Urgent Help the bird I inherited cage has bugs & roaches in it

aidensky · Mar 17, 2017

Hi everyone I have been fighting in court to get my brothers beloved African Grey Wizard he's had for 23 yrs away from him drug using ex. We got him 2 weeks ago and Sunday we noticed bugs & ROACHES!!! I keep it clean daily we washed cage before it came in but I think with the hollow bars and the crazy no use holes in it there were eggs or a couple inside. I can not afford to replace this cage as it was around $1000 & Wizard feels safe here. But Roaches have to go! I plan on taking apart scrubbing and bleaching with pure bleach then sun drying for 24hr. I've gel baited too we have pro.bugguy who spayed safe stuff but it's not a roach treatment per se. has anyone used the Growth Inhibitor disks by Gentrol Point Source IGR? We have a new house and my son has extreme asthma so bugs are not an option. My brother due to his service will not back in the country for a year and wizard is his baby. HELP PLEASE!!!

SilverSage · Mar 17, 2017

This is a really tough one because in my experience, once the roaches are in, you can't ever truly get them out. Any chemical used will be dangerous to the bird, and even a lot of natural options that are safe for humans are dangerous to birds.

Do you have a pool or stock tank? I'm thinking if you could find a way to get water inside every book and cranny and keep the water there for several hours that might help. Also look into diatomaceous earth. Get the food grade stuff (you can get it off Amazon) not the pesticide grade, but you might find that the DE is worse on the asthma than the bugs

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

aidensky · Mar 17, 2017

I will ask Dr about DE. We moved in here because of his asthma. In the 1 1/2 yrs I fought her in court she never had him groomed or trimed poor thing is a hot mess so I don't want to take cage away. My brother talks to him on phone it's so sweet

SilverSage · Mar 17, 2017

I wish there was a good solution

I'm glad he has a safe place to be while he waits for his daddy to come home!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

itzjbean · Mar 17, 2017

Bugs, yuck!!! *runs to stand on a chair and screams like a little girl* I hate bugs. If it were me, I'd buy him a brand new cage and douse his old one with gasoline and set it on fire!!!

GaleriaGila · Mar 17, 2017

Thanks for rescuing that poor bird!

When we moved from New Mexico to Ohio, roaches somehow infested the Rb's cage while it was in the moving van (he traveled in a small cage in the car wth me). FOR ONCE, I was grateful for Ohio winters. I wheeled his cage out into 15 degree F weather, and the Rb and I watched through the windows as the roaches scattered and froze. Then I brought the cage in, washed it, and that was that.

SilverSage · Mar 17, 2017

That's a GREAT idea! I've been on a tropical island for too long!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

GaleriaGila · Mar 17, 2017

It was VERRRRRRY satisfying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was like "DIE, ROACHES, DIE!!!!!"

Owlet · Mar 17, 2017

Hmm you could try to lure them out and then flush bleech into the hallow bits to kill any eggs. Do you have a garage you could temporarily put the cage in? You could put it out there for the time being and set a bunch of sticky traps around the garage with some sort of food on it so they get stuck while trying to get the food. It'd be tedious but that's all I can really think of.

Flboy · Mar 17, 2017

Consider sealing the openings, that is what we did on wife's cage. (wanna say it, but Bongo's)

Allee · Mar 17, 2017

Hello and a warm welcome to the forums! Thank you for fighting for your brother's Grey and deepest gratitude to your brother for his service. I don't have any great advice for the roach infestation but I love Gail's idea of freezing them to death, that may be tough in Arizona at this time of year.

Best of luck to you and Wizard, enjoy the journey!

aidensky · Mar 17, 2017

Right now I'd do a snow dance but sadly here in Az it's already in the 90°s. We were looking at new cages but worried that to much change will be to stressful. As we have 8 dogs & kids. I spend several hours a day hanging out in the living room with him. He is a stinker. His 1st grooming in 1 1/2 yrs is gonna be something else. Poor boy.

SilverSage · Mar 17, 2017

Maybe you can lay all the pieces of the cage on hot asphalt for a day? Cook the little buggers instead of freezing them?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Kentuckienne · Mar 17, 2017

We get roaches that come in with the firewood, or under the door because there is a firewood box out there. I bought a hundred little fold-up sticky insect traps on Amazon because they were cheaper than in the hardware store, and keep them near doors and likely places, and they do catch them.

Anansi · Mar 17, 2017

GaleriaGila said:
Thanks for rescuing that poor bird!

When we moved from New Mexico to Ohio, roaches somehow infested the Rb's cage while it was in the moving van (he traveled in a small cage in the car wth me). FOR ONCE, I was grateful for Ohio winters. I wheeled his cage out into 15 degree F weather, and the Rb and I watched through the windows as the roaches scattered and froze. Then I brought the cage in, washed it, and that was that.

Just had to say this idea was brilliant!

To the OP, I'd also like to thank your brother for his service to our country... and you for doing all you can to help his bird in his absence.

In lieu of the freezing temps necessary for Abigail's suggestion, perhaps going the opposite direction and spraying a steamer into the holes? Cook the little suckers within. Or you could try getting a new cage and mirroring exactly the setup of the current one.

Kentuckienne · Mar 17, 2017

Oh! Oh! You're in Arizona! Put the cage in the car, put the car in the sun, it gets what, 120 degrees by the time you walk back to the front door? Woodworkers use this method to kill bugs in wood. With wood, you have to leave it a while because it has to get hot all the way through, but a metal cage should cook those suckers right up.

plumsmum2005 · Mar 18, 2017

Thank you for the extreme lengths you have gone to, to give Wizard a safe home. I would go with new cage exactly the same as old one or perhaps dismantle current one and put those bits wrapped up into the freezer if you or anyone near has a large one, we used to have a huge chest freezer?

Scott · Mar 18, 2017

Welcome, and thank you for supporting your brother who is supporting our nation!!

So many great ideas, perhaps the temperature extreme will solve the problem of nasty bugs. If not, it may be necessary to change the cage. Definitely expensive, and Greys are notoriously averse to change.

gracebowen · Mar 18, 2017

Doyourownpestcontrol has advion gel bait and bait stations. They say it is safe and I have never had a oroblem. It works good.

Urgent Help the bird I inherited cage has bugs & roaches in it

New member

New member

New member

New member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

New member

Supporting Vendor

Moderator

Supporting Vendor

New member

Supporting Member

Active member

Hi there!

Nice to meet you!

Similar threads