Post subject:

Do you use straight vineger or is it mixed with water
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:21 am    Post subject:

little under 50/50
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MyGully
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:04 pm    Post subject: out damn mites

Today I went out and for the first time didn't come in scratching. I have all the boxes out but the one bird who hasn't stopped sitting surprisingly.
I have sprayed all the boxes and soaked their bottoms with the perethrim (sp?) mix. The chickens- who I think started this all are happy as larry- no scratching themselves and running out to take dirt baths.

I've run out of the powder and will be able to get some tomorrow with the spray you recommended. I might be asking a stupid question but do you just spray the bird from afar ( iow how far away?)or do you actually catch the bird?
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Kaka-riki
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:34 pm    Post subject:

My Gully,

I noticed in your last post you mentioned using a powder. If that powder is Coopex please BE CAREFUL on how you mix it. I have seen birds suffer from breeders using a strong mix. We only use a powder mix OUTSIDE of the aviaries and NEVER directly on birds or in nest boxes.

The lice and mite spray is strong enough to kill mites etc but COMPLETELY harmless to the birds. We simply spray the birds from about a foot away. No need to catch them up. Make sure you also spray ALL timber areas in the aviaries INCLUDING perches as mite will hide in any little crack or crevice.
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Steptoe
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 11:42 pm    Post subject:

hmmm...I think u are right, I dont think I have said "how I do it"

I use a fine spray, common 1 1/2 liter garden sprayer...a 2 liter would be a better size. It is not used for anything else.
I spray at one end of the flight, all the birds go to ythe other end.
That means they have to fly thru the mist when I get to the other.
As I move up I mist spray the walls, perches , everything, and the birds as they fly past.
Where dropings build up on a perch, I give these a bit more of a dampen.

I have a set of flights that instead of being deep, imagine them end to end and the sides open...These one does from the outside.

The Avaireis that are the normal looking in from the end, I can just reach the back making the spray heavier.

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