# Feral pigeon with mites - how to treat?



## Lou2013 (Jul 28, 2013)

Dear all,

I have just signed up to your forum as I have a question about a feral pigeon which I'm hoping some one on here can help me with?

There are a few feral pigeons that visit my garden everyday and i tend to make sure that along with the rest of the birds, they get some food. There is one which is very friendly and seems to have become quite 'protective' of me if that's the right way of expressing it!! He's also content to just sit nearby for ages when I'm in the garden! He (I'm assuming its a he!) makes a lot of cooing noises and tries to scare the others off. 

Anyway - the reason for my post is over the last couple of months I have noticed the feathers on his chest getting more speckly, if thats the right way of putting it. Then the closer I have got to him, it looks like he has been pecking away and even has a bald patch appearing. 

Having done a bit of googling, I assume this is mites/lice? My question is how on earth can i help him? There is no way i could catch him without really traumatising him (he's friendly, but still keeps his distance and is definitely feral). Is there anything i can feed him that might help? 

He doesn't seem distressed, but it must be painful and I'd like to help if I can. 

I hope someone can give me some advice on the best course of action and many thanks in advance. ( I'm based in the UK for ref.)

Thank you!


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## Rod Hultquist (Aug 23, 2009)

Would you be able to set out a tub or bird bath that the pigeon(s) might get in the habit of using? You could then add a treatment to the water that would kill any mites.


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## Lou2013 (Jul 28, 2013)

Hi Rod,
Thanks for your reply. I do have a small bird bath in the garden, but to be honest lots of little animals and birds use it for drinking water - especially in the current heatwave we're having. I might be wrong, but I'd be worried about putting any treatment in it that they then may then drink...


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Mites and lice are different. 

For lice, just go buy some flea powder containing permethrin at any pet supply store. Dust the Pigeon well with it (cover his/her eyes and cere, and gently rub the powder into the feathers everywhere...neck, body, wings, tail). 
Put the Pigeon down on a solid color surface and you will literally see the lice dying and falling off in a matter of seconds.

This obviously requires catching him, which you say you don't wanna try (BTW if you did, then treated and released him again, he _would_ return...it might take a day or two, but he would come back). Thing is, how close does he get to you ? Do you feed him ? Could you actually feed him in a corner somewhere in the garden (a hedge or something blocking one means of escape) and grab him ? Easiest way to grab would be to have him pecking at food with back turned to you, then quickly grab from directly behind. This would require you be quite close, maybe 2-3 feet away from him...if he'd allow.

Usually you get 2 or 3 chances to catch a Feral who has come to trust you. After that, they often decide....naw, something's up with this human.

For mites, you need something else. Cannot help you with that. Rods idea is not as bad one....gets me thinking perhaps a misting spray bottle ? Can you get close enough to him to mist him with a water bottle ? From above or below is better than straight-on.

They are usually quite surprised by this. Sometimes they run away from it initially, but if you can do it a few times they sometimes end up liking it. Perhaps in this way you can use the misting as a delivery system for a topical mite medication (?)

Thanks for caring and befriending the Pigeons !


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## Lou2013 (Jul 28, 2013)

Hi Jaye, 

Thanks for all your really helpful ideas and thoughts. I obviously need to do a bit more reading in re the symptoms of lice versus mites. (Not something I'd ever expected to become an expert on but hey...needs must and all that!) 

My worry about catching him/her is that he'd die from the fright/trauma! Maybe I'm underestimating their resilience though. ( I'm an animal lover and worked with horses during the early part of my life, but my experience with pigeons/ birds is non existent!)

He will normally get within a couple of feet of me if i feed him and his friends. Whether I'd be able to corner him is another thing. I really like the idea of your spray. I think I'd still have to catch him though. He does sit on my french window door, but I think one squirt would probably scare him off!! 

Thanks to you both for your help - I'll do some more reading, have a think and try and come up with a plan.


