Fleas in budgerigars: causes of appearance, treatment methods and preventive measures

Not only in our country, the treatment of birds, especially small ones, has practically not been developed. The most you can count on is adjusting the beak and trimming overgrown claws. When a small bird falls ill with an infectious disease, it is easier to destroy it than to try to treat it. This is not least due to the complexity of calculating the dosage. The budgerigar also belongs to the category of small birds, and some veterinarians still advise you to get rid of it if problems arise. If you have a serious infection, this is necessary. But sometimes there is no need to rush. If the parrot behaves very restlessly, you need to check whether it has parasites. The parrot can be bothered by feather eaters, ticks and even bird fleas, although the latter are very rare.

Ways of infecting a parrot with fleas

Various parasites often appear in parrots. As a rule, the plumage of birds is affected by mites. Lice are not dangerous for pets. Fleas used to be a nuisance primarily for chickens. However, they were quickly able to adapt to the plumage of exotic birds. The answer to the question of whether budgies have fleas can be answered positively.

The main sources of infection for a pet are:

• Ventilation system. Pests can live in basements or attics and then enter the parrot's plumage through the shaft.
• Items from the street. There is a high probability of bringing fleas into the house on shoes or clothes.
• Feed purchased at the market.
• Other birds in the pet store that are not provided with the necessary living conditions.

But before treating the room and cage itself, the bird must be isolated, and returned back only when about two hours have passed after treating the room and cage, and the room itself has had time to be well ventilated.

Prevention

• To prevent fleas and other ectoparasites from your feathered friend, you can always place wormwood branches in the cage - this will not bother the bird, but it will scare off unwanted guests.
• When purchasing a new bird, it is worth carrying out disinfestation just “just in case” so that the new animal cannot infect other pets.
• We recommend paying special attention to the hygiene of the cage and your pet. Occasionally offering your parrot ash baths is also a good folk remedy for preventing fleas in birds.

Our users recommend

Methods of infection and symptoms

There are actually many ways that parrots can become infected.

The most common include:

• They can enter the room through ventilation openings; apartments on the first floor near the basement and the latter near the attic are most susceptible.
• They can live in animal food, so you can easily bring parasites yourself directly from the market.
• Quite often we bring them indoors on clothes and shoes.
• It is possible to purchase an already infected bird.
• Failure to comply with sanitary standards in the premises.

The life cycle of fleas is quite short, they live only 4-6 weeks. But the danger lies precisely in reproduction; females lay a huge number of eggs, which leads to a large population of fleas. If you do not take action immediately as soon as parasites are noticed, then after a short time fleas can completely cover your feathered friend.

If we talk about symptoms that indicate the presence of parasites, then difficulties arise. The fact is that, for example, it will not be at all difficult to notice an infection in a dog, because they begin to itch a lot and do not behave calmly. But in the case of a parrot, everything is more complicated, because they are constantly busy cleaning their plumage. They spend a lot of time caring for him, preening him, smoothing him, combing his hair. It is quite difficult to understand that they experience discomfort from bites.

If you know well how a parrot usually behaves, you can observe it and the following symptoms will appear:

• The parrot will become restless and nervous.
• It is possible that the bird, on the contrary, will become inactive and lethargic, it will be shaggy and hide its head.
• Due to severe itching, they will try to scratch themselves on the bars of the cage or perch.
• Parrots don't just tidy up their feathers, they try to pluck them.
• Refusal of food and water.
• Weight loss.
• Hard breath.
• Loud screams.

The main symptoms of fleas

It is difficult to notice the appearance of parasites in birds. As a rule, the behavior of a bird in which pests have settled in its plumage is unremarkable. The only way to identify them is to periodically examine your pet.

There are several signs that parrots have fleas:

• the pet is constantly nervous;
• the bird's body weight decreases and sleep deteriorates;
• the bird often rubs against the bars and tries to gnaw out the fluff;
• Your pet's feathers are falling out profusely.

If you notice at least two symptoms, you should examine the bird yourself. However, a veterinarian can accurately determine whether parrots have fleas.

