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I give Klaatu fresh fruit and veggies every day. Right now because of summer alot of the fruit is really gooey, and good. peaches, plums, figs (yum), watermelon, blueberries, and the like. I ofcourse clean up the left overs but only do a through cage cleaning once a week.I have noticed little black ants now know where the cage is and will cover a piece of uneaten fruit within hours. They also seem to enjoy drinking out of his water. I hate to use pesticides around my little Prince but, what options do I have? Don't get me wrong. There are not streams and waves of ants, just enough to be annoying.

simple answer- clean the cage fully once daily during warmer months!

Just like if your dog doesn't eat his food and maggots are laid you start cleaning every few hours. well thats what happens here in Australia. . .

Living in the Keys, ants are a HUGE problem here. Cleaning a cage everyday is simply not realistic to the average person so I avoid feeding them anything in their cage except their staple pellets. Which, thank Heavens, ants dont care for

I remove them from their cage and feed them fruits and veggies on their play stand. Then I just rinse it with the hose.

Let me know if this doesnt work for you and I'll try to think of some other ways... Im feeling you about the ants. They are really bad here.

How is it not possible to clean the cage every day?

I do. I work and go to Uni and have an active social life and other pets as well. It takes me ten minutes.

If you are referring to if you are not home overnight, no animal should be left alone and here it is a criminal offence to leave any animal alone for 24 hours unsupervised.

You deserve an award... I have four boys, a house, 2 business's and volunteer at a rescue. You have more energy than most.

I dont know many that have the time or energy to tear down and clean a cage daily.

Anyone here do a tear day everday? I commend you!

If youre speaking of dumping out the tray and re-filling it, thats common cleanliness, but thats not going to have an impact on the ants. The food will still be on the cage bars. It would require a daily teardown. I dont believe thats realistic or should be expected of any member. No sense in someone feeling 'they arent clean enough' because they dont do a daily tear-down, its not a normal thing to do.

One would spend more time with the cage than the bird.

Chaning the cage daily is easy...tearing down daily, not so. I try to get a good cage cleaning done once a week, where it all gets a baking soda/vinegar scrub...

Dani

That has always been the best I could do... Once a week and always felt very good about it.

Like I said, once a day and youre, by far, spending more time with the cage than the bird. Not realistic in anyone's life.

Can agree with you there Mikaela...that is bordering on OCD there. I live with parrots...I accept the mess...am not anal about it. Cages get changed daily...in the evenings...

Can't imagine taking a part all the cages I have daily

Dani

How is your cage supported? Low tech solution....if it is on a stand, put the legs in cans full of water -- makes a little mini moat that the ants cannot cross. Just be sure no part of the cage or stand touches a wall, cord, etc and you have a nice little sanctuary. (old Girl Scout camp counselor trick.....works for beds and cages!)

Amazon doenst have a cage so we dont have the problem of ants on a cage, we made play gym, (have got photos of it in teh photo forum) that gets cleaned everyweek, bu ti have sprayed some eco friendly people friendly and ALL animal friendly stuff around the gym so ants wont want to come near.

Maybe have a look to see if your supermarket or pet store stocks something like that.

Catschair2 That is pure genius! My cage is on metal legs and that will stop those little creeps dead in their tracks!

Hey! What happened to my avitar???????????

he he OCD! Sure, its just cleanliness. Probably because I don't have a boyfriend, I can do what I like lol

I don't tear apart the cage, but I don't need to anyway. Because I clean it ever day, it never gets dirty! I get some Dettol and water and rub down bars and perches and clean the tray and that's it. Wash food containers too.

I'm talking about during warmer months when ants are about, not every day all year. For 5 months of the year.

I also clean my ferret cage out, litter trays, food bowls and wipe down bars.

Easy- takes 10 minutes.

Then I do the aviary which is more work, once weekly.

I think it makes for less mess for me to spend an hour on on the weekends.

I do it when the animals are elsewhere eating or playing. Then I spend an hour with each individually. Then every few minutes while Im doing homework, kissing and cuddling them lol! My ferret needs ears and teeth cleaned and nails clipped so i do all that stuff while we are spending time out. AND NO THE FERRET AND BIRDS DO NOT EVER MIX!

It may seem anal but those of you who do it every day (not tearing apart i mean) will find its easier. Once weekly is hell fine, just thought once daily would help with ants (and flies and other nasties). Your choice!!!

Plus if I am too busy i can rest assured i just cleaned them yesterday and don't feel bad.

With many pets in the home you start to smell them, so its just better to clean every day.

Wow, 10 mins! It takes me an hour to clean cages + vacuum/mop the mess within a 2 metre radius of the cages. I wish there was a quicker way to clean!
I clean thoroughly once a week usually on the weekend. But wash bowls and pick up food scraps/poop of the floor daily. Ants are only really a problem in Dec/Jan here when its hot.
When Jibby lived in a house we used to just take the cage outside and hose it down. But now I live in a 3rd story unit. Bit hard to do!
There is some pet supply places that sell 'safe' ant/bug killers. But I havnt tried them.
Catschair, that is an awesome idea! A mote to their castles!

She has cage cleaning down to a science!

Course I do too...

Matthew, Clean Baby's cage or move out.

K MA! Be Glad to!

That is a science Mikaela

Dani

Some super advice here.

Well done Mik .. If I said that to my girls they would probably be glad to leave. 17 and 18 one busting to be independant the other busting to move back up to Melbourne,too quiet and boring in this coastal town. They do their chores, but not happily.

My bird room gets a full on clean once a week, sweep up and general pick up each day. With family life (3 kids and one big kid) anything more than that would cut into quality time with my fids and kids, and I am a stay at home mum looking for work (after 12 years) I still wouldn't have the time.

I have two x-large bird cages (pair of IRN and Pair of Quaker parrots) One large sized decorative cage (2 IRN's) a budgie cage with a budgie and a lovebird, and one cockatiel cage with a tiel. Everyday would not be an option

Nice job Mik!

Angie, when your girls move out they will have their own house to clean.. everyday! Then they'll be wanting you to clean it! I'm not a mother but I guess Mums always win! (I hope my mum doesn't read this lol) hehe.

No question about it! Mine has been gone since 1975 and I can still hear her telling me to sit up straight, don't mumble, etc (and I mind). Worse yet, now she comes out of my mouth when I least expect it!

My mom passed about a year and a half ago. She had the sickest sence of humor. I still smile everytime I think of her.

my sister moved out at 19 with a new job and new boyfriend. lucky for her its still going the same. but she doesn't clean the house. . .!