Help... BUGS!!!

[jj287]

Yesterday, I opened one of Ollie's pellet bags and TONS of moths (I think they were moths) flew out. I threw out that bag of food and am planning to buy a new one, but I was wondering... will the bug eggs that must have been in the food hurt Ollie? I put her other bags of food in the freezer for 48 hours, is there anything else I should do?
Also, I have noticed them all over the house now... is there a surefire way to get rid of these little bugs?

[chapala]

No, the bugs won't hurt your birds, and freezing any new grains, flour, cereal, seeds, or bird food you bring in the house will kill any incoming larvae, eggs or adults. AFter the freezing, everything needs to be kept in air-tight containers, plastic or other bags will not work even if sealed. Since the bugs have become established, you'll have to do a thorough cleaning of all cabinets where any were found since they will be in crevices and corners and anywhere else you can think of. Be sure to check any grain/seed foods where they may be hiding out, and freeze or discard. Once you get everything into airtight containers (screw-top jars work well) after freezing, and do your clean-up, I think you'll have the situation under control!

[Monica]

Good suggestions from Chapala, however, as far as the bag goes, if it was a newly opened bag, then I'd suggest contacting the company that sold you the product to let them know, and perhaps get a refund or replacement bag. If it's a bag that you've had for several weeks and never opened, then the company may refuse to do anything about it. However, this usually requires keeping the bag just in case, as well as any receipts and transactions.

[Savery]

moths, flies, etc aren't going to hurt your bird, and they likely make up a portion of a wild parrot's diet anyway, but since humans don't like them there is nothing wrong with eradicating them.


We, up until yesterday, had been fighting fruit flies using traps but that seemed to be a temporary solution.

I got some of this stuff:

Avian Insect Liquidator from Vetafarm bird medications

and it is AWESOME. Safe for your birds, I sprayed down the whole bird room - cages, toys, carpet, curtains, walls, everything, with a focus on crevices, especially on the cages.

I haven't seen a live fly since. Quick, easy, and safe. The manufacturer says that it's safe if ingested but I still made sure their food was sealed, and washed their bowls/dishes afterward - don't imagine it tastes great.