Bugs?

[HouseFan711]

I absolutely hate bugs.
Before I get my bird I want to know how to avoid getting bugs with bird seed.
I heard that I can keep it in the freezer.
What do I do with the food that the bird is eating? Store it in the fridge?
How many cups of food does a small conure eat per day?
How long can I leave the food in the cage cups before I risk getting bugs?
How much food that I'm using should I store?
How many days can I store bird food in the fridge? (Or where ever I can store it without risking bugs)

(I'm sorry if these questions seem silly, but I'm completely new to birds and just found I can't store their food like I can my dogs. In the bag in a cabinet)

 

[Flboy]

First, conure? Please no seeds! Do some reading thru the forum, you will understand. Pellets good, but also fruits veggies etc. if it is good for you, it good for birdie too- No avacado!! Even a little will kill! Buy small bags of pellets, yes, can keep in freezer!
A suggestion, get used to bugs, you are eating them every day mixed into almost everything you have!

I just went thru your posting history, very glad to see you trying to work this all out up front!!

 

[JamesC]

Nothing silly unless you didn't ask at all.

Best thing to do is get your bird converted over to a pellet diet. No seeds=no bugs. And much much healthier for your bird. My older blue crown was a seed addict when I got her. Those dratted moths that came from her food drove me batty. I got a dustbuster just so I could suck them out of the air or off the walls when I saw them. I was absolutely relieved when I finally got her converted to pellets. Before, she was fat, sluggish and dull. I think getting her converted easily added years to her life and greatly improved her quality of life. Now the only seeds she gets is on the rare occasion that I get some Nutriberries as a treat.

Freezing could help, I suppose. I'd be a bit worried about condensation when you removed it creating a fertile ground for mold to grow. In the fridge might be better because of less change in temp and it would slow down any bugs that could be developing.

A small conure will eat probably less than a 1/8 cup in a day with some of that being waste that falls to the bottom of the cage. Especially if you provide a lot of good fruits and vegetables. If you do feed your bird seeds in the diet, they should only make up a small percent of the daily diet that way you could maintain smaller quantities in storage with less chance for the critters to emerge.

But there really isn't a good way to be safe from bugs with seed in the house. Pellets and fresh foods are the way to go along with keeping the cage clean. Both make for a happier bird.

 

[HouseFan711]

Thank you guys so much. I will definitely use pellets. I'm planning on starting to inquire in a breeder for my first baby around December of this year. I should have my "starting" money up by then. ($1,000) (I'm not in any rush since I'm still doing heavy research) I even changed my mind about the type of conure that I want since I went to petco a couple weeks ago for my dog treats and saw this beauliful black capped capture. I want one! He was so silly and so entertaining. He really seemed to take to me in the store. (Where as every sun in the stores I've seen didn't seemed to like me)
I'm also not sure on the breeding season of these animals. But inquiring with a breeder in winter is the first step!
Thank you once again. This forum is very helpful for my thousands of random questions.

 

[Flboy]

FYI, I really love my local Petco, am known there, and I think, welcomed, even after telling the Manager off, twice.. But.. On average, you pay twice the going rate for birds there! There are soooo many wonderfully natured birds to pick from, me thinks you will fall in love many times before you commit! I envy your 'single' life at the moment.
Want more confusion? Like playfulness? Go visit a Caique, Jardine, and a Quaker. All clowns on steroids!
Track down some bird fairs, am sure there are some it your area, not to buy, just to mingle and learn. If you want to be a millionaire, hang out with them, it rubs off!