# Bugs in feed (pictures)



## alyesia (May 4, 2014)

Hi, I found these bugs in my seed mix. Any ideas what species they are or if they could had made my pigeons sick? The feed is kept sealed in a cold room.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Hello alyesia and welcome to PT,

Eating insect contaminated feed isn't good for the birds. The bugs will multiply very quickly and would eat all what's there in your feed that your pigeons need. Some may say that few insects is just extra insect protein for pigeons BUT the bugs your pigeons eat can prove to be dangerous. Bugs can give your birds tapeworms,bacteria and candida.

When I see bugs in my feed I dip the feed in water for 15 mins. You can add 1ml chlorine to 10litres of water to dip the feed. By dipping the feed the live insects will die. Then sun dry the feed mix for two or more days to sterile it. When the feed dries,the feed need to be refrigerated to kill the eggs of the bugs. It takes 4-5 days of refrigeration to kill the bugs but I would keep the feed refrigerated for over a week.


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## orock (Mar 28, 2011)

When I only had a few birds I would keep most of my feed in my deep freezer. When it gets to warm out it seems that these bugs hatch out of the seeds.


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## aarongreen123 (Jan 26, 2005)

these look like pantry moth larvae, its pretty normal and have little to no effect on the birds. this can't be helped as the eggs for these bugs are already laid in the grain before its harvested. some batches seem to be more afffected than others. i have found that keeping it out of the light and keeping it semi cool helps a lot.


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

I don't know if the grain has the eggs in it as some have stated or not, but agree they are pantry moth larvae. I have found one thing that will keep them out, but that item has its own risks to the breeder.

It is called DE (diatomaceous earth). DE is an extremely fine powder, and the microscopic crystals are very sharp. DE is used for pest control, and worming animals. Sprinkling DE on the feed kills insects by cutting their exposed tissue at the joints and literally dehydrating them with the fluid loss. A lot of people use it to worm their dogs and cats. I have seen a food grade version of DE touted as being a remedy for human ailments.

The one draw back to DE is that DE is a silica based powder, and chronic exposure to the fine dust can cause lung problems. If you decide to use DE take care to not inhale it.

I have used it for the pigeon feed, and I keep a supply on hand for when the bugs start to take over the feed.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

The bugs lay eggs in the feed. That's why when live bugs are treated they keep coming back as the eggs keep hatching. They bore the seeds out,eating them from inside out leaving the powder behind. What's left of nutrition in the grains after that?
They go poopy(ewwww!) in the feed too.


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

*buggy feed*

Hello. I would say that seeds are kind of alive. And i have read numerous times that it should not be SEALED. Because it builds up heat and humidity. I have found that making small holes in the container prevents that. Heat and humidity is all that is needed to hatch the dormant insect eggs. FREEZING for a day, D.E., GARLIC, SALT, perhaps fumigation, or those insecticidal paper hanging bug killers that some pigeon suppliers carry. Also, I used to buy wild bird food where the DATE was stamped on it. I noticed that two weeks after the date the feed came alive. If you can lay the seed down on a surface, then you might be able to get them running by using hot air blower. The worms look like the larvae of this brown bug.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/679793


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Refrigeration won't kill them, just stop the eggs from hatching. But freezing for a while will kill most of them.Some times the bugs do get in the feed before you buy it, and they will later hatch. If it came like that, full of bugs moving around, I would bring it back.


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