Indirect signs of illness

You can assume that your budgie is infected based on a number of signs:

1. Behavior changes. The pet becomes restless, rubs against the bars of the cage, and cleans its feathers. Because the bites hurt, the parrot screams.
2. Some of the infected become lethargic and apathetic. Birds constantly sit with their heads hidden under their wings and breathe heavily.
3. Appetite decreases. The parrot is losing weight quickly.
4. The pet sleeps poorly, wakes up, and has difficulty falling asleep.
5. The plumage becomes dull and feathers fall out.

Removal methods

It is necessary to clarify that folk remedies, such as wormwood and ash, do a good job of repelling adult fleas from a parrot. However, the cage and the immediate environment of the bird, as we remember from the life cycle of the flea, are densely seeded with eggs. The larvae and pupae of these parasites. That is why it is impossible to do without treating with pesticides, and it is better to treat the entire house.

That is, the removal of bird fleas occurs in two stages: treatment of the bird and treatment of the living space itself.

When working with insecticides, do not forget about your own safety: wear gloves, a mask and goggles.

Are they harmful to humans?

Many parrot owners, encountering this type of parasite for the first time, ask the most important question: are fleas transmitted from birds to humans? Usually they do not live on a person, but they can be transmitted and cause harm to him in the form of bites, which will soon begin to itch quite badly.

You should limit any physical contact with the bird and move the parrot's cage further away from the constant presence of you and other family members, especially from where you and your children sleep.

What does a flea look like?

The following are dangerous for birds living in captivity:

• chicken flea;
• duck flea;
• flea of ​​pigeons.

Externally, pests are similar to representatives of species that cause inconvenience to cats and dogs. These are insects with a round, brown body, slightly flattened on the sides, and three pairs of limbs. The size of parasites can reach 6 mm.

Fleas on parrots cannot cause significant harm to other pets and humans. The favorite habitat of parasites is the nesting house of birds. When the pet is in it, the pests actively mate and lay eggs. After 14 days, young insects appear.

Features of the bird flea

We won’t have to talk about the characteristics of the bird flea for long, since this species is practically no different from insects on other animals. Bird fleas reproduce quickly, laying large numbers of eggs. The larvae mature and develop in the same way, pupating and turning into adults. Next, the cycle begins anew, and accordingly, a new generation of insect pests is born and develops.

How is a bird flea different? How does it affect the feathered prey?

As we said earlier, there are practically no differences, that is, there are few of them. The main difference from other species is very interesting. So, fleas of birds live strictly in the bird’s nest, and very rarely indoors. Mating of fleas occurs only at the moment when the bird is constantly in the nest, that is, during the period of immediate nesting. If the bird flies or rarely visits the nest, the fleas quickly get out and look for a new home where the bird is now in place.

But they act very wisely, not forgetting to lay eggs even in the nest they leave. When the bird returns to the nest, the pupae turn into fleas, and everything begins again in a circle.

Bird flea pupae may have to wait a considerable period for the bird to return to the nest. Another interesting fact is that the maximum activity of pests occurs precisely during the period of incubation of eggs.

Bird fleas are very cunning, and due to this they have a high survival rate

Flea remedies

There are various insecticidal products proven to be effective against avian fleas.

1. Frontline. A popular product in the form of a long-lasting spray. Active ingredients fipronil and methoprene. It is applied directly to the bird's skin, penetrates it and kills fleas during the bite. Can be used as a prophylactic.
2. Unostomosed. Broad-spectrum insectoacaricidal agent. Active ingredients piperonyl butoxide, permethrin and transmix.-
3. Ivomek. A working solution that needs to be diluted and the birds bathed in it. It can also be applied in drops onto the skin using an ear stick.
4. Canina PETVITAL Verminex spray is a flea treatment in the form of a mild spray. Based on vegetable and essential oils.
5. Beaphar spray. A finished product that is sprayed onto a sick bird in a warm room and allowed to dry. Active ingredient: Dalmatian chamomile powder, pyrethrum, pyrethrin.
6. Powder Celandine. Apply evenly to the bird, after which it should not be allowed to shake itself off for about 10 minutes while being held in your hands. Can be used as an additive to bathing sand. The active ingredient is permethrin.
7. Butox, neocidol, prometrin - concentrates used for disinsection in poultry cages and aviaries, are successfully used to treat chicken coops.

