# Pigeon fly?



## judifur (Apr 27, 2007)

Do pigeon flies ever try to get into human hair? I think the rescue I got from the vet might have pigeon flies, or I'm crazy. I coulda swore all day something was crawling in my hair, making me nuts, thinking i caught lice from a child at the center.

at a point in time i felt a bug crawl on me, and a co-worker came over to me and tried to help me get it off my shirt cuz it seemed to like me, then it dissappeared....mysteriously

then later while messing around with my pigeons a similar thing happened to me. i felt something on my arm, i whacked it off, and then i watched it fly straight for my hair, which i heard it buzz a couple of times before i freaked out and promptly shower and shampoo my hair 3 times.

this thing was aiming for me! it looked brownish, like a fly. 'bout the same size. i haven't seen any on my birds before, but treated them anyway.

if this wasn't a pigeon fly then i donno what it was. (perhaps not related to pigons at all..) The moral of the story is I want to know if anyone's ever experienced pigeon flies getting into their hair.

thanks-
crazy Judi who still has a weird creepy crawly feeling.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

I hate the feeling that there are BUGS! Even if there not there but you think you can feel them on your arms and legs and head! Sorry can't help just thought i'd let you know that I know what you mean.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

You are not crazy, as the pigeon fly would have you thinking.

They DO slide in and out of a pigeons feathers VERY QUICKLY, which leaves you thinking....did I or didn't I just see that fly?

It is a nasty nuisance and they do need to be removed, you can use a bird spray with permethin or Scatt or other treatment.

Here is more info:

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/livestock/pigeon_fly.htm


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Are pigeon flys little brown like ovals with lots of legs? I have saw a few of these on the newest bird?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

They're Hippoboscidae and they look like a somewhat flattened house fly, only browner instead of blacker. They're not as fragile as houseflies and you can pinch them pretty hard with the soft pads of your fingers without seeming to hurt them. If you're going to go hand-to-bug combat, you have to employ your fingernails. They can be felt as a bump under the feathers, which can be herded out from under them although you have to keep a finger over them, holding them down during the process. When a bird sees you doing this (you're already holding him) and witnesses the removal and the kill, I sometimes get the feeling that it's saying, "YEESS!!!" in its mind.

Pidgey


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## sabina (Mar 11, 2006)

Hand-to-bug???? Are you kidding?? OMG I WOULD NEVER VOLUNTARILY TOUCH ONE OF THOSE ICKY UCKY THINGS. Eiuuuuuuu!! Pidgey, I swear. That is just too gross!! How about dousing the bird in whatever powder (covering their head of course) and staying at least an arm's length away while you're doing it instead??


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Those buggering bugs really bug the bugger outa' you, huh? Well, after so many years and so many rescues, I guess I've just gotten immune to the effect and go straight for the jugular.

Pidgey


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

I dont know about human hair but after handling a pigeon with pigeon flies I get all itching. But now I treat all the birds monthly with ivermectin to keep the flies down.


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## judifur (Apr 27, 2007)

*i donno what it was..*

the thing was in my hair. i didn't get a good look at it, but what i saw made me think 'fly'. and it was indeed brown. I've sprayed the birds with a spray i ordered from new england pigeon supply a while back when i had Inara.

anyway, i'm hoping that solved the problem, plus i'm thinking anything that was in my hair couldn't survive 3 rounds of shampoo each time getting combed through.

my pigeons look kinda mad at me seince i sprayed them last night. poor things. hopefully a peace offering of food will fix that.

so no one's ever gotten one of those pigeon fly things in their hair? if not, maybe it wasn't a pigeon fly and i should consider running around my house and doing some heavy duty cleaning.

-Judi


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

They will go for human hair in absence of finding the wanted pigeon feathers.
I don't know if they would actually stay there or not, or if they stayed for how long. Not the host of choice, that's all. These flies move sideways in and out
of the feathers and if one does rescue work regularly, keeping some Sevin dust or spray or Scalex spray in the car along with a paper bag, bird net and a few other handy items along these lines is a very helpful thing. I don't find the
manual method of hand to hand combat as effective in the long run because 
they are so good at hiding in the feathers one or several could be missed and it also leaves the bird with no future protection. The little buggers can pass around some pretty nasty illnesses, so I like to make sure they don't find 'my' pigeons inviting.

fp


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

yes FP, they pass around pox - very nasty.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

warriec said:


> yes FP, they pass around pox - very nasty.


Yes, for one. And that is one that we both have had experience with unfortunately. A good reason to give the bird protection and let the protection
sort out flies from feathers.

fp


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

After you guys recommended ivermectin I am now very happy. I stopped itching after i enter the loft, i stopped the pox problem, and my birds are much happier now.

My only problem now is that I have to go to many other lofts injecting there birds too. So its a good deed for the pigeons around my place.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Warriec, that is very kind of you.

fp


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

*Merck's On-Line Veterinary Manual*

Here's an interesting quote from Merck's On-Line Veterinary Manual:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/71712.htm&hide=1

"Pathology:
Hippoboscid flies move about quickly among the feathers of their avian hosts and bite and suck blood from parts that are not well feathered. *They may serve as intermediate hosts for many avian blood protozoans of the genus Haemoproteus . Pigeon flies readily attack people who handle adult birds; the bite is said to be as painful as a bee sting, and its effects may persist for ≥5 days.*"

"Treatment and Control:
Any flies on the birds can be killed by spraying the birds with permethrin. *Thorough cleaning of the premises and destruction of the debris are essential for control. Spraying the loft with permethrin, when coupled with cleaning, will alleviate the infestation.*"

And from this page of Merck's On-Line Manual:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/204706.htm&word=pigeon,fly

"Pseudolynchia canariensis (Hippoboscidae) is an important parasite of pigeons in warm or tropical areas. *It may transmit Haemoproteus columbae , which causes pigeon malaria. It may also cause heavy losses in squabs.* The pigeon loft should be cleaned every 20 days, and squabs can be dusted with pyrethrum powder."

fp


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