Mouldy perches

[Hyrevere]

Hi

It has been raining here this last week and the natural perches/toys that I cleaned last weekend have gone mouldy. Is there a way to make them safe to use again? I was thinking of pulling them apart and putting them in the oven, but I don't know for how long and at what temp?

Thanks

[MissK]

Hi. After a thorough cleaning (and maybe some wet sandpaper) you might try putting them in vinegar for a few minutes and then let them air dry. You can dry them in the oven if you really want to. Cleaning and sanding should get the mold off. If you sand, you should do it with everything wet so you don't release mold into the air for you and everyone else to breathe. Vinegar makes the ph inhospitable to mold and inhibits it. Of course, keeping things dry will go a long way to prevent mold next time.

[Donovan]

what kind of perches? Dowels? With mine i use a metal grill brush on them which has a sort of sharp metal edge on it like a blade, so i use it to scrape off the top layer of wood every now and then.. pretty easy to do too

[sanjays mummi]

Bleach kills mould, soak them in bleach water, rinse them thoroughly and air dry.

[InTheAir]

I wouldn't use bleach on a porous surface like wood. It is highly toxic to birds. Wood absorbs liquids and birds chew wood, so it's a bit risky for my taste.
If your perches are covered in bark, sanding will ruin the. If they are dowel, check them out and get some nice natural perches. Dowel is not the best surface for birdy feet anyway.

A prevention plan is a great idea, any conditions that grows mould on perches that quickly won't be good for birds either.