Diseases risk to pet birds from fliss

[Mantis64]

In the summer here we get flies and my question is do they pose a disease risk to birds or not. I'm guessing its little to no risk as people feed thier birds worms like mealworms the larvae form of flies.

 

[Mizzely]

Mealworms grow into a beetle




Don't give flies a reason to hang out near your bird and you shouldn't have issues.

 

[Mantis64]

I

Mealworms grow into a beetle

View attachment 344286


Don't give flies a reason to hang out near your bird and you shouldn't have issues.

I know that's a darkling beetle they carry salmonella as well as other diseases that affect poultry not to sure about parrots though.

 

[Mizzely]

Yes, WILD darkling beetles. That's why reptile keepers only feed commercially produced mealworms.

I don't know what you want to be told. Yes, flies can carry disease. Yes, there is a chance your bird could get affected. What do you do with that information that is different than what you'd normally do?

 

[tka]

If you're following good hygiene practices then you're unlikely to have a problem. Flystrike usually affects animals that have open wounds or dirty and/or wet fur/wool.

The mealworms on sale as animal food are raised in clean surroundings with no contact with wild darkling beetles.

 

[Mantis64]

Ok I was wondering about flies cause one landed on the container that the bowl was in but I washed the bowel before use. About the darkling beetle when I was little and was gonna get one the petshop people said that even captive bred beetles have the chance of transmitting salmonella dont know how true this is. Thanks for all this info.

 

[Zara]

I was wondering about flies cause one landed on the container that the bowl was in

When it is fly season here, I do get some in the house that the dog will try catching. They never land on my bird cages. They land on my floor and on the walls, but interestingly never on the cages. I think they are just trying to escape the heat.
Being frank, I´ve never even thought of illnesses from flies to birds.

 

[Shezbug]

In the summer we have a lot of flies because we have a lot of livestock close by and Australia is renowned for having lots of flies lol. Burt yells at them and has on the odd occasion caught one and killed it but he has not ever gotten sick. The chance is there for germ transmission from flies as whatever the flies land on is on their feet but given how small their feet are and how often they land on yuck stuff then directly on my bird cage (or other bird supplies) the chances are very slim that my bird will get sick.
There are some flies that bite (I think we get them all here lol) but I doubt that your bird is likely to be affected by them unless you have an infestation and the flies have nothing else to get at.... actually I think they prefer mammal blood (the ones that bite) if I remember correctly.

Flies would have landed on many of your meals, utensils, food prep areas etc, as a matter of fact you have probably even eaten some without knowing during your life time- you obviously do not want a heap of them landing all over your food and other similar areas as your chances rise of getting some germ spread from them but it is so little that worrying about it or trying to take extra measures to stop them is a waste of time.

As Zara said- they tend to land on walls and other surfaces more than the skinny bars of the bird cages and pellets do not seem to be overly appealing to them I have noticed.

 

[hrafn]

Yeah, unless your house is super dirty and you've got maggots growing into fly swarms and infesting your bird's living space, I highly doubt he (or you) will be infected with the diseases they carry. People who contract salmonella and tuberculosis and such from flies are often hoarders, or living in otherwise unsanitary surroundings with fly dirt everywhere.

 

[Zara]

I have two flies come in today,.... No where near the cages... No where near the dog... They just wanna be on me and my table!! Wish they would buzz off, little blighters!