Bugs in bird food? Extra protein or dangerous?

[komaeda]

Hello, this is my first post here.
I have one conure. I keep all of his food in Tupperware containers under his cage. I have pellets, dried fruits & nuts, and seed.
I don't give him much seed, just a little bit as a treat.
I noticed a few weeks ago that his seed container has a bit of a weevil problem. I only see a few of them if I leave it open for periods of time, but usually when I feed him I open the container for a second or two and then close it. I didn't really do anything about the weevil problem because I didn't want to go out and buy a new bag of seed unless it was really necessary. My reasoning was that bugs are protein for birds, so the weevils wouldn't be a big issue. Google also kind of corroborated this.
I noticed that there is now some webbing in the container, and I've seen one moth flying around. I haven't seen any larvae or other moths. So, I'm assuming there might be moths living in there now as well.
Should I get rid of the seed? Are insects dangerous for parrots? Again, I don't give him much of the seed, so he isn't eating much from it. However, I know that over time the moths will just eat all of my seed and it won't be usable anymore.
I keep all of his food far away from my pantry or anywhere that could also be touched by moths. His cage is clean and there is no evidence of insects there.

 

[Wardy]

Throw it all out and buy more seed IMO.

Are insects dangerous for parrots i would say potentially depending on the insect, if they are consuming the seed are they deffacating on the seed ?
What kind of insect is it ?
Webbing in the container ? So potential signs of the insects breeding maybe.

Do you want to compromise the health of your bird to save a few pound ?

I keep all my birds food in the cupboards i keep my food in if its good enough for me its good enough for my girls.

 

[komaeda]

Throw it all out and buy more seed IMO.

Are insects dangerous for parrots i would say potentially depending on the insect, if they are consuming the seed are they deffacating on the seed ?
What kind of insect is it ?
Webbing in the container ? So potential signs of the insects breeding maybe.

Do you want to compromise the health of your bird to save a few pound ?

I keep all my birds food in the cupboards i keep my food in if its good enough for me its good enough for my girls.

Alright, thank you!

 

[javi]

While seed moths and weevils are not dangerous they are a nuisance. Freeze your food as soon as it comes home and then thaw in an open container overnight. The main thing about feeding the infested seed is that that means a lot of the food is alrewady been broken down by the larvae. Also seed moths in your home can be hard to get rid of. I'd toss and get fresh which you freeze. All seeds, nuts and pellets should be frozen to ensure no hatching bugs.

 

[Destiny]

Weevils and grain moths are not particularly dangerous to parrots, but neither are they particularly beneficial. Probably not worth the trouble or the risks of keeping infested seed in your house.

It is hard to find good detailed information on the diet of wild parrots, however from what I have been able to find, it doesn't sound like insects play a big role. Most parrots eat a lot of plant matter - fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves, flowers, etc. Some parrots have a more specialized diet, like lorikeets, that eat a nectar-based diet. And grass parakeets like budgies have a more grain-heavy diet than the larger parrots. Many parrots are opportunistic feeders and their diet fluctuates through out the year, depending on seasonal availability and changing energy requirements. For example, breeding parrots might seek out higher protein foods (like insects) while feeding their young.

But I don't get the impression that insects are a regular part of the diet for wild parrots, in the same way they are for certain species of songbirds or for ground-dwelling birds, like chickens and quail. Some bird species are insectivores and they survive by eating a lot of insects. In captivity, live food or other protein-rich food should be provided to meet the nutritional requirements of the species.

I have chickens and button quail. They both love hunting for small insects. I bet my finches would also get excited over live bugs. But I doubt the parakeets would show much interest. Likewise, I doubt that a conure would want to hunt down weevils or moths, so allowing weevils to live in your bird seed won't benefit your parrot by offering enriched foraging opportunities.

As far as nutritional benefit, it is likely a net loss. If the bird isn't eating the insects or insect larvae, then it is just getting nutritionally-depleted seeds. And since insects and other prey animals can be a vector for disease, there is a potential health risk when offering live food to your pet.

Long story short, not worth the risk. Time to buy a new bag of seed. If you don't expect to use the bag up in a few weeks after opening, the rest should go in the freezer to keep it fresh. In addition to insect activity, some vitamins can break down and natural oils can go rancid over time.

Fresh seed is better than old seed.

 

[fashionfobie]

I agree with Javi!

