Air fresheners: Any Suggestions

[Nazir's]

Air fresheners: Can anyone recommend something safe that actually works?

Prior to being owned by Iris I was a Fabreze spraying, Plug In having, candle lighting woman. I bought all the latest models. I was just about to buy that new none light fabreze candle, right before I brought home Iris. That never ended up happening.

Oh, how many things have changed....LOL
No more non-stick cookware, no more candles, no more air fresheners… I wouldn’t trade Iris for anything in the world, so I am not complaining. I was just hoping that someone would have some, if any suggestions. I've resorted to becoming very naturally creative. You know, strawberries smell really good and so does lemons.... LOL

Are Plug Ins okay? They don't burn and are not as strongly scented. I’ve avoided everything but I am sure that there has to be something out there. Any suggestions?

[KitKappa]

Yea, I have the same questions that I just posted elsewhere. But I have another problem too. Old house, diesel running furnace. I know nothing about furnaces.

[wildirish]

You can take cotton balls and soak them in vanilla and place in a bowl. You can also use a potpourrie burner and use cinnamin sticks and vanilla in it. Lemon peel, orange peel whatever along those lines LOL!

[Nazir's]

Thank you for your response. I may have to try all of those.
I am really interested in finding something that would require less effort. Somthing that I can purchase, sit it around some where safe, change out every 30 days or so, and call it a day. Any suggestions, is there any options that can be purchased at a local Wal-Mart or is this something that's just not gonna happen?

[Oscars Mom]

NO commercial air fresheners are safe around birds. They dont freshen the air either they adda perfumey smellto the air. Try a hepa air filteror boiling cinnamin on the stove.Some potpourri is just as bad as the sprays cause its got the same stuff.The new "air cleaners "like ousthave diferant chemicals but arent safe either.

[Lisa B]

nope, nothing on the market is safe for our fids......

Ventilation and the air sacs
Unlike mammals, birds do not possess a muscular diaphragm, and the lungs do not act as a pair of bellows. The design of the avian respiratory system is extraordinarily efficient, so that birds can extract sufficient oxygen for life even while undertaking strenuous exercise at altitudes of up to 7 or even 8 Km.

While the relative weight of the lungs is comparable to that seen in mammals, their relative volume is only one-tenth. This is because air flows through the lungs in a constant one-way stream, unlike mammals and reptiles where there is an inefficient tidal ebb and flow.

In addition the exchange surface (ie distance from air to blood) is much thinner in birds.

A major feature of the respiratory system of birds is pneumatisation of the long bones, the vertebral column and even the skull. These air spaces connect with the air sacs (below).

The air flow is a complex circulation involving pumping action of thin-walled air sacs in the thorax and abdomen. These extend into the long bones: in the 18th century John Hunter showed that birds could still breath with a blocked windpipe provided one of the long bones (he tried both the femur and the humerus) was connected to the outside air. Most of the major bones of the body connect with the air sac system. This gives lightness as well as being a reservoir of oxygen.

The major features of the respiratory system are as follows. (See Fig below )
The nostrils are generally at the base of the upper mandible. There is no soft palate and both the oropharynx and the choanal opening pass air to the glottis to enter the larynx.

The trachea connects this to the syrinx, the site of vocalization generally at the tracheal bifurcation. This has three potential vibrating surfaces, which explains why birds like Magpies can sing complex harmonies of different pitch simultaneously. Birds vary considerably in the musculature and anatomy of the syrinx and this of course reflects the potential complexity of their vocalisation.

The primary bronchi connect the syrinx to each lung, but the air passes through in the mesobronchi to the abdominal and posterior (caudal) thoracic air sacs. These lie ventro-lateral to the abdominal viscera: between the intestines and the abdominal wall. In addition there are paired anterior air sacs and a single interclavicular air sacarising from the mesobronchi, but there is considerable variation on this basic pattern between species.

From the caudal air sacs the air now flows cranially through the lungs by dorsobronchi and ventrobronchi. These branch out into a complex arrangement of air capillaries or parabronchi. Blood capillaries in the walls of these flow counter to the air stream, allowing for a highly efficient gas exchange.

