<aside> 🐦 The average companion pigeon keeper hopefully should not encounter lice or mites, however, in case they are present on your bird, this article will help you treat them.

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Lice and mites can commonly come with a new pigeon, especially if they are from a less than reputable source or got rescued from the streets; sometimes these exoparasites can also be picked up outdoors while you are taking your bird for a walk. While lice are relatively harmless and eat the feathers of the bird, mites can cause life threatening anemia as they feed off the bird’s blood.

Lice and Mite Symptoms

Visible lice on pigeon feathers. Image source: Pigeons.biz

The most obvious symptom of lice are the lice themselves! They are visible to the naked eye, long bodied, and dark brown to black in color. They tend to congregate in the wing and tail feathers around the feather shafts.

Tattered feathers or distinctive holes in the primary wing and tail feathers are other common symptoms of lice; these holes look similar to the holes left in paper after a staple is pulled out. However, these symptoms may also indicate a prior infestation that has already been handled—for instance, in case with a pigeon that was treated by the rescue and then handed to you—so inspecting your pigeon for lice is still important to understand if the infestation is ongoing.

[Mites on a baby bird; harder to spot on adults as the skin is less visible. Video source: Skedaddle Wildlife](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7qPj-lPbRo)

Mites on a baby bird; harder to spot on adults as the skin is less visible. Video source: Skedaddle Wildlife

Similarly to lice, mites are visible to the naked eye but are much smaller and harder to spot. They tend to congregate on the skin of the bird’s neck or vent. Unlike lice, mites live on the bird’s skin so to check for their presence make sure to part the bird’s feathers down to the skin and look closely.

Other symptoms of mites may be excessive preening or scratching and lethargy from anemia. Scaly, crusty, and irritated skin can be a symptom of a very deep mite infestation; this is a sure sign to take your bird to a vet.

Treatment

If lice or mites are spotted, there are three main medications which can be used to treat these: Permethrin, Pyrethrin, and Ivermectin. They work for both lice and mites.

Permethrin

<aside> 🚨 Permethrin is toxic to cats, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and aquatic life, so if you keep any of these other species as pets be very careful when using this medication. Ensure you treat your birds in a separate room from your other pets and keep the other pets out for several hours afterwards, or use a different lice and mite treatment. Furthermore, it is recommended to wear gloves while using permethrin as some studies have found it to be mildly carcinogenic or irritating to the skin.

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Brand names: Vetafarm Avian Insect Liquidator, Beaphar Insecticidal Bird Spray, Johnson’s Anti-Mite.

Permethrin comes in either dip or spray form. As it is easy to make mistakes when dipping birds, spray form is highly preferred.

1. Spread the bird's wings and spray a generous amount under the wing. Use your gloved hands to massage the spray over all the primary flight feathers and into the armpit skin.
2. Repeat this process for both wings and the bird's tail, ensuring the spray is massaged through all the tail feathers and skin at the base of the tail.
3. Spray a smaller amount at the base of the bird’s neck and massage this onto the skin and up towards their head. This will ensure a good coverage of permethrin across the bird's entire body.

For both dip and spray forms, repeat the treatment in 10-14 days in order to kill any eggs which have now hatched and missed the prior treatment. It is advised to also treat the pigeon with a third dose 10-14 days after the second to catch any final stragglers which may attempt to repopulate.