MINOR AILMENTS, Illnesses + Injuries + Tips to help keep your Birds Fit and Healthy  + Emails from a Bird-Keeper who lost birds to Ticks and helpful replies TICKS on BIRDS

			Nearly all ticks seen on birds, have been attached near eyes, ear canals, crowns or foreheads-the sorts of places where a beak can't get to easily.  A bird probably also has trouble scratching off ticks with its claws, so it's easy for the parasite to hang onto a bird's head while taking a blood meal. The smallest bird ticks are about 1mm long;  Several tick-bearing birds that seemed to be in great distress and close to death were often seen a few weeks later with no signs of their previous affliction. The Ticks having filled with blood and dropped off.
Although some birds recover from tick infestations with no noticeable side effects, there's little doubt Ticks can be detrimental to their hosts-especially when a bird carries several at a time.   It is undecided whether Ticks are capable of transmitting Avian diseases from one bird to another. (Lyme's Disease is thought 2 b carried this way in the USA). The jury still seems to be out on tick transmission of West Nile Virus.    However blood loss caused by ectoparasites around a small bird's eyes and brain probably disrupts normal activities. Some people use forceps to remove ticks from effected birds. Sometimes tugging on a tick leaves small pieces of the Tick, inc. sometimes its front legs or other tissue from around the bird's eye would come out with the parasite. This in itself could create a problem with an infected exit wound. So possibly, doing more harm than good-especially since at least some birds appear to recover completely after a tick completes its blood meal and drops off.   A Cockatiel Bird-keeper reported, recently, that he had quite a severe problem with Ticks in his Aviary but they only attached themselves to his White-faced Cockatiels and didn't bother the Grey ones. Unfortunately, some of the White-faces died as a result of the infestation - so the problem is not to be taken lightly (literally)!!   Suggestions to help prevent Ticks: Garlic (use in the soft food)- the Tick isn't as keen on the taste of the blood Ivermectin spot-on wormer - may help in some cases but not all Cover exposed parts of the Aviary Roof - using Green, tightly woven Gardeners Mesh or the Green Scaffolders Mesh should help and still allow rain and fresh air to get in.   Ticks are apparently mainly carried by Pigeons + Doves and can drop off Fir Trees (so check what trees u have above your Aviaries) Use tightly woven-mesh, to cover Aviaries!!  This still allows the fresh air and rain in but should keep unwelcome "visitors" out! or the obvious thing to do (esp. in this country, where we have lots of wet weather) would be to completely roof with clear perspex sheeting to ensure maximum light gets in but keeps the "nasties" out! leave the sides open on 2 - 3 sides to let fresh air in on the sides that don't get the "weather"! Ticks don't have BUMS" !!   So, whatever they ingest i.e. blood - stays in the Tick and the only way it can get out is the same way it got it i.e. the mouth.  So, when they latch onto a host they allow some of the, sometimes infected blood, that is already in their body to seep out into the wound they have made onto their new host, which dilutes the area and enables them to start ingesting the hosts blood. This is why if a bird has tick(s) on it and it's already looking unwell, it will normally die and usually pretty quickly, as the tick has introduced toxins into the birds' blood stream! When our dog or horses used to get Ticks we used a rag soaked in paraffin - this held onto the tick will make it retract it's front legs, which are the things that burrow into the skin along with the mouth area, and it will drop off.

Emails below from a Bird-keeper with "Tick Problem" + replies  from helpful Bird-keepers and S.P. Club Members.

"I was wondering if you or any of your colleagues had come across ticks infesting an aviary as this year I have had several cockatiels die only to find a tick or ticks feeding around the head of the bird. I started staying in the aviary for extended periods to see if I could see the ticks on the birds before they caused any serious damage and was able to remove several over a period of time. However, this did not prevent them from killing all my white face cockatiels which I assume attracted them because of the light colouring which tends to be supported by the fact that the grey ones appeared not to be touched.

The local vet could not help and even the internet vet line where you pay for veterinary experts to provide answers to problems such as this did not attract one reply. With the onset of the cold weather I am hoping for an easing of the problem but dread the arrival of the warmer weather next year.

