# Yuck, my pigeons' first mites.



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Yesterday I came in from the aviary and there was a tiny mite (actually the picture I found says it is pigeon lice) crawling on my arm! I am getting Sevin tomorrow for them and will do everyone. Never had mites or lice before, it sure is creepy.  Now I am itching all over....do they stay on humans, does anyone know? I can't see anything but am definitely itchy, though that may be psychological at this point  . We also have new laundry detergent, so who knows. I am certainly hoping someone can tell me they don't burrow under human skin or anything; I couldn't find anything about it. I'll get the birds dusted tomorrow, and hopefully won't have to do myself as well.  I don't know where they could have picked up lice.  Here is the closest picture I could find, they look like the louse on the bottom, the long/thin one. Creepy. *shudder*

http://www.universalpest.com/d4.html


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

MJ, 
our birds must be visiting each other. lol! j/k

My little ones had these a while back. I treated with Sevins, and cleaned the cages really well. I have continue to treat them, with sevin for a just in case type of thing...
Haven't noticed any on them as of current.

Mine are indoor pigeons, think how I feel !
I don't know if they get one you or what. I have not noticed any on me, and have had my hair checked often by my mom (a hair stylist). I'm paranoid though, I went out bought prevent stuff for human and wore a shower cap around for 1-2 weeks. Like I said I was paranoid...I also made sure I put my gloves on for the full out time. Probably didn't help any, but oh well. lol!

Beautiful was not happy about the gloves at all !!

All that comes to mind is that one either came into my care with the lice and I some how over looked it, or a box or something had to have them. 

Hilly


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Maryjane, far as I know, they are pigeon specific. They do get on some people. I can personally vouch for that, but I think they soon die. If we get in a new pigeon and I hold it, at least 10 will be on my shirt in an instant. I just pick them off and send down the drain. They never get on my husband.

This is a link to a good thread on parasites.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=22355


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Gee, Maryjane, I started getting itchy just reading your post. Your poor birds.  

I am sure you take very good care of your birds and were stunned to see those terrible pests.

I never imagined any of my pigeons getting canker, but as you may know, my Indian fantail, Uchie, did...and was treated for it, as all of them were.

I have to remember to get some Sevin dust just to have on hand just in case. I was at the hardware store just yesterday, and didn't think about it.

I am off to vacuum the coop and give mine a treated bath as they are past due for their weekly treatment.

Oh, there comes another urge to itch! BLASTED!


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

One of my hens has some kind of mite or lice that might be the one you sent the link to, I have tried (unsuccesfuly) to treat her cuz I saw one on her the other day. I can't see them well (so small even with my glasses!) but they are definately long like the one you send the link to, but I could swear they had little (long) wings. I need to somehow get one and look at it under the magnifier.

I give them regular baths with salts (borax) which is supposed to help and I thought they were gone, but now I know she still has them, so here we go again


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

Those long skinny ones are feather lice. They don't bite the pigeons and won't do more than crawl on you. They eat the shedding feather sheath and bloom. But you do want to get rid of them. Spread your birds wings and tail feathers and look on the underside. They like to live on the flights and tail. You will see what looks like tiny black lines on the feathers. Those are the lice. On a heavy infestation they will be up around the neck as well.

Margaret


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

That's it, must be, they are always on their long feathers. Mostly around the base and i have seen one walking around, sort of through the feather from the top side i see the outline of it walking around on the bottom of the feather.


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

When I first got my birds from the breeder they had lice and I was like freaking out. I sent her an email right away I was really worried cause I have two babies so I didn't know what these things would do to them either, but she told me all pigeon had them. Well that wasn't good enough for me so I went and bought a permetherin spray and sprayed them and I also gave them baths in garlic water(actually they just had one a few minutes ago) I haven't seen any lice in a while but I keep up with the garlic baths just in case. That permetherin works but boy does it stink. I never saw any on me or the babies though so that is good. I was pretty crazy about it though since my birds are house pigeons I was vaccuming and cleaning constantly. I researched it and they only live on pigeons so don't worry too much and they don't hurt the burds, but they are still uninvited guests and they are icky.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Well, Kristen, I usually don't like "blanket" statements and the one given you that "all pigeons have them," is a bunch of hooey! 

However, from what our members say, you CAN get rid of them...thorough cleaning and vigilence being the key. 

Most bugs I can handle, but cockroaches are my nemisis.  I think if one landed on me, PT would lose a member real quick! Luckily, they don't seem to live on pigeons or cats.