I will add that moths and weevils can also take over your pantry of human food rice, flour and other grains are tasty for them. Getting it under control early will help with your whole home.

 

[CrazyKozmo]

My 2 cents..I had some seeds (from a reputable brand/dealer) that ended up with red flour beetles in it. I thought that was no big deal. Parrots are birds, birds eat bugs... Not so much! These are not bugs that they would find in the rainforest. My birds ended up with a bacterial infection (pseudomonas*). After researching the beetle, it turns out that they can carry this bacteria. I didn't get the beetles tested to make certain (I don't know how I would go about getting the beetles tested), but it's really suspicious. I feel awful for putting my birds through that! Never again! Now I store their food in the freezer.

*Note: Pseudomonas are usually caused by dirty water husbandry. I have always been really careful with cleaning their water dish at least 2x a day (hot water, soap, bird-dish only brush). I also boil their water now...to be sure (my husband thinks I've gone overboard...but anything for my babies' health!)

Also, Welcome to the Avenue!!

 

[komaeda]

My 2 cents..I had some seeds (from a reputable brand/dealer) that ended up with red flour beetles in it. I thought that was no big deal. Parrots are birds, birds eat bugs... Not so much! These are not bugs that they would find in the rainforest. My birds ended up with a bacterial infection (pseudomonas*). After researching the beetle, it turns out that they can carry this bacteria. I didn't get the beetles tested to make certain (I don't know how I would go about getting the beetles tested), but it's really suspicious. I feel awful for putting my birds through that! Never again! Now I store their food in the freezer.

*Note: Pseudomonas are usually caused by dirty water husbandry. I have always been really careful with cleaning their water dish at least 2x a day (hot water, soap, bird-dish only brush). I also boil their water now...to be sure (my husband thinks I've gone overboard...but anything for my babies' health!)

Also, Welcome to the Avenue!!

Oh geez... I definitely wouldn't want my baby to get sick from infested food. Thank you for making me aware of this!!

 

[komaeda]

Weevils and grain moths are not particularly dangerous to parrots, but neither are they particularly beneficial. Probably not worth the trouble or the risks of keeping infested seed in your house.

It is hard to find good detailed information on the diet of wild parrots, however from what I have been able to find, it doesn't sound like insects play a big role. Most parrots eat a lot of plant matter - fruits, nuts, seeds, leaves, flowers, etc. Some parrots have a more specialized diet, like lorikeets, that eat a nectar-based diet. And grass parakeets like budgies have a more grain-heavy diet than the larger parrots. Many parrots are opportunistic feeders and their diet fluctuates through out the year, depending on seasonal availability and changing energy requirements. For example, breeding parrots might seek out higher protein foods (like insects) while feeding their young.

But I don't get the impression that insects are a regular part of the diet for wild parrots, in the same way they are for certain species of songbirds or for ground-dwelling birds, like chickens and quail. Some bird species are insectivores and they survive by eating a lot of insects. In captivity, live food or other protein-rich food should be provided to meet the nutritional requirements of the species.

I have chickens and button quail. They both love hunting for small insects. I bet my finches would also get excited over live bugs. But I doubt the parakeets would show much interest. Likewise, I doubt that a conure would want to hunt down weevils or moths, so allowing weevils to live in your bird seed won't benefit your parrot by offering enriched foraging opportunities.

As far as nutritional benefit, it is likely a net loss. If the bird isn't eating the insects or insect larvae, then it is just getting nutritionally-depleted seeds. And since insects and other prey animals can be a vector for disease, there is a potential health risk when offering live food to your pet.

Long story short, not worth the risk. Time to buy a new bag of seed. If you don't expect to use the bag up in a few weeks after opening, the rest should go in the freezer to keep it fresh. In addition to insect activity, some vitamins can break down and natural oils can go rancid over time.

Fresh seed is better than old seed.

Thank you very much I plan to buy new food for him ASAP and I'll start freezing my seeds from now on.

 

[komaeda]

I agree with Javi!

I will add that moths and weevils can also take over your pantry of human food rice, flour and other grains are tasty for them. Getting it under control early will help with your whole home.

Yep I have had my experiences with pantry moths. I don't keep my bird's food anywhere near my kitchen because he lives in my bedroom, but I am very cautious about moth infestations. Luckily I haven't really seen any living moths in the birdseed, just evidence that they've been there.