Weevils from parrot food?

[GreenWing]

Oh f$#@, just my luck...

S'okay... so, as I was cleaning Chance's cage, as I do nightly, I saw a tiny little brown beetle guy underneath her cage, and it's about the size of an ant. Upon closer inspection, it had a protruding mouth. Here's a photo:



I did a little Googling, and discovered that the bug looks VERY much like a grain Weevil. I feed Chance a mix of Harrison's, Avian Science seeds (Hookbill) and fresh foods. So, I am now wondering if the Weevil came from the Avian Science seeds, or the Harrison's? I haven't seen others, and I keep the packages tightly sealed, but... WTF? What can I do and should I be worried? Should I throw out all of her seeds/Harrison's?

[Graeme]

Your bird might just like a bit more crunchiness in his/her diet. It brings a whole new meaning to the term foraging

I really don't know if they would harm your bird, I doubt it, but I would not be taking the chance. If the container has been tightly closed and you feel they were there when you bought it, I would be asking for a replacement.

[KimberlyAnn]

Oh no!

I've had a weevil issue before. It was clear where it came from when we opened a box of cereal we had bought just a few weeks before. The good news is, they are very easy to get rid of. First, check both products. Spread them out on a white towel and look for them. If you can't find any others, that's safe. Next check all pasta, bread...anything made of grain. If you see any, toss it! I just tossed everything and it worked for me. Check flour too!

I know they don't bite, but I don't know if they carry anything. I would guess that they don't because the pest guy said they are not harmful to humans. So I can guess that if your bird did eat a few, no worries. I'm sorry though. I was so upset at having to toss all our food out because of buying that box of cereal. :/

[Iggy's here]

I have recently discovered diatomaceous earth (must be FOOD GRADE). I have not fed any to my parrot, but so far my research has shown that it safe for parrots to consume.

I recently saw a doco about these parrots in the wild that digest a lot of naturally occurring toxins in their diet and travel yearly to a site where this earth can be found. They eat the earth to get rid of the toxins.

"Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a naturally occurring rock made from the skeletons of fossilized diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. When ground into a fine powder, diatomaceous earth works mechanically to destroy a wide range of pests, insects, parasites and pathogens by cutting through the exoskeleton, absorbing bodily fluids and causing them to die. Food grade diatomaceous earth is chemical-free and non toxic.
Diatomaceous earth has many uses including detoxification of the body — inside and out; protecting pets and livestock from parasites and insect infestation; and keep your yard and garden pest-free."

Anyway it is commonly added to grain to keep insects out. So it might be worth looking into. A sprinkling in the seed might solve your problem.

I started taking it myself a couple of weeks ago and have become a big fan

[GreenWing]

Thanks everyone. I heard back from an entomologist who confirmed it is indeed a grain weevil. He said it is likely from her food as her cage sits on drawers that I store her food in (which is sealed in their bags) so a weevil likely came from her food. Anyway, he said to bake the parrot food at 130 F for an hour to kill them.

I looked in the bag of Harrison's and Avian seed and didn't see any. I keep her food tightly sealed in the bag, but it's probably best to store parrot food in airtight containers. I plan to bake all of her food anyway, just in case.

Yes, I use food grade DE and I love it. I mostly use it by sprinkling it around the house as I've seen some ants and carpet beetles but I never have consumed it - it is food grade.

[Pajarita]

Diatomaceous earth is almost all silica (something like over 90%) and silica is used to dry up stuff (very commonly used in cat litter) - meaning, it's OK to use around the house but not to feed it to parrots (it would hit their kidneys something terrible). Some species of South American parrots (macaws and amazons mostly) visit clay licks (clay has no more than something like 60% silica) and feed from them but what they like is the salty taste (there are several studies about this), they don't actually do it to medicate themselves although it does, apparently (not really confirmed), end up serving this purpose, too. But we don't feed them anything toxic so why would we feed them something that will dry up their insides and is mostly used in cat litter and pool filters? If you feel your bird needs detoxing, use aloe vera, a perfectly safe, perfectly digestible and very inexpensive option.

There are lots and lots and lots of gimmicks when it comes to parrots, their food, their housing, their toys, etc. Some, but not all, are relatively harmless but you need to do in-depth research about everything before you decide to experiment with weird stuff. Personally, I would not dream of feeding them silica.

[GreenWing]

Diatomaceous earth is almost all silica (something like over 90%) and silica is used to dry up stuff (very commonly used in cat litter) - meaning, it's OK to use around the house but not to feed it to parrots (it would hit their kidneys something terrible). Some species of South American parrots (macaws and amazons mostly) visit clay licks (clay has no more than something like 60% silica) and feed from them but what they like is the salty taste (there are several studies about this), they don't actually do it to medicate themselves although it does, apparently (not really confirmed), end up serving this purpose, too. But we don't feed them anything toxic so why would we feed them something that will dry up their insides and is mostly used in cat litter and pool filters? If you feel your bird needs detoxing, use aloe vera, a perfectly safe, perfectly digestible and very inexpensive option.

There are lots and lots and lots of gimmicks when it comes to parrots, their food, their housing, their toys, etc. Some, but not all, are relatively harmless but you need to do in-depth research about everything before you decide to experiment with weird stuff. Personally, I would not dream of feeding them silica.

Yeah, I agree with this. DE is great as a natural bug killer to sprinkle around but I wouldn't feed it to my parrots, nor would I consume it myself. I HAVE read -- and this is for humans only who are concerned about bugs -- that sulfur is the way to go, consuming-wise. I take a little bit of sulfur in some juice daily (about 1/4 teaspoon), it is good for your bones and joints, anyway.

I love Pajarita's suggestion about Aloe Vera as a parrot detox... thanks for that info. Do you recommend Aloe Vera juice in particular? I know you can buy the juice from the grocery store, and I read on other parrot sites that spraying your bird with Aloe Vera juice mixed with water as their shower bath, is good for their dander. So this really is cool info, thanks

[KimberlyAnn]

Yes Pajarita, I would like to know to. What type of aloe to do a parrot detox? I don't think I will do one for some time because Emmi is young, but maybe it would be good in the future. I wonder about water and heavy metals. I wonder if it helps for metal detox?

[Pajarita]

No, nothing really works for heavy metals but chelation therapy and, sometimes, it even requires surgery. I use organic aloe vera juice (not gel) from the inner fillet (not the whole leaf because the 'covering' of the inner fillet has a toxic element in it and although they say they 'filter' it, I don't trust it). I use 2/3 water and 1/3 aloe vera juice (it has a very, very mild 'green' taste to it but the birds like it) every day for the parrots with liver and kidney issues and once a week for everybody else (I also give them unfiltered, unpasteurized organic apple cider vinegar with the mother once a week).

[GreenWing]

Thanks for that info, Pajarita... I have an aloe of my own but never tried to juice it. I'll probably just check Whole Foods for organic Aloe by the gallon...

So, in other bug adventures... last night as I was cleaning out Chance's cage, I spotted a weird little bug, sort of greenish. I was freaked out it was a tick. But guess what it was, confirmed by an entomologist? AN APHID. BECAUSE I FED CHANCE ORGANIC KALE!

Lolololol