I can understand your feeling of "buggyness," MJ! The good news is that they like your birds better than you and you CAN get rid of the little - ah - buggers!

I think Maggie should loan out Lewis for pest control. For some reason they don't like him...wonder what his "secret" is???  

BTW, IF you are vacuuming and use a bag, spray and dust the inside of the bag first to kill any that are caught and change the bag. I use a Rainbow vacuum cleaner that uses water instead of a bag, so I would just flush them down the toilet!

Wishing you BUG FREE SOON

HUGS

Shi &
Squeaks (he says that just "thinking" about those horrible creatures is making him preen more vigorously!)


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

LOL everyone.... . I do have the Sevin dust waiting for dusk to fall and then I'm sneakin' in there (covered in head to toe lol) and giving everyone a good dusting, as well as their surroundings and everything. Hopefully that will clear it up. I've stopped feeling so itchy now that I know they can't be living on me  . I'm sure I'll have a lot of irritated birds by the morning ("What in the world is Mom doing in here while we're trying to sleep! Ah! She's got Henry! Run!") but they'll be happy in the end when those nasty bugs are gone (and so will I! )


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## Jazicat (Oct 31, 2005)

When Papa Rob came to us he had red mites. Thankfully we caught them early and were able to get rid of them during quaratine. We used sevin dust. It worked great and we haven't had a problem in the year since. I hope it's that easy for you to get rid of them.


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## Boni Birds (Mar 19, 2007)

I -(itch- itch)- am having-i(tch )a hard- time (scratch scratch) typing with all this bug talk. I have lived with in house birds for years. Never saw bugs on them yet, guess I better go look! I did notice a great side effect of living with Pigeons though- The dogs sometimes come in, (when my honey lets them in)and they bring their fleas (darn farm dogs) -the pigeons walk around the house more than fly, and they eat those bugs right up- so we are flea free -is that weird or what?


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Some folks have cats for mousers -- you have pigeons for "flea-ers".  


What a nice way for them to earn their keep.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Boni Birds said:


> I -(itch- itch)- am having-i(tch )a hard- time (scratch scratch) typing with all this bug talk. I have lived with in house birds for years. Never saw bugs on them yet, guess I better go look! I did notice a great side effect of living with Pigeons though- The dogs sometimes come in, (when my honey lets them in)and they bring their fleas (darn farm dogs) -the pigeons walk around the house more than fly, and they eat those bugs right up- so we are flea free -is that weird or what?


If they are eating fleas, you need to keep an eye out for them catching
tape worm from that activity  .....

fp


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

No one told my former house pigeons that they should be eating the fleas lol!  I wish they had been!  With all the feral cats I used to deal with, there was no shortage of fleas back then. Well I've managed to do more than half the flock, they get so upset at me that I'm just spreading it out over a few days. Who would have thought being dusted was such an indignant process! I think Fussy Gussy has been holding day classes to teach them bad manners. I can just see it:

Desired Chicken Behaviors 101
Instructor: Fussy Gussy
Class Objectives:

1. Student will learn how to be wary, suspicious, and downright alarmed of anyone walking about their area, surrounding areas of their area, and surrounding areas of the surrounding areas.

2. Student will learn to harass all creatures smaller than chicken.

3. Student will learn to growl, whine, bok, and generally make a fuss when everything is not exactly as chicken wants it. 

4. Student will learn that Mom is to be feared! She moves too fast! She controls the food! She's always watching when we're trying to eat or take a dust bath! And, worst of all....she can pick you up *with no warning!*


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Be glad they didn't eat the fleas, MaryJane, you'd be powdering and worming
to boot.....

Sounds like Fussy Gussy might be seeking accreditation soon, hope FG shares
the tuition $$ w/you  

fp


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

The bugs that I brought in to my vet were called bird mites, but they weren't long like the lice in that picture. They were round. My ringnecks had a couple, and I got a drop medication called Ivermectin (good for mites, lice, and worms, according to the vet) that went on their skin, under their wings. I cleaned up the cage and used some bleach, removed all the laundry from their room, and mopped it down with bleach, Borax, and then plain old Pinesol. I have never seen another bug on them. They did turn up in some other weird places, but that's another story.


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## Boni Birds (Mar 19, 2007)

Oh my gosh! Tapeworms come from fleas!!! Those @$#* Dogs are not coming in the house any more! There is so much I just don't know yet....


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