# Help, red mites!



## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

I have the ’tiel babies out at the moment, and while I was giving the white baby scratches, I spotted a red mite on her, well I think it was, it was red and was crawling around, I wasn’t quick enough to get it. I am glad it was the white baby though, otherwise I would never have known! I have never seen one on her before, and I am always cuddling her and the other babies. 

How on earth did the baby get red mites? I have had the 6 of them since they were 2 and a half weeks old, and they are between 7-9 weeks old (around that anyway)!

What do I do?


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## Louiiiseeeee (Aug 29, 2010)

My babies have had mites before, we had to throw away the nest box, blanket and change the papers immediately, then we sprayed each of my birds with cockatiel mite and lice spray everyday, I also sprayed the inside of the nest box and babies too. They were started to develop feathers so it was okay. Basically I couldn't take any of them inside the house until all the mites were gone which was roughly 3 weeks of continuous spraying. It's faster if you get the spray as soon as you see a mite, before they get worse. And also, don't let them near wild birds.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

I have had them inside since they were 2 and a half weeks old (which is when they were pulled from the nest box), they haven’t been in a nest box since then! I have them in a weaning cage and I change the papers 2 times a day, as well as I wipe the cage down each time after I change the papers. 

They haven’t been near any wild birds at all, I have no idea how this one got them, the 6 of them probably have them now. I will have to go and get some spray and spray them, so do I need to spray them every single day for 3 weeks? They are supposed to be going to their new homes soon, in less then 3 weeks.


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## Louiiiseeeee (Aug 29, 2010)

For me I sprayed each bird twice a day for 3 weeks, we had them really bad, it depends how bad you have them. It would be good if you checked each bird and put all the oens with mites in the same cage so the others don't get them as well. If you have a cage for each bird, even better. (But I doubt you'd have that) But this way you'll reduce the risk of them breeding on another bird and coming back. Just continue to spray until they are gone, just avoid the eyes, mouth, food and water dishes and any open wounds.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Do a search, we have had several threads about mites, such as this one: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=14542&highlight=mites

I don't know if you have Sevin 5% dust in AUS, but it is the best thing to use. You would dust your babies, the container just once.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Thanks, I read through that thread, and I noticed that this can happen when it goes from being dry to wet? The weather here has been absolutely CRAZY, it is hot for a few days, and then it rains for a week straight and goes back to being hot again. It has been raining on and off for over a week here now, and it is supposed to be warm tomorrow and for the next few days after that! The Sevin dust I am not sure where to purchase from? I done a google search but it didn’t come up with much. 

I did however get my mum to go out and buy some bird mite and lice spray yesterday. I scrubbed their cage, toys, perches, and then I sprayed the cage, the perches, the toys, their cage, and I sprayed the babies too. It says to repeat once a week, but 3 of the babies are going to their new homes this weekend, I just hope it isn’t really bad (I have checked the 6 of them over, and can’t see anything), and that the spray will do the job. The white baby and the Pearl Pied aren’t going just yet, so I will spray them again before they go in roughly 2 or so weeks, and I might spray the 3 babies that are going this weekend before they go. The Platinum Pearl baby I am keeping I will be spraying again next week too.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

You can dind a dust similair to Seven 5% in the garden section...the active ingredient should be'Carbaryl'

You can also plant Chrysanthimums around outside flights, or keep the potted flowers near cages and bird rooms and they act as a mite and ectoparasite deterent.


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