I should perhaps say that my aviary is partially roofed and there are tree branches overhanging  the covered area and the wired part. There have been nesting birds in the trees over hanging the aviary and I have seen a squirrel running over the roof on several occasions and am told that the ticks could have come from either of these sources. I have sprayed the aviary with Jayes fluid several times but this has not eradicated the problem and a trawl of the internet has failed to provide  any information on how to protect the birds.
Any assistance you could provide on how to deal with this infestation would be greatly appreciated."

Another suggestion from another Bird-keeper               

• Saw your email request on the Solway Web Page. A product that might help is the mite treatment/spot on, anti parasite treatment for cage birds.

• It is generally used for mite treatment and internal parasites like worms.

•  It is manufactured by Pharmaq and contains Ivermectin.

• It comes in two strengths, the one I use for budgies and finches is 0.1% but you can get a stronger solution for larger birds like parrots of I think 0.2% strength.

• Basically you place one drop (or more depending on bird weight)
  60g bird = 1 drop
  125g     = 2 drops
  250g    =3 drops
  500g    =4 drops
  or the stronger solution will I imagine be half the number of drops)

• You part the feathers at back of birds head and place drop there where the bird can't reach and the chemical is absorbed through the skin (your skin as well so wear gloves!).

• You repeat the treatment a further twice at weakly intervals.

• Although in your case you might want to monitor the situation and retreat say in the spring.

• Ivermectin is essentially a sheep dip and is used for controlling sheep ticks and fly strike (bluebottles) but has now been generally released for pet treatment (fleas on cats, dogs rabbits etc).

• The product is available in some good pet shops that have stuff for birds or you can easily get it on the internet, it costs about £14.

• If you want to check if it will work you could try phoning Pharmaq Ltd at Fordingbridge, SP6 1PA.
   

• There are two other things you should note. Ticks can infest humans so be careful to check yourself over after being with your birds - around sock lines and waist bands.

•  If you find any seek advice on their removal as it is very important to remove the head and mouth parts.

• Ticks can transmit Lymes disease which is not very nice.

• Secondly from my knowledge of ticks - (gained many years ago) I believe they feed on the host and then drop to the ground and lay - once the the eggs hatch which will now be next year

  • the larva crawl up grass stems and vegetation waiting for a suitable warm bloodied host to come walking or flying past when they attach to the host animal and start feeding.

  • So you may find the floor of your aviary is infested and if you have grass and plants in it you might want to consider clearing all this.

• You may therefore have to consider treating your birds for a whole season in order to wipe out the ticks but take advice on the dosing. (frequency and rate from the manufacturer).

  ---

• Another Club Member was talking to a fellow Bird-keeper, who now lives in Portugal where the problem is rife.
  • He couldn't keep any birds, unless he kept his Aviaries covered, as Ticks are a big problem over there.
     
• Ticks are apparently mainly carried by Pigeons + Doves and drop off Fir Trees
  • (so check what trees u have above your Aviaries)
• They use the tightly woven-mesh I recommended to you to cover their Aviaries!! 
  • This still allows the fresh air and rain in but should keep unwelcome "visitors" out!
  • or the obvious thing to do (in this country where we have lots of wet weather) would be to completely roof with clear perspex sheeting to ensure maximum light gets in.
  • leave the sides open on 2 - 3 sides to let fresh air in on the sides that don't get the "weather"!
     
• The other thing they said, which was quite a shock, is that "Ticks don't have BUMS" !!  
• So, whatever they ingest i.e. blood - it stays in the Tick and the only way it can get out is the same way it got it
  • i.e. the mouth. 
  • So, when they latch onto a host they allow some of the, sometimes infected blood, that is already in their body to seep out into the wound they have made onto their new host, which dilutes the area and enables them to start ingesting the hosts blood.
• This is why if a bird has tick(s) on it and it's already looking unwell,
• it will normally die and usually pretty quickly, as the tick has introduced toxins into the birds' blood stream!