The stale air then passes to the anterior air sacs and to an unpaired interclavicular air sac, whence it discharges via the trachea.

There is thus a four-beat cycle to respiration:--

(1) First inhalation. Air passes to the posterior air sacs, with expansion of the abdomen.

(2) First exhalation. The abdomen contracts forcing air through the lungs.

(3) Second inhalation. As the abdomen expands again the stale air in the lungs is forced out to the anterior sacs.

(4) Second exhalation. Contraction of the abdomen and anterior sacs drives stale air out of the trachea while fresh air floods into the exchange region.



Most birds have 9 air sacs:
one interclavicular sac
two cervical sacs
two anterior thoracic sacs
two posterior thoracic sacs
two abdominal sacs
Functionally, these 9 air sacs can be divided into anterior sacs (interclavicular, cervicals, & anterior thoracics) & posterior sacs (posterior thoracics & abdominals). Air sacs have very thin walls with few blood vessels. So, they do not play a direct role in gas exchange. Rather, they act as a 'bellows' to ventilate the lungs (Powell 2000).
Source: http://numbat.murdoch.edu.au/Anatomy/avian/fig3.2.GIF





Air sacs and axial pneumatization in an extant avian. The body of bird in left lateral view, showing the cervical (C), interclavicular (I), anterior thoracic (AT), posterior thoracic (PT), and abdominal (AB) air sacs. The hatched area shows the volume change during exhalation. The cervical and anterior thoracic vertebrae are pneumatized by diverticula of the cervical air sacs. The posterior thoracic vertebrae and synsacrum are pneumatized by the abdominal air sacs in most taxa. Diverticula of the abdominal air sacs usually invade the vertebral column at several points. Diverticula often unite when they come into contact, producing a system of continuous vertebral airways extending from the third cervical vertebra to the end of the synsacrum. Modified from Duncker 1971 (Wedel 2003).




More Birds Die as a Result of Air Fresheners: That Stinks!!

Common Household Items May Be a Health Hazard to Your Pet Bird - Associated Content


I simmer cinnamin sticks in water with a slice of apple in the winter....It smells WONDERFUL!!!!

[4HAND]

Does anyone know if eucalyptus that you get from craft stores would pose an inhalation hazard?Obviously it would have to be placed out of chewing range.
Tena

[Nazir's]

4Hand: Great question! That too I'd like to know as eucalyptus can easily freshen the air.

Lisa B: I loved the information. It's funny because I was just reading this same thing in the Ultimate Parrot Book, the same diagrams and all plus more. It wasn't even five minutes ago.

Thanks! I love factual information.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to answer these question. Your participation in thios thread has been apprciated.

[Nazir's]

4Hand: Great question! That too I'd like to know as eucalyptus can easily freshen the air with little effort.

In addition to that I'd also like to know does no here ware perfumes/colognes anymore? If so, how and in which ways is this being done to not pose a threat to our feather babies?
I have continued to wear perfumes but I only put them on while in another room. Usually, at the entrance of the house, before I leave out the door. I also don't use lots of it. Thus far, I have not noticed any issues with Iris.

Lisa B: I loved all of the information. It's funny because I was just reading something very similar in the Ultimate Parrot Book, the same diagrams plus a little more. It wasn't even five minutes ago. How weird...
Thanks! I love factual information.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to answer these question. Your participation in this thread has been very helpful and appreciated.

[Bonesy]

I tend to use natural things, lavender, mint, lilies, various flowers or herbs that might make things smell nicer. I also make sure each and every door is open and every window is flung open when my birds are out on a sunny day in the cage in the garden.

I still use deodorants and perfumes, they've not bothered my birds. Always away from them though, of course. I've also found boiling pasta seems to remove alot of bad smells too.

Eucalyptus is eaten by my budgies but i wouldn't know for sure if what's available in stores is pesticide free. I would imagine it's scent would be of no harm to parrots if my budgies love it so much.