To treat cages against fleas, you can use any insecticide sprays available on the farm. After treatment, the cage should be washed with soap and dried.

Methods of disposal

Insects pose a danger to birds. The cause of illness and even death can be the parrot's fleas living in its plumage.

We recommend reading: Reasons for the appearance of growths near the beak of a budgerigar

Having discovered them, it is necessary to remove the parasites from the pet, treat the cage, and also take preventive measures. Only an integrated approach will help get rid of pests from your parrot, as well as prevent their reappearance.

Treating budgies for fleas

There are many ways in which you can remove parasites from birds. However, they must be used immediately after pest detection.

It is a common belief that Frontline is the best parasite spray for parrots. However, veterinarians and bird owners have an ambiguous attitude towards the drug, since it is intended primarily for the treatment of four-legged pets.

An effective remedy in powder form is “Clandestine” powder for parrots, cats and dogs. It is only suitable for tame pets. The product is evenly applied to the skin and feathers of the bird and the bird is held in your hands for 10 minutes, not allowing it to clean itself or shake itself off.

Canina PETVITAL Verminex will help remove fleas from parrots. This is a mild spray. Its composition is dominated by natural ingredients: vegetable and essential oils.

Beaphar is also used to control parasites. But, according to reviews, it is less effective than other options, and if it enters the digestive system, it can cause serious harm to the pet.

Some parrot owners, not trusting pharmaceutical flea remedies, use traditional methods. For example, a common way to combat parasites is bathing in a saline solution. Dissolve two tablespoons of salt in one liter of water at room temperature. The bird is immersed in the resulting liquid so as not to wet the head. The duration of the procedure should be from 5 to 7 minutes. After the pet's plumage has dried, it is placed in a pre-treated cage.

Processing the cage and equipment

When fighting parasites, cleaning your pet’s home plays an important role. If you do not treat the cage, the parrot may get fleas again.

First of all, feathers and sawdust must be removed from the bird’s home. The food bowl, drinking bowl and other items in the cage should be washed with a soap and soda solution, doused with boiling water and left for several hours on the balcony until completely dry. You need to treat the cage in the same way, thoroughly cleaning each twig. After the procedure, the pet can be placed in its home.

We recommend reading: How to correctly determine the gender of a budgie

Home treatment

It is necessary to treat the cage to destroy the remaining adult insects, their larvae and eggs. If this is not done, the budgie will be re-infected with parasites.

For processing, all sawdust and fallen feathers are removed from the cage. Bowls for water and food and other items in the house are thoroughly washed in a soap-soda solution. Then the products are doused with boiling water and taken out to the balcony for several hours to dry completely.

The cell is treated in a similar way. Each twig must be thoroughly wiped. The bird can be returned to its home only after the procedure is completed.

To prevent secondary flea infestation, you should treat not only the birdcage, but the entire room space.

It is not only the parrot's cage that needs to be treated, but the entire apartment. This will have to be done even if the pet has never left its home. Carry out wet cleaning.

You can add a decoction of wormwood to the water. The apartment will have to be sprayed with insecticides.

Mites on a parrot

Down-eaters

These mites belong to the feather type of parasites. They settle on the bird's body and begin to eat its down and feathers. Also, these pests feed on particles of the stratum corneum and blood that appears from the pet scratching the affected areas of the skin.

Initially, it is very difficult to notice down-eaters, since they are very small in size - only a few millimeters. You can see them with a magnifying glass. Their body color is either brown or yellow.

But over time, it is easy to see the work of the feather mite - bald areas on the parrot’s body, holes in the feathers. As a result of the vital activity of these pests, the basis of its feathers - the rods - is destroyed. If your pet is left untreated, it can gradually become completely bald. By the way, in places where feathers have fallen out, you can see with the naked eye tiny dots, which are down feather eaters.

