Lice

[1st Landing Lof]

Has anyone ever heard that hanging bananna stalks in your loft will keep lice off your birds?

[ace in the hole]

No, that I have not heard before.

I had a guy tell me if you hang fabric softener sheets in the loft it will help keep lice and mites away. I saw them hanging in his loft, when I got home and checked over the birds from his loft they had lice and mites!!

Ace

[learning]

Never heard that one!

I did have some lice turn up in my loft last month. On the advice of a local flyer, I added Epsom Salt and some Borax in their bath water. There was an immediate difference and the next day, not one louse to be found.

Dan

[Avion]

Put bath water with 20 Mule Team boraxo (one tablespoon per gallon) in it and you will get rid of your problem. I put it in my birds bath tubs each week and it works.

George

[ace in the hole]

Hey Dan,

How much of each do you use per gallon?

Ace

[pigeonmama]

Did you know that banana plants aren't actually a tree, they're an herb.
Daryl

[learning]

Originally Posted by ace in the hole

Hey Dan,

How much of each do you use per gallon?

Ace

To be honest, I have sort of been eyeballing it. I would guess that my baths are about 2 1/2 to 3 gallons and I probably put about a quarter cup of each. Mind you, I have never measured it. I just went by what looks right. The birds seem to love it and they are clean as a whistle. No varmits to be found.

Dan

[warriec]

Thats the stupidest thing I have heard,

to control lice the easiet way is to allow them to bathe as often as possible.

[1st Landing Lof]

Learning
You have to watch using Epsom salts its a laxative! I plan on using Borax. Back in the day my Grandfather would go to the dock and get bananna stalks from off the boats and hang them in his loft. I never checked his birds, but he was happy.

[learning]

Originally Posted by warriec

Thats the stupidest thing I have heard,

to control lice the easiet way is to allow them to bathe as often as possible.

I'm not sure what you find stupid about these replies. One thing I have found out on this site is that what is common practice in one part of the world is foreign to others. It doesn't mean it is not effective, just different. If bannana stalks in the loft works for some people, and they are plentiful and cheap in that part of the world, I say go for it. Here in the states, where bannana stalks are neither plentiful nor cheap, this would not be a practical solution for me.

All I know is that what I described worked great for me in the Southeastern United States. It doesn't mean it will work everywhere.

As far as Epsom Salts being a laxative, I have been using this method for many months and I have not noticed any change in the consistancy of the birds' droppings. Again, each to his own. I have found that using clear water for baths can often make a lice problem worse. With the Borax and Epsom Salts I have had no further lice problem and have not seen any negative changes in the birds whatsoever.

Let's not be too quick to discard what some have found to be effective. There are a lot of natural solutions to problems out there that are foreign to us westerners. We tend to feel that anything except a chemical solution is "snake oil" and a scam. This is not always the case.

Dan

[1st Landing Lof]

Learning
I was just stating what it says on the box. It is used for a laxative, but if it isn't effecting your birds Great!
And you are right there is a lot of prople in other countries that do not understand when someone is trying to help or do they appreciate it.

Bill

[learning]

Originally Posted by 1st Landing Lof

Learning
I was just stating what it says on the box. It is used for a laxative, but if it isn't effecting your birds Great!
And you are right there is a lot of prople in other countries that do not understand when someone is trying to help or do they appreciate it.

Bill

In warriec's defense, I don't think he was trying to be malicious. He was reacting to something that was foreign to him. I guess that is natural. We just need to understand that there are practices in other parts of the world that may seem crazy to us, but have served a purpose and are effective for them.

This is why it is so important to discover things for ourselves and use other people's input as a guide, not a written in stone solution.

Just my opinion,

Dan

[philodice]

I'm sticking with the tea tree oil, a few drops of that in the bath water whitens and brightens my birds (it works on laundry, too). Side effects are: Kills fungus, mites, lice, internal and external parasites. So I actually want the birds to drink the bathwater, because it is good for them. And the residual oil left on their beaks is proven to keep mosquitoes off for hours, thus preventing pox. Since I have the best (according to myself) solution for my loft, I won't be trying anything else.

Of course Apple cider vinegar works just as well for keeping your whites white and healthy. So does Garlic. And Neem oil...
You see, there isn't just one answer to any pigeon question!

[1st Landing Lof]

Philodice

Where do you get Tree oil? Sounds like something I should try...

[philodice]

I bought mine at the local drug store. It's called Tea Tree oil or melaluca.
Here's some info I've found on tea tree.

First, it is a strong organic solvent. It dissolves the lumps of white blood cells which make pus and allows your blood stream to clean them away, helping to clear infections like boils, sores and ulcers. It also penetrates through the skin and reaches otherwise inaccessible sites such as under the fingernails.
Second, it is an efficient antiseptic. It kills bacteria fast, even stubborn germs like Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherischia coli. This has been proven in laboratory testing by Associated Foodstuff laboratories of Australia (AFLA) and E.M.L. Consulting Services. What's more, tea tree oil kills bacteria even more effectively in living tissue than in the test tube, unlike many synthetic antiseptics. It works well in the presence of organic matter. Tea Tree oil does this without damaging healthy cells.

Third, tea tree oil is an effective fungicide which means that it has countless applications for skin conditions. And as an added bonus, tea tree oil is soothing on application. It takes away pain.

Clinical Studies have shown some Antiseptics don't penetrate below the skin's surface, where it really counts!
Tea Tree Oil gets deep below the skin's surface to kill germs, remove pus and soothe the skin. And best of all, it's 100% natural!
+++
MELALEUCA IN THE AVIARY
As an antiseptic, fungicide, and infection/pus remover, Tea Tree Oil should make a great treatment for bumblefoot and scaley leg. (Staph and mites)