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## Rod Hultquist (Aug 23, 2009)

I have read where some fanciers use "Borax" laundry detergent in the pigeons bath water for killing lice and mites. Maybe someone else can share any experience they've had using it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Any Permethrin powder or Sevin 5% garden dust will take care of lice and mites on a pigeon, but the problem being that you would have to catch him to do that. If you do, get good under wings tail and tummy, and don't get it in his face. They also sell sprays for mites and lice on birds in most pet shops, but again, you would have to catch him first.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Hi Lou, If you want to help him then u need to catch him. Tricking him first and catching him can make him doubtful of u if u fail in trying to catch him and he won't be comfortable with u as he is right now. And what if u couldn't catch him that way.
I guess u should use some sorta trap to catch him. Jay3 is right with his idea of using permethrin dust.
Ferals could again catch mites from other ferals. In addition to using permethrin dust I would say take him to a vet and get him injected for lice/mites.
If u don't wanna do this then add avermectin(correct dosages, I use one teaspoon in gallon of water) to bathing/drinking water. That way not only him but his friends will also benefit. Ivermectin is safe,cheap and readily available.
I've caught a lot of ferals none died of shock. Yes they do get stressful but gotta do it to help them.


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## Jason Heidlauf (Apr 2, 2012)

I wonder if putting Ivermectin on a piece of bread will work for lice and mites . I know if you put a few drops of Ivermectin on the back of a pigeon will kill mites and lice . if it does work you will also get rid of worms as well . .... I hope some one else can help


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Lou

All good suggestions from my fellow-members. 

In the UK, we do not have Sevin Dust, but we do have 

Johnson's Pigeon Mite & Lice Powder and Johnson's Anti-Mite (Extra) spray, both available from various sources online or for the spray, maybe even Pets at Home stores.

Ivermectin seems to be available only as a 'spot-on' individual treatment.

Where are you located?


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## Lou2013 (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks again to you all for your advice. (I'm based in London John.) I'll take a look online for the products you recommend. I presume if i do nothing, the poor thing will just get worse and worse. So, it sounds like I will have to try and catch him at some stage. And then I'm wondering if i do that, whether taking him to the vet is a good idea? I would have thought that could be even more stressful than me just catching him and giving him a good spray/dusting. 
Thanks again to you all.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I think that if you can get one of those products that John has mentioned, and catch him, that just treating it yourself would be fine. Good luck!


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## Bea (8 mo ago)

Hello, all! I have a rather special pet pigeon in that he was rescued by me as a baby and stays/sleeps with me (sometimes even on my bed) every night, but during the day he enjoys flying off my balcony to spend time with a wild pigeon flock. My concern is regarding Ivermectin drops to eliminate mites on him that have recently been biting him and sometimes even me, especially at night. Will treating him with the Ivermectin drops not only kill existing mites on him but also prevent new ones from attaching to him when he spends time outdoors with the wild birds? I would love if you could tell me whether Ivermectin will solve the issue of reinfection, as well as help me stop worrying about him carrying mites indoors every day when he comes home. This will also help ME sleep better at night, as the mites sometimes (just one or two) find their way to my skin and bite me. Hope you can help! Any advice on dosage (frequency) of Ivermectin drops trestment would also be appreciated. I understand there is a schedule to be followed for application at first, to kill off even unhatched eggs, then a longer wait period before the eventual next application. Thank you so much!


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## Doves Witness (Apr 23, 2016)

I have a feral pigeon who can't fly due to a wing injury. I take her with me once or twice a week, in a carrier to the park in my neighborhood to visit with her flock. Every day I set-out a shallow pie pan with water at home for her to bathe. A couple of times a week (when we return home from the park) I add boric acid powder (1 teaspoon boric acid per quart of water.) The bird enjoys bathing herself in the pan at least weekly, and most frequently during warm weather. She has no problems with mites, lice, flies or ticks at all. Boric acid isn't toxic to birds and it occurs naturally in soil where the mineral boron is found. It's also a naturally occurring substance in some foods such as peanuts. It kills some bugs such as mites, and repels others. If you have a yard, it may be a great addition to a bird bath for all the birds in the area. It is potentially toxic to mammals at some quantity, so not a good idea to use it where cats or dogs might drink the water.


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