Information – Bird mites in carrier & racing pigeons

 

Bird mites in carrier & racing pigeons

In racing pigeons, the bird mite is the second most common external parasite (after feather lice).

They feed by sucking blood.

General information
For information! The red bird mite (Dermanyssus gallinae deg) is an ectoparasite, also known as the blood mite. It is mostly found in bird species such as chickens and aviary birds, but also in reptiles. In professional poultry farms, it is a major pest that is difficult to control due to the lack of available antidotes. As the mites suck a lot of blood, the infested animals usually suffer from anemia, which makes them much more susceptible to disease. The mites are also capable of transmitting diseases themselves.
Blood mites can reproduce very quickly and rapidly build up a huge population. Due to their frequent blood-sucking, they severely weaken the pigeons’ health, which can end in their death.

General characteristics
An adult blood mite is approx. 1 mm in size, eight-legged and dark red in color. A female can lay 3 to 7 eggs per day, which she hides in cracks and crevices. Depending on the temperature, the eggs hatch after 1 to 2 days. If the conditions are not ideal, the mites and eggs can survive for months, even up to two years. They will only hatch when the climate is favorable for them again. In this way, blood mites can overwinter without any problems. Before the mite becomes an adult, it goes through a number of nymph stages, which are characterized by the larva repeatedly taking on a different shape. Blood mites can live for a maximum of six months and survive for months without food.

Lifestyle
Red bird mites live in the immediate vicinity of pigeons. They stay in the pigeon coop, where they hide in cracks and crevices during the day. They are shy of light and only come out when it is dark. They then crawl onto their host and suck blood from the resting pigeons using a special suction snout. They can also often be seen in incubators and on young birds.

Symptoms
It is important to detect a blood mite infestation as early as possible. Therefore, regularly check the cracks and crevices in the pigeon house for the presence of mites. A good place to check is the underside of the ends of the perch. By checking regularly, you can detect an infestation at an early stage.
The pigeons themselves will also give you signs when something is wrong. They often scratch themselves, lose weight and are listless. If you observe these symptoms, the infestation is serious and it is high time to intervene.

Control
Controlling blood mites is no easy task. There are a number of chemical control agents on the market, but none of them are effective enough.
To effectively solve the problem, you can use Dutchy’s®.These are predatory mites that feed on blood mites. Depending on the circumstances, they can survive for a very long time in the pigeon house and feast on the blood mites present, which they devour with their skin and hair. The predatory mites seek out their prey and leave it no peace. Once a blood mite infestation has been detected, it is important to use Dutchy’s® as quickly as possible to prevent the number of blood mites from becoming too high. Carefully follow the instructions in the instructions for use for pigeons when calculating the required number of blood mites so that you can get the problem under control as quickly as possible. You can place your order quickly and easily here www.brieftaubenshop.de.

Featherlings are also victims of Dutchy’s®

The suspicion had existed for some time, but it is now clear that the feather louse is also controlled by the predatory mites. From the very beginning, users of Dutchy’s® reported positive experiences in the control of feather lice in poultry, pigeons and aviary birds.
However, it was not clear what the exact effect of use would be. We still don’t know exactly, but it seems that the predatory mites control the feather lice in their various life phases outside the bird. The larvae and nymph stages of this louse are also likely to hide in the cracks and crevices of the cage or coop, where they fall prey to the Dutchy’s®.
The feather louse (Menacanthus stramineus) damages the plumage, which is not yet fully developed in young birds. When the feathers unfold later, they are eaten away and the damage can no longer be repaired. Due to its hidden way of life, the feather louse is an annoying parasite that causes problems for many bird and poultry lovers every year. People who are confronted with this infestation should not apply Dutchy’s® in too high a dosage. If an infestation is detected, the application should be carried out as described in the instructions for use. For your information!

Manufacturer: Refona Respekt for Nature, De noesten 44, 9431 TC Westerbork