Feather mites are safe for humans, since they will not live on his body for even a few days. But these parasites cause a lot of trouble for budgies, especially since they reproduce quite quickly, laying eggs right at the base of the feathers. The following symptoms indicate that your pet has got feather eaters:

• the bird became too restless;
• the parrot constantly shakes and itches with its beak or paws;
• the parrot had trouble sleeping and lost its appetite;
• the feathers lose their shine and begin to stick out in different directions, giving the bird a disheveled appearance.

Feather mites can get onto a parrot's body from tree branches brought from the street, from bird wooden equipment purchased at a pet store, or from low-quality food. It is not uncommon for pets to become infected with down-eaters from sick brothers.

That is why, before giving the bird new toys, perches, twigs, or moving it into a new cage, it all needs to be treated with steam. It is best to purchase food in sealed packaging and from trusted sellers. And new pets must first live separately for about forty days to identify possible diseases.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVgSpePq9lY

If preventative measures do not help and the bird still becomes infected with feather mites, then it needs urgent treatment. Otherwise, her body will gradually weaken, which could lead to death.

First you need to disinfect the cage and all internal equipment, replacing it with plastic objects while the parrot is being treated. If toxic substances were used during processing, it is necessary to rinse all items with clean water and scald with boiling water.

The pet itself will have to be treated with drugs that can destroy skin parasites. “Frontline” or “Insectal” will do an excellent job for this purpose. These disinfectants must be used according to the instructions. Also effective are infusions of wormwood or chamomile, in which the bird needs to be bathed.

While treatment is ongoing, budgies must be given vitamin and mineral supplements, vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries, and crushed eggshells to their diet. This is the only way to strengthen their weakened immunity.

Scabies mite

These mites, measuring a maximum of half a millimeter, cause a disease called knemidocoptic mange. These pests can parasitize a parrot’s body undetected for a long time - the first signs of the disease can be detected only after four to five months.

This disease develops in several stages. The first five months of parasite action are invisible. Gradually, growths, peeling and detachment of the stratum corneum and skin appear in the area of ​​the eyes, beak, on the paws and around the bird’s cloaca. Then there is a deterioration in the physical condition of the pet. He becomes lethargic, refuses to eat, and chews his paws.

If the disease is neglected, the bird may die, therefore, at the first signs of the disease, it is necessary to begin treatment, which we described in the article “Care for the beak of a budgerigar.”

Possible complications

If, upon noticing fleas on a parrot, treatment is not started immediately, parasite bites can lead to unpleasant consequences. The result of pest activity is often the complete loss of plumage by the bird.

In addition, parasites are carriers of typhoid, plague and other dangerous diseases. They weaken the protective properties of the parrot's body, cause anemia and problems with the nervous system.

Danger of parasites

Insects carry life-threatening diseases for parrots and people: typhoid, plague, tularemia, salmonellosis, hepatitis B and C, plague. They can also infect your pet with helminth eggs. Due to pests, the mental state of the bird deteriorates and anemia develops. The general condition becomes worse: the parrot becomes lethargic and lethargic, eats worse, and sleeps poorly.

A weakened immune system is also dangerous. Because of it, birds get sick more often and become vulnerable to infections. Diseases and their complications can cause death.

Fleas are also dangerous for people and other pets. Parasites can jump on them and bite painfully.

Why fleas are dangerous for birds

In the short period of time during which the parasites remain on the budgerigar’s body, they can cause significant harm to its health:

• loss of plumage;
• anemia;
• weakened immunity;
• malfunctions of the nervous system, nervous disorders;
• inflammation of the lymph nodes;
• pediculosis;
• helminthic infestations;
• fever.

Your pet may even get sick with plague or typhus, since fleas are carriers of these serious diseases.

Prevention

Preventing parasites from budgerigars is much easier than treating an infected bird. To do this, just follow a few simple rules. First of all, you need to pay attention to hygiene:

• daily wet cleaning of the room in which the animal is kept;
• in the evening, clean the feeder from food debris;
• thoroughly rinse the drinking bowl;
• every month treat the cell and its contents with eucalyptus or chamomile tincture.

