Parrot Safe Fly And Bug Repellents

DizzyBlue

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Especially for those of you who are getting really bugged out by the flies, I spent sometime doing a little research today on suitable bug repellers but also included and little on mice, ants, ticks, moths, fleas and mosquitoes - ok so I got carried away :laugh:


I have only included one item that is not safe for parrots to eat but as it is suitable to grow in your gardens or around your dustbin to stop them perrishing flies I included it with an unsafe warning. All the other items I have checked and double checked are safe for our feathered friends even the stuff for mouse, moths etc etc is all safe.


Garden Only - Fly & Bug Repellent Plant But Not Safe For Parrots To Chew On!


Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium but is unsafe for parrots so don’t let them nibble it but it’s great for in those garden boarders outside where the parrots are not allowed to wander as a fly repellent - I grow it in a plant pot near the dustbin.


From here on down it's all parrot friendly stuff!


House or Garden - Fly & Bug Repellent Plants


Basil - An essential indoor and outdoor culinary herb that not only tastes good but also repels both flies and mosquitoes. Excellent in pots. Parrot safe if eaten.


Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia): An ornamental mosquito-repelling plant that likes sun and dry soil. Parrot safe if eaten.


Marigolds (Tagetes patula): These brightly colored annuals have a particularly pungent aroma that not only repels mosquitoes but also many other insects. They are often planted in vegetable gardens for this reason. Parrot safe if eaten.


Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): An aromatic herb that is useful in cooking and contains oil that repels mosquitoes. Evergreen aromatic shrubs from the Mediterranean. Grows 2-6 ft. with pale blue 1/2" flowers and attractive foliage.


Powdered Rosemary leaves are used as a flea and tick repellent. Simply dust the powder onto the furry pets or areas where the furry ones sleep. A very effective and safe repellent. Parrot safe if eaten.


Lemon Grass – Parrot Safe and they do love to eat it, limit their consumption tho. Great in the kitchen too for cooking! Has many different claims to it health wise in the homeopathic world.


Anise - All aerial parts as needed. Leaves are added to salads and dried to use for tea. The seeds are most commonly used, flavoring baked goods and teas with their natural sweetness. Licorice taste, recommended for coughs, cleansing the breath and for preventing bad dreams apparently!!


Calendula flowers – Great indoor pot plant grows between 1 and 3ft high but has stunning flowers. Parrot safe if eaten.


Thyme – Great herb, easy to grow and parrots love em!


Eucalyptus (dried is poisonous) fresh / live plants only peeps


Mice & Ant Aviary Problems


Ok here’s an old remedy for those pesky mice and ants ram raiding where you can’t set traps or put poison down its parrot safe too. Peppermint oil, apparently it’s the very strong odour that repels them! If you find a mouse hole just pour the peppermint oil on to a cotton wool ball and pop it down the mouse hole. Mice will remove it and leave! Pour it around the edge of the aviary etc apparently it's such a strong scent that ants really don't like it due to the way that they use their sensor receptors.


The Great Mosquito Repellent


Mosquitoes are very sensitive to certain scents, chamomile especially. Easy to grow and used in dry flower arrangements.


To make The Great Mosquito Repellent pop two oz. of green leaves from plant and boil in a gallon of water. Strain and place in the refrigerator. Before going outside, splash the mixture liberally over your face and exposed parts of your body. You will enjoy the fresh smell but the mosquitoes will stay far away.


Moth Repellent


Equal parts of dried rosemary, mint and thyme in to a little material pouch, you can either pop it into the wardrobe or draws. If you end up storing things into a shed for the winter such as sun lounger cushions, parasol etc or maybe into the attic and want to protect them this is just the ticket!! All items parrot friendly!


Any still water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Check around your house and garden and remove or pour away any still water you find.


If still water is a feature—a pond, say, or a pot with water lilies or lotus growing in it—then add small goldfish or some native kokopu, inanga or any of the native Galaxiidae family (commonly known as whitebait), which will feast on any mosquito larvae present.


Flies Prevention


To stop flies driving you and your birds mad in the house the idea is to keep them out in the first place apparently open windows only on the windward side, apparently flies don’t like wind and will normally congregate in the sheltered of the side of a building.


Keeping food in fridges, pantries, tins and tubs also helps reduce those attractions for flies to drop by for a snack. Avoid cooking curries and boiling stock during daylight hours with the windows open.


Spiders - Encourage spiders in corners close to windows and they’ll scoff your flies for you.


Make your own fly paper: Right here you are for those who like to have a go at something parrot safe and not too expensive. Coat strips of brown paper with a mixture of 120ml golden syrup, 1 tbsp dark brown sugar and 1 tbsp granulated sugar. Hang on strings once the mixture has congealed. Flies are attracted, land and then can't leave! Once full remove strip and just pop in the bin for recycling. Parrot safe rather then those sticky glue fly papers you get at least if your bird nibbles it or flies into it your just sugar coating your parrot lol.


Hope this little lot helps :biggrin:
 
Just hope it helps :biggrin: failing all else there's a lot of satisfaction in charging around with a rolled up newspaper :laugh:
 
Mark is obsessive about flies drives me nuts to be honest.... I hate the things but diesel does just as good a job as the fly repellant and at least he disposes of them too!!!!! X
 
Haha that's brilliant, I am trying some home made fly paper wow never thought of it lol
 
Thought it well worthwhile bringing this post back to life as the pesky things are out in force at the moment, please remember not to use any shop bought fly sprays as they can be fatal to birds!!!!
 
its those shop bought fly strips that freak me out all that sticky stuff plus poison the thought of any bird flying into that stuff and getting tangled fills me with horror :(   evil stuff
 
I have had to go to two places last year too free  birds from sticky fly paper.  when I receive a phone call about it My instructions are to get a towel and try to wrap it around the bird in a way that the bird cannot get to the paper.  being careful not to let the paper stick further.  I treat this as an emergency as the bird will be quite shocked by the experience.  they are hard to remove but I use a combination of white vinegar, lemon juice and washing up liquid. It is not a pleasant thing to do as fly's are trapped on the paper. Some feathers may have to be trimmed off or even plucked.  whilst I am dealing with the bird I would normally get the owner to go out in the garden and pick some dandelions to feed the bird with. I hate that stuff. 
 
get a load of rosemary and anise planted to get rid of the slugs you could plant up around the edge of your aviary on the outside make a lovely border also if you put upside down empty  grapefruit halfs around after roosting time then first thing in the morning go pick them up you should find the slugs in the underside of the grapefruit...don't ask me why i have no idea!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Excellent, will be trying some of those, they're brilliant tips.

Except........maybe...................the spider.  Only spiders of a certain size are allowed to live in this house.  I do warn them, grow any bigger and your out.

Sue
 
lol Sue do they take any notice? I have a huge one that lives under the tv stand...if at any time he wants to walk off with it I am not going to stop him I will probably just hold the door open for him!!! Aint argueing with something that big :shock:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bob
Thanks Tash as poor Scooby getting driven mad by flies at the moment we can't put the door shield up till Macky Bear goes home Monday as he can't see it .I'm concerned as Scooby has a stitch in and flies may go for it probably sounds silly but it worries me . Il get Tom to get a plant for the home or a herb as he will use them as well someone likes a type of vine that attracts flies we have been killing it off for a year just there side left . Air fresheners any ideas on this also pritty please Tash ☺
 
Summer is a coming and so are the bug armies!! Insect repellents and deterrents,. Just remember the above list does have some plants that are NOT parrot safe but are great for in the garden to get rid of pesky things so read it carefully lets not have any accidents
 
Back
Top Bottom