Red mites suck blood from your canary at
night and then go into hiding
during the day.
Tracking down and eradicating these mites in the canary cage could
be a matter of life and death for your canary.
Red Mites
These external parasites are blood suckers that feed on your canary at night and go away to
cracks and crevices of the cage during the day.


Photos birdmites.org
A few mites, as you might imagine, shouldn't be that big
a deal...but mites multiply quickly and may soon become a major health
issue.
They are tiny creatures no larger than the smallest pin
head. Yet when they number in the thousands they can suck a lot of blood
from your canary's little body...making your pet bird sickly and anemic.
Other mites that can affect your canary or other pet
birds are...
But...
These mites are the most plentiful and the best known.
Plus, mites carry other diseases that may make matters
worse and that can be spread through out your aviary if you have more
than one bird.
Does Your Bird Have Mites?
Try placing a white cloth over the cage or fold it twice and place it in
the cage in the evening. Check it about mid-morning for tiny red spots
in and around the cloth. These are your red mites...full of your bird's
blood.
These mites will be difficult to see if they have not
had a meal recently. Without a full tummy of blood they become
translucent...clear. That's why you check for them in the morning.
They've just had breakfast and they're visibly red.
***Eradication of Red Mites***
G
ood
canary care includes regularly treating for this mite.
There are two important treatments used to kill these mites--and other
mites and lice--that WON'T harm your bird.
For the cage's cracks and crevices you MUST use a...
Mite and Lice Spray.
Mite and lice spray
will do a lot of good on and around the
cage...but is a lot of work when trying to treat for mites on your
bird. This spray will only kill the mites that are
currently feeding on your canary. Even then it's hit and
miss...some mites will be able to avoid contact with the spray. Plus...
The spray is not effective on mite eggs.
You'll have to spray your canary 3 or 4 times at 7 day intervals to make sure you're getting the red mite larvae
as they
are hatching out.
One of my favorite authors on canary care gives good advice on the use of mite
sprays...
"Pay special attention to nooks and crannies and dark corners in
your birds' accommodations. When treating individual birds, apply
the (spray) throughout the plumage, paying special attention to the
area around the neck, the vent, the eyes or mouth." "The
Canary Handbook" by Mathew M. Vriends. |
|
When treating for red mites and other mites
I recommend you use the spray on your bird and cage regularly and for complete mite treatment also use...
SCATT.
SCATT
is the best way I know to take care of a mite infestation and
to PREVENT Red Mite problems in the first place.
Just a drop at the base of the neck, on the skin, will do wonders...not
on you--on your bird ;-)
SCATT is ingested by the mites along with the blood. It kills mites by
interfering with the transmission of nerve impulses...causing paralysis
and death. However...
Birds--like mammals--do not have the same nerve transmission system as
mites...so-->The drug is harmless to your pet canary. It's the
perfect treatment.
It's very affordable, by the way, and a small bottle will last
for years on one or two birds. I recommend Scatt because I use it and it works.
Use a mite and lice spray AND SCATT every 3 months even
if you don't see mites. It will help keep your bird red mite free and...
...Will keep him S-I-N-G-I-N-G!
If you haven't signed up for your free subscription to
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do it now.
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Have you read about Bird Lice yet? Please do...Although not as
devastating as red mites, these
pests can make your canary very unhappy...click
here.
Return from Red Mites to Canary Disease Main Page.
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