BIRD NEWS 



THE RED MITE. 



Does not its very name bring lior- 

 ror to tlie memory of every bird 

 fancier wlio recalls only too vividly 

 the "tortured birds ever restless and 

 sleepless." To many the cause of 

 that "restless" life is still a thing 

 unknown, a v(>ritable stranger. 



The red mite is really a 'spider,' 

 possessed of, in the adult stage of 

 eight legs. The eggs are of course 

 almost microscopical, and are gene- 

 rally deposited in any available cre- 

 vice, sucli as the perch ends, wire 

 holes, frame edges. In the young 

 stage, just hatched, the beast is whit- 

 ish, which is its normal complexion, 

 the red being simply the red reflex 

 of abstracted blood. The mite is 

 nocturnal in its habits, as soon as 

 the bird has settled in its sleeping 

 place, outsallies the assilant, and by 

 help of perch and wire, soon locates 

 the victim, and then begins the at- 

 tack. The foot suckers of the mite 

 prove intensely irritating to the skin 

 of the bird; to this is added the 

 biting which is essentially a puncture 

 made by the snout-like process of the 

 mouth. Once in position it is impos- 

 sible for the bird to dislodge the 

 pest. When the number of parasites 

 is great, the amount of injury and 

 suffering they can inflict is very con- 

 siderable. A cage once infected with 

 red mite, should never again be used 

 until it is thoroughly disinfected. 

 The mites can remain "latent" for 

 months, so that time can not be con- 

 sidered as a remedy. Remove the 

 bird to a clean cage, first bathing the 

 bird in some non-poisonous antiseptic 

 solution, one made from Synol soap 

 being very effective; use enough soap 

 to make the water slightly soapy, 

 wash the bird thorouglily, rinse out 

 in clean warm water in which a little 

 boracic acid has been dissolved. Then 

 dry the bird, and dust the body and 

 underneath the wings with insect 



powder. The cage must be as before 

 mentioned, thoroughly fumigated; 

 then scrubbed with Synol soap, 

 strong solution, washed off with boil- 

 ing water and dried in air for 4S 

 hours. To prevent the red mite: 

 Don't use any old cages. Don't put 

 new birds amongst your stock unless 

 they are first quarantined and disin- 

 fected. Keep your cage, perches and 

 all movable fixtures scrupulously 

 clean. Smear coal oil, camphorated 

 vaseline or oil of tar on the perch 

 slots. Hollow perches or those fitted 

 with special mite traps are recom- 

 mended, but cleanliness and constant 

 supervision are the essentials and 

 with these the pest can be outgener- 

 alled. without these it can not. Sick 

 or ailing birds should at once be 

 removed, and specially looked after, 

 as they are prone to be attacked by 

 the red mite. 



Aviaries must not be considered 

 immune, but demand periodical dis- 

 infection and white washing. 



In connection with the subject of 

 pests, we must not forget especially 

 in aviaries, the common small, red 

 ant, so abundant in some of four sum- 

 mer months. We have suspected 

 that some of our deserted nests, as 

 well as our dead chicks, are due to 

 these little folks. It is well, where 

 possible, to smear phenyle, crude oil, 

 glycerine and bichloride of mercury 

 or carbolated oil about the nests, 

 branches of shrubbery, stems of 

 plants supporting or leading to the 

 nest sites. Dust the nests internally 

 with insect powder. In all these 

 applications of course using the 

 necessary precautions to avoid injury 

 to the birds, eggs or nestlings. 



The Cooper Club has published 

 most excellent ornithological "aids" 

 in Pacific Coast Avifauna No. .5 (Bib- 

 liography of California Ornithology) 

 and No. 6 (Ten Year Index to — The 

 Condor.) 



