What insecticides are safe for plants and budgies?
I have birds, and they're far from the plants, and I don't let them touch them when they fly everywhere. But if I ever need to use an insecticide, what would be the safest to use around my baby birds?
5
Because birds have such exceptionally delicate respiratory systems, there's probably really not any safe pesticide.
People treat individual plants that are infected by submerging in an alcohol/Hydrogen peroxide mix but that's not highly effective. Even natural solutions that are safe for most pets and children use things like peppermint and tea tree oil which is also harmful for birds to breathe in.
You can try staying ahead of potential pests to avoid the problem altogether by releasing beneficial insects onto your plants periodically and making sure new plants are quarantined before joining your collection. If you ever get any pests just be sure to treat them in a space that doesn't ventilate by your birdies.
People treat individual plants that are infected by submerging in an alcohol/Hydrogen peroxide mix but that's not highly effective. Even natural solutions that are safe for most pets and children use things like peppermint and tea tree oil which is also harmful for birds to breathe in.
You can try staying ahead of potential pests to avoid the problem altogether by releasing beneficial insects onto your plants periodically and making sure new plants are quarantined before joining your collection. If you ever get any pests just be sure to treat them in a space that doesn't ventilate by your birdies.
@ChosenArnoseris If I do get them eventually, is it a plausible option to bring the plants outside and treat them there, or would that make it worse?
Definitely you can treat outside! It's the fumes that are dangerous so just let everything dry off completely. If you have time then you can treat the plants, let it sit for a while, and then rinse them off and bring them inside again.
I didn't know neem oil was safe! Definitely double check with your vet like songbird said but if it's okay and you get pure neem then you can move ahead with a preventative schedule of neem application too!
I didn't know neem oil was safe! Definitely double check with your vet like songbird said but if it's okay and you get pure neem then you can move ahead with a preventative schedule of neem application too!
Like @ChosenArnoseris I have concerns about spraying and pesticides around birds. Many of these products are designed to be used outdoors and spraying will keep particles aerosolized. Many organic products have oil extracts, for example the one pictured above you can see has rosemary, thyme, clove, and peppermint oil, which I don’t think are that good for birds. So just because it is organic doesn’t mean it will be great for birds indoors. Even the most basic homemade insecticidal soap made of Castile soap and water may also be questionable spraying around birds.
If you want to use pesticide, you’ll likely need to look for a safe product that can be used as a root drench like azamax and purecrop1. Professional products like these have quite a bit of information on their site, like how long it takes the product to dissapiate till it is safe for consumption or there’s concerns/directives for human respiratory issues so you may get an idea how long it is toxic, and you can probably email with more questions. If you need to spray you’ll likely need to do that outdoors then bring them inside.
Beneficial insects can be very powerful, and should also be considered depending on prevention / pests.
If you want to use pesticide, you’ll likely need to look for a safe product that can be used as a root drench like azamax and purecrop1. Professional products like these have quite a bit of information on their site, like how long it takes the product to dissapiate till it is safe for consumption or there’s concerns/directives for human respiratory issues so you may get an idea how long it is toxic, and you can probably email with more questions. If you need to spray you’ll likely need to do that outdoors then bring them inside.
Beneficial insects can be very powerful, and should also be considered depending on prevention / pests.