To prevent the appearance of fleas, it is recommended to place a container filled with sand with antiparasitic powder in the parrot’s home every week. If there are several parrots in an enclosure or room, then the newly acquired pet should be kept isolated from other birds for the first time.

Attention! Pests cannot tolerate the smell of wormwood. A proven way to repel parasites is to place plant branches near the cage.

Budgerigars are birds that need attention and care. By providing your pet with suitable conditions for keeping in captivity and timely preventive measures, you can protect your pet from many diseases.

Have you ever encountered the problem of parasites in your pet? How did you manage to remove fleas from a bird? Tell us about your experience of dealing with insects that cause inconvenience to birds in the comments. If you found this article useful, please share it on social networks.

Preventive measures

• hygiene. Constantly, every 3-4 days, change the bedding in the cage, wash the tray with boiling water ;
• keep the drinking bowl and food bowl clean;
• If you purchased a new bird at a pet store, treat it with an insecticidal agent and place it in quarantine for a week, only after that add it to its relatives;
• Once a week, place a bath of sand mixed with antiparasitic powder in the parrot’s cage, let him bathe for health;
• Place sprigs of fresh wormwood around the cage. Fleas do not digest the wormwood aroma and will bypass your bird to distant lands .

Parrots are especially gentle and defenseless creatures that require careful and proper care. Remember this and take care of your bird!

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

How to get them out

Parrot scratching its head

If you are wondering what to do if your parrot is itching, only an accurate determination of the cause of the itchy skin can help you. It is better to check with your veterinarian on how to treat a parrot. Small birds are very fragile creatures and have a very fast metabolism. Poisons in their body spread instantly and therefore their correct concentration is especially important.

Since working solutions of insecticides are the most accessible, the problem will inevitably arise of how to wash a parrot in a prepared pest control solution. The water temperature for its preparation should be about 37 degrees. According to the instructions, add the working solution and a little shampoo to the water (children's or mild dishwashing detergent is suitable). The finished mixture foams, after which you can immerse the bird in it.

Parrot in a solution of water with insecticides

If you have not trained your bird to handle your hands, equip yourself with gloves and carefully pick it up. It is better to use waterproof and thick gloves. Submerge the bird in the water so that only its head is above the water and allow it to spread its wings under the water. Hold it like this for 10-15 seconds. The fleas will gather on the head, where they can be sprayed gently, being careful not to get into the bird's eyes. Once the procedure is complete, release the bird and place the cage in a warm room where it can dry quickly.

If you decide to treat your pet with a spray, be sure to close the eyes and nasal openings of the beak during treatment. When treating with powder, this should also be done, since powder, when it enters the bird’s respiratory tract, causes a reflex cough or sneezing.

Washing the cage tray with soap

The cage is washed using a solution that includes soda, vinegar and water with the addition of laundry soap. If the nest is made of boards, treat it with flea spray and allow it to air. If the nest was made of plywood or fiberboard, it is better to replace it with a new one.

Nuances of treating poultry

There are several methods used to treat a parrot. They allow you to completely get rid of parasites. If you can already see large fleas under the feathers, this indicates that they have managed to lay eggs. Therefore, you need to use means that destroy not only adults, but also eggs.

Parasites lay eggs not only under the feathers of the bird, but also in the nest, on the feeder and other objects inside the cage.

It is advisable to contact a veterinarian who can prescribe the optimal medicine. It is possible to combine medications with traditional methods, but they are usually low in effectiveness. Some people use a saline solution in which the bird bathes. To prepare such a mixture, use 2 tbsp per 1 liter of water. l. regular salt. Before the parrot has access to water, the salt must be completely dissolved.

It is advisable to lower the bird into the solution on its own for about 5 minutes, but its head should be on the surface. The wavy is returned only to a cage that has been previously well treated with special flea sprays. It is advisable to discard the nest completely.

Has your parrot been sick?

Not really

How to understand that a bird is infected

Parrots don't have to be outside to become infected with fleas. Therefore, if one or more symptoms appear, you should immediately conduct an independent examination of the bird, or go to a veterinary clinic for diagnosis. The second option will be more beneficial, since the veterinarian will give a full assessment of the condition of the feathered friend, and the treatment will be qualified and comprehensive.

