Mites is one of the biggest challenges any owner of a pet canary bird will have to face because if these mites are not kept under control, it can devastate your birds room especially if you are a canary bird breeder.
In this article we shall be looking at how canaries can get mites and the symptoms associated with it and also how you as a canary bird owner what you can do to prevent your canaries from getting mites.
Let get into the details.
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Here’s how canaries get mites?
Canaries typically get mites from other birds that have been infected by mites especially in an aviary or a breeding flock of birds.
Even if your canary bird was born in your house and your other birds don’t have mites, we have noticed that mites is often a problem for people that have more than one canary bird in their home.
However, the best way to deal with mites in canaries be it you only have one bird or more in a breeding cage you just need to assume that one or two of your birds have mites.
With this assumption you will need to always put measures in place that will help prevent your canaries from getting mites of any kind.
Bird mites are generally pest that can invade your home and attach themselves to your pet birds as their long term feeding host.
Which can be a big problem if you don’t deal with it on time especially for the canary bird.
How to know if your canaries have mites:
One thing about bird mites in canaries is that you need to be extra vigilant and always make sure your canary bird room is clean and neat but even with that there is no guarantee you will not have bird mites.
And so, you need to constantly be checking your canary bird for mites but how do you know if any of your canary bird have bird mites?
Two types of mites that you need to lookout for is the northern mites and the red mites which are common during the hot seasons that is summer time.
The best way to know and check if your canary bird has mites is to check at night when its dark.
Use a flashlight to look under the feathers of your bird to see if there is anything that is crawling or moving.
Also look around the cages as you may notice mites moving around in search of new host to feed on commonly red mites which will only appear red when it feeds on blood.
If you suspect your canaries have mites, you can also take the bird to your avian vet to confirm if you bird indeed does have mites.
Mites in canaries symptoms:
If your canaries gets infected by bird mites there are some symptoms and signs that the canary bird will exhibit that will help you to confirm this fact so that you can quickly take action.
One of the first noticeable signs you will notice in your birds is that there is less activity or movement with your bird because there is a drop in its energy and motivation.
Another symptoms is that there will be some constant itching at night time for your pet canary this is because the bite from the mites will cause itching of the birds skin.
Once these symptoms and signs are noticed you should isolate the bird from the others and then you should seek your vets advise on how best to handle the problem.
Types of mites that can affect canaries:
There are different type of bird mites that can affect your canary bird and each one of them can be really devastating if not handled properly.
Red mites:
This mites are easy to know on your canaries as they will normally appear red after they feed on blood which makes them appear red.
If they do not feed on blood, they appear black and very small on the ground.
Northern mites:
This is one of the most common mites amongst birds. It is mostly introduced into the home through other pet birds like parrots and finches.
It can be said to be one of the worst type of mite that can affect a canary bird.
Feathered or skin mites:
These mite typically attaches themselves to the feather of the birds. Feather mites is mostly common with canaries that are exposed to other birds that are kept outside.
Air sac mites:
These type of mites affects the breathing system of canaries which makes them to breath faster than normal as well as there will be some coughing and sneezing.
All this signs indicates the presence of air sac mites in the trachea of the canary bird. Your avian vet doctor will be able to carry out the necessary test to confirm if your bird has air sac mites.
Scaly face and feet mites:
This is another type of mite that affects canaries and as the name suggest it only affects areas on the body of the canary bird where there is no feather like the feet and the beak area of the bird face.
Symptoms of scaly face and feet mite is that the feet and legs of the bird will appear crusty with some thickening.
These crustiness on the feet of the canary bird has very tiny holes where the mites move in and out to feed on the bird.
The same thing also on the beak of the bird near the nostril but it is more obvious on the leg and feet of canary bird than on the face.
How to prevent your canaries from getting mites:
As a canary bird keeper and owner, you need to treat the issue of mites in canaries very seriously even if you have never had any case of bird mites infestation before.
It is by being alert and observant that you will not have any problem of mites in any of your canary birds cages.
You can prevent your birds from mites by regularly spraying the corners and edges of their cages with chemical sprays that can kill the mites but won’t harm your bird.
There are mites and lice spray that you can get on amazon that is very easy to use and they are also very effective in getting rid of mites.
You will also need to use scatt spray on your canary bird by adding a drop on the skin of the bird and the neck area which will effectively get rid of any red mites on your bird, and it is also a good way to prevent mites infestation.
Overall, you need to always make sure that your bird room and bird cages are very clean and disinfected to prevent and kill any parasites or mites in the room.
How to treat mites in a pet canary bird:
To treat bird mites in your canaries you can simply use a special chemical spray that is available on amazon and other online store which you can use on your bird by spraying the bird all over.
You need to read and follow the instructions on the spray bottle so you can use it appropriately.
Before using the spray on the canary bird, you will need to cover the birds eyes with a piece of cloth so that it doesn’t affect the birds eyes.
Spray it all over your birds wings and under its belly making sure it gets to every area of the skin.
Another method you can use which is a natural treatment though not as effective as the chemical spray is to prepare a lemon grass bath for your bird.
You will soak the lemon grass leaves in warm water and allow it soak for some minutes.
After it is soaked extract the water and pour it into your canary bird bath for the bird to bath in it.
Don’t panic if your bird drinks some of the lemon grass water it is safe for them.
This will get rid of mites in the bird feathers, and it can also be used as a preventive method against mites for canaries.
Final Thought:
Mites in birds is not something that any bird keeper will want to deal with because it can be a really big problem if you don’t quickly address the situation.
It is just the same thing with bed bugs that also feed on human blood. Just a few of these bugs in your house can in a short period of time totally fill up all the corners of your bed, chairs, and even electronic appliances.
And it can be really tough to completely get rid of them from your house so also is the mites in birds.
Just as the saying goes prevention is better than cure. You need to be alert, always disinfect, and keep your bird cages clean always especially if you have more than one canary bird.
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