Information requested on Balsa

[Oknuma]

I have the same opinion as a few of the others.

Calculated risks is what life with children, pets, loved ones is all about.

how many plastics do you (general) have in your home? are you aware that plastics give off fumes?
Got any pvc playstands? do your rope perches have pvc caps? how about your shower curtains if you have them? what about non ceramic floor tiles? PVC plastic, linoleum etc contain phthalates which are bioaccumalitive for people so surely cannot be good for birds.

any MDF in your home or bird room? what about your flooring? MDF furniture and laminate flooring usually contains formaldehyde.
these are only two examples and are not even taking into consideration the plastics that surround your tv's , chairs, kitchen products that are considered safe but again constantly give off bioaccumalitve fumes at higher levels with each year of age the product is.

We still however surround ourselves with products every day that are harmful to us.

Of course if you ( again general ) choose to do away with balsa then there is no judgement from me at all.. good owners/parronts/parents do what they think is best every day.. but I have to ask what will be the next item that goes?

 

[Saemma]

Here's a small update.
Jacqueline from Rosie toys has been following this thread and sent me an email. She imports and sells "Get a Grip nets" as well.
In her email she wrote that Starbird had sent her a notice a while back to state that none of their "naturals, i.e vine leaves, palm leaves, coconuts etc.. are fumigated".

It seems that I have misunderstood Jacqueline's previous email to me. This post is a correction to the above. I will translate verbatim what she sent to me tonight. Hopefully there will be no miscommunication after this.

In Jacqueline's words.
" I am saying that StarBird is telling the truth. Their nets are not fumigated."

"I myself import "natural vines, coconuts, palm leaves etc... and they are not fumigated".

 

[lotus15]

That's very interesting Saemma. I wonder if the laws in Canada are different, or how Starbird is able to import to the USA without fumigation. Even Monica at Grey Feather Toys told me her natural products must, by law, be fumigated.

 

[Saemma]

Honestly, Lotus. .. I have no clue.

 

[saroj12]

bumping this up for Ariel....

 

[Kathy]

What!!!! I am just now seeing this.. Balsa wood can hurt my birds!!!??? I just recently purchased some from a vendor on this site! I'm upset. I see nothing here saying it is safe. any updates?!

 

[saroj12]

Kathy, no one seems to know if it safe or not.
The general consensus is that birds have been chewing balsa for ages and no reports of issues.

 

[iluvsunconure]

I'm gonna go with "Balsa is safe" JMHO.

 

[Sharpie]

If you want to get rid of that balsa, I'll take it for my flock!

 

[Chicklet]

I'm gonna go with "Balsa is safe" JMHO.

I would have to agree with you Besides I don't get balsa a lot because it ends up too expensive when they destroy it within seconds

 

[iluvsunconure]

Yeah, if y'all dont want balsa..........send them here!:O

 

[Kathy]

To those who said send them over to them..Beakner enjoyed the balsa I ordered so much that there's only a couple of blocks left.
I guess I was upset because it was such a shock to me to see this thread dated months ago and I wasn't around then so I never saw it and I never knew that balsa was sprayed with anything that could possibly harm my birds and I bought it for them without knowing there was a chance it could harm them (other than eating it.) I probably would have never saw this thread if it hadn't been brought back up.

 

[saroj12]

I think I will request the mods to make this thread a Sticky. That way people can make an informed choice about whether they want to expose their birds to these chemicals or not

 

[Kathy]

I think I will request the mods to make this thread a Sticky. That way people can make an informed choice about whether they want to expose their birds to these chemicals or not

Thank you!

 

[Karen]

I'm glad the thread was brought back up.

My attention wandered though; I saw Saemma's post with the Hemp Seed link; which reminded me I needed to order some; Avian Organics still has their free shipping offer going on; so I just got done placing an order ... what were we talking about.

My birds love the natural Willow that I got from PPBN so that's what I will buy in the future instead of Balsa.

 

[Esther]

I am also very glad I found this thread. I've had several customers who asked me to use balsa wood but I haven't been able to locate a source.
Thank God!

Also, while on the subject of items being treated. I've been told that many vine wreaths and craft supplies have been treated with pesticides.

Thanks for bringing this back to our attention!