Diagnostics in a veterinary clinic

It is difficult to recognize flea infestation in a parrot in the early stages, even in a clinical setting. But with regular visits to the clinic, doctors always conduct a thorough examination. Moreover, they treat patients carefully and notice changes in behavior faster than the bird’s owner himself.

In the veterinary clinic, special devices are used to examine the health of the parrot.

We carry out an independent inspection

In the initial stages of infection, the bird behaves as it always does. Parrots in captivity clean their feathers very often, and it is difficult to notice any changes. At the second and third stages of infection, the symptoms intensify, the signs become obvious:

• the bird may be disheveled or tufted all the time;
• there are more feathers on the floor of the cage;
• The parrot is nervous and itchy. For carding, he uses not only the paws, but also the bars of the cage, a perch, and a mirror;
• During severe itching, the bird screams loudly.

At the last stage, the parrot begins to look very plucked and tired. This phenomenon is an indicator of severe exhaustion, anemia and a weakened immune system.

Self-examination of the bird

It is difficult to detect pests on your own. A person will not be able to see the bite marks. Although the dark brown bodies stand out against the bright plumage, fleas are rarely detected in the initial stages.

In order to promptly recognize the problem, parrots must be examined frequently.

Insects move quickly, and parrots rarely allow their owners to pick them up.

If you suspect the presence of parasites, it is recommended to carry out an inspection. You need to handle the bird with care so as not to harm it.

Some parrots refuse to be examined and peck their owners. In such a situation, it is recommended to contact a veterinary clinic.

Habitat disinfestation

When infested with fleas, both the bird and the habitat (cage) are treated. For this purpose, they choose the same drugs that were used to treat the bird. Completely wash all elements of the cage, food and drinking containers. After this, you will need to take everything out into the fresh air for ventilation (from 3 to 6 hours). Toys and mirrors are thrown away.

During the treatment, the parrot is sent to another home, but pre-treated with soda, manganese or another flea remedy. When treating pigeons, birds are allowed into the dovecote only after 6-8 hours. All bedding, hay and other things are taken out and burned.

Cleaning the cage

Cage disinfection is the most important condition for preventing the reappearance of ectoparasites on birds. Before work, the parrot is transplanted to another room, and toys and other objects are removed from the cage. The old litter along with the garbage is removed and destroyed. The cell is washed, dried and treated with the following means:

• two percent solution of potassium permanganate;
• baking soda solution;
• turpentine.

Wiping the cage with a decoction of wormwood gives good results. If a female parrot is sitting on eggs, then sharp-smelling preparations should not be used for treatment. The cleaned cage is additionally treated with insecticides, placed on the balcony and dried in the sun or frozen for 2-3 hours.

At this time, the premises are disinfected: the floors are thoroughly washed and treated with insecticidal aerosols. After 2 hours, the room is ventilated and the cage is brought in. A sprig of tansy or wormwood is hung on its twigs, which repels fleas with its scent.

How do fleas get to a parrot?

The parrot is an exclusively domestic bird and does not leave its home. How can fleas get to it? There are several ways that both the parasites themselves and their eggs or larvae can enter the home.

1. They can be brought in from the street on clothes or shoes.
2. From attics where wild birds nest.
3. Together with grass or feed from the poultry market.

Your bird may have already been purchased with fleas. This could happen when transported in a cage with other parrots, when kept in an aviary, in a common cage in a pet store or at the market.

Therefore, immediately after purchasing a feathered friend, it is better to treat it with special preparations in order to avoid further rapid reproduction of fleas and the troubles associated with them.

Source

Processing cells and other elements

It is important to destroy not only insects, but also the eggs they lay, for which all objects to which the wavy had access are processed. Particular attention is paid to his home.

For such treatment, it is advisable to use special sprays , which are used to spray the cage walls, feeder, drinker and other objects. After half an hour, all these products are thoroughly washed, and only after that they are returned to their place. At the same time, various feathers and sawdust are removed from the cage, since they may contain flea eggs.

When cleaning the cage, each twig must be treated well.