# Pigeons on balcony, tiny bugs in the house



## 416toronto

I've had pigeons living on my balcony for the last two or so years. I'd say about 10 or so sleep there on any given night and there are three nests on the balcony. A week or two ago I started finding very tiny bugs on my arms, the walls, and the computer screen. They bite, and I know from handling baby pigeons in the past that these same bugs apparently like to live on pigeons. I understand there are liquids one can drop on the back of the bird's neck to get rid of them, but that isn't really a good option for me as I can't get my hands on any of the adult birds. So, I have a few questions I'm hoping you good people can help me with... first, what are these damn bugs? are they feather lice? and then second, how can I get rid of them if I can't grab the birds. Lots of them come here to drink the water I put out for them... is there something I could put in the water that would do it? I'm sure I could easily build a trap but it seems to me that might be futile as there are so many ferals around the neighbourhood. The weird thing is it is just within the last couple of weeks that I've had this problem with bugs and the birds have been out there for a couple of years.

Any help is appreciated by me and the pigeons. Thanks.


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## spirit wings

call a professional, sounds like you have mites in your home. I would not let the birds nest there after their young are weaned.


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## Charis

There is something you can put in the water that will kill the mites on the pigeons. It would work best by giving them water for a bath and letting them bathe in it. It's the same product you were asking about that can also be put on the back of the neck. It's called Ivermecttin and you need to bud the kind that is water soluble.
There are many products that are safe to spray in your home and on your balcony. One that I bought is called Sevin and here it can be purchased in garden stores. I bought it in concentrated form and mixed it myself. I bought a little 2 quart pump container and I was good to go.
After you treat the bird's bath water, spray the balcony with Sevin, including the nesting areas, spray around the door to your apartment and around the areas where you are seeing the bugs. I would do this again after 2 weeks to break the cycle or sooner if you still have activity.
I've been through the same thing and it worked.


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## spirit wings

here is a link with some extra info...
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/e600mites-bird-rodent.html


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## 416toronto

Thank you both for replying.


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## Charis

You are welcome. Thank you for caring about the pigeons and taking their best interest into account, as well as your own.


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## pdpbison

Eat more Raw Garlic, Currys, raw Onions, smoke unfiltered Cigarettes...

Mites will not bite you then...while you decide on solutions for the situation as a whole.


Are you seeing 'blood engorged' Mites? very tiny 'Red' things which creep along, and if you firmly rub a fingertip over them crushing them that way, there is a red streak?


Ivormectin may work...but, it would need quite a few successive times, over several weeks to do it...

Also, various 'Sprays' and Powders you can use for your inside area and for non-Bird surfaces where the MItes may creep or retreat.


Sorry to hear this happenned to you.

It can be fairly horrid.

Poor Birds hate these darned things, but they have no way to be rid of them.


I had them here somewhat and I did not know it...the Mites did not bite me, but, would bite the living daylights out of other people who came over.

I finally realized what was going on, and, also, realized, I who never got bit, smoke Pall Malls ( like a Chimney ) and, eat lots of Garlic, Onions and occasional Currys...and, none of the people who were getting bit, did any of those...so...


Iivormectin for the Bird's drinking Water ( use correctly, use for a day or so...then remove it...plain Water then for say a week...Ivormectin then...like that, for maybe five weeks or six...while using sprays or powders for non-bird surfaces...should do it.


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## Mindy

You can also buy sevin 5% dust in the garden section, pretty much anywhere there is a garden section, walmart, lowes, home depo, kmart. Make sure you get the dust and NOT the liquid and make sure its the 5% dust. You can sprinkle that on the nest you can even sprinkle in your house and after alittle bit vacume it up. YOu can put it on dogs, cats, birds and it will get rid of almost every bug imaginable without harming the animals. Its my new best friend and I swear by it. Its cheap also. There is some other stuff that starts with a D that is even eatible I heard but I can't think of the name right now. Some D and then earth. Hopefully someone else can help you out. I hope it workds for you, it will.


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