Very small moths...

[Mikaela]

Hey Yall:

When your fids cages arent as clean as you would like them to be, for whatever reasons, do you begin to notice tiny little moths around the cage?

If so, what atttracts them? Just yucky birdie stuff?

Also, how do I control that until I can get the cage scoured down, if at all possible.

Uhm... or is this just me?

Yaw know I aint naaaasty -giggle-

I'd sleep on dirty sheets before I'd let my babies sleep in a flithy cage... but its time for another tear down. I do that every other month.

[julie]

those moths lay eggs everywhere we have seen them on the cloths line,the bricks outside i think they just lay them where they can.if it was maggots i would be worried but the moths shouldnt be a problem if they arent in the food. have you been out playing in the sun again im freezing my butt off and you guys get to play in the sun.i wish i could afford to follow the sun.(ok im having those millionaire dreams again.)

[kyria]

the only thing I notice hear in Aust. are the little tiny fruit flies that come to the fruit if its been there a little too long bad mumma. Don't know about your mothy creatures

[Mazziemom]

Seed Moths hon.

You can get special traps for them, but the best cure is to freeze your seed.

Athena

[Mikaela]

If I keep my seed in the freezer the moths will go away?!!!!

It gets worse as the cage gets dirty.

[julie]

i think they lay eggs in the seed then hatch in the cage.is it only when it gets warmer that the cage isnt as clean as normal. we were catching them to feed to the frog but we havent had any since its got cold.

[Mikaela]

In Florida it is all year and I just worry about them aggravating her.

I will be forced to move them inside soon. Whats the max temp under shelter that they can remain comfy?

[Mazziemom]

If you freeze your seed, very well, it kills the eggs. I try to make sure the seed is in the freezer for at least a week. Freeze it right there in the bag btw, no need to even open the bag, the cold works right through the walls. If you do open the bag, then put it in a ziplock to prevent freezer burn.

You might check out Kaylor of Colorado... they are available on the web from a bunch of sites. I haven't gotten months from them, even when I skip freezing.

Athena

[Dani03]

*shudders* Seed moths...our worst nightmare. We've had a horrible infestation while I was down in southern california. It gets bad down there. Though half the time Prinny was chashing them and trying to kill them

Dani Prinny Bodi

[Mikaela]

I was feeling pretty badly because I was contributing it to a dirty cage, when the cages arent.

Sure I have done a tear down only twice this year but thats enough.

I clean the cage well once a week.

Imma be freezing seed from now on. Fer real.

[jen5239]

I keep all my bird food--pellets and seed--in my fridge. Just to avoid this very thing. Those stupid little moths are so annoying! So far I've had luck.

[Mazziemom]

We keep our seed/pellets/bird breads in the freezer here. Well, the birds have a chest freezer, big enough to fit a few bodies in LOL.

Of course, we buy in bulk. When I come home from the feed store its with about 200lbs of food at a time... just so I don't have to make the trip more than once a month!

Athena

[birdman5000]

iv had the same problem and keeping it in the freezer or fridge will work

but the next time u buy new seed/pellets just put it in a bucketwith a good lid, or jar or pitcher or tup-a-ware...u get the idea (keep it sealed) and make sure u dont leave it with the lid open always remember to close it

[Neokireina]

Yeah I just keep my seed in an airtight container.

[Mikaela]

I thought air tight would work too but not in Florida. When its hot anyway because this *is* the first time they got out of hand a little.

[Ed Loschi]

The seed moths have infested my apt and it's getting ugly. My apt got invaded when I brought in some millet spray--two seasons ago--that must have had moth eggs. I can't get the damn things out and they are getting EVERYWHERE in the apartment. I've completely disinfected the entire set-up and the carpet and I'm still losing the battle...God help the next tenant.

[Mikaela]

It is very frustrating.

I thought it was just me... a Florida thing. I feel so much better knowing we all experience this (not because its good but just because it makes me realize its normal)

But I wish the air tight thing worked for me. Reckon it doesnt because of the heat and humidty in Florida. I have alot of kids and little room in the fridge but looks like Im going to have to make some.

[CarolinaWren]

i've been battling grain moths for about a year, i guess i believe that they came in some commercial WILD bird seed, which USED TO BE kept indoors ... because it's WILD bird food, it doesn't have the same quality standards as PET food ... by the time i figured out wut they are, i had to pitch every speck of flour i had ... i'm a baker & my different types of flour were in zipper bags ... those rat b@stards ate thru the bags, btw ... also, they got into my Belgian baking chocolate, which wuz in a zipper bag ... eventually, they also got into my cocoa ... i just threw out all of the above & started over with screw top containers ... haven't had so much trouble since then ... problem is that they lay eggs in cracks & crevices ... like window frames ... they were mostly concentrated (at that time) around my hamster's cage & they got WAYYYY outta hand before i realized wut they were ... i bought a couple of NON-TOXIC traps online & those got most of them ... then i sprayed bleach spray all around my windows ... my kitchen is mostly windows ... i'm down to the odd 1 or 2 a day now ... if you see a cobweb, most likely it'll have larvae in it ... it's like, you clean one day, then here's this web-thing & you can see the larvae ... i use bleach spray cuz nothing can survive it. of course, i take Scooter outta the room first ... i made 2 tea balls, removing the chain & stuff that Scooter, with his busy self, might hurt himself on, and i put some broken cinnamon stix, whole cloves & broken bay leaf in them. they REALLY have helped. also, i do that with the bird cages, 'cept that i just throw the spices in the bottom tray & replace with fresh spices every time i clean the cages. they are REALLY a good NON-TOXIC deterrent for ANY insect ... also, if your birdies aren't flighted, you might consider one of those fly paper thingies that hangs from the ceiling ... i bought a 4-pk of them at wally world for less than $2 & i hung one on the ceiling above Scooter's cage ... et voila!! works really well! even in this steamy weather!!

i now keep ANY & EVERY thing that comes from a grain, seed or bean (this includes breakfast cereals, pasta or cookies/crackers/coffee) either in a mason jar or some other screw cap container. i don't have the freezer space for that stuff.

long story short ... BAY LEAF, BROKEN CINNAMON STICKS (or GROUND CINNAMON in the case of the bottom of bird cages) & WHOLE CLOVES are the best deterrent for this annoying pest if you don't have freezer space.

also, insects HATE lavender, so i wash down the cages with hot water, 2 squirts of Dr. Bronner's LAVENDER oil soap & a splash of white vinegar (kills bacteria). tada!! clean hamster & birdies & NO toxins!!

good luck!!

huggles,

Wren

[Angelface]

ah yes arent these moths fun???? NOT! I've had them before too, and they've gotten into everything just like at your place Wren!!!! now I have heavy duty plastic containers hehehe I've been lucky so far for the past few years to avoid these pesky creatures, but now I have other little weird bugs, no idea what they are...probably genetic mutant fruit flies hehe

Thanks for the tips on the lavendar! I knew most bugs didn't like it! I'll have to get several pots of the stuff! (i love growing it outdoors!)