Understanding the Issue and Effective Solutions

Introduction

Bird owners often face the persistent problem of an increased number of small flies in their homes. While house flies, fruit flies, pantry flies, and houseplant gnats are common, the presence of birds can exacerbate this issue.

Why Flies Increase Near Birds

The problem often begins with the food supplied for the birds. Bird food, especially kibble and nuts, can sometimes harbor webs, larvae, or moths. This contamination occurs due to bulk shipments that are repackaged into smaller bags for resale, often leading to pest infestations that thrive in the home environment.

Preventative Measures

To tackle this issue, several steps can be taken:

Choosing Quality Food Sources

Stop purchasing bird food from stores where contamination has been observed. Instead, opt for reputable bird-specific websites or platforms like Amazon for better kibble quality. Upon receiving the food, place the bags in a deep freezer for a period ranging from one week to one month. This helps eliminate any potential pests.

Alternative Sources for Nuts and Seeds

Human-grade nuts and seeds can be sourced from warehouse stores like Sam’s Club and Costco, Nuts.com, and local grocery stores and markets. Similar to kibble, freeze these items upon arrival to eradicate pests.

Creating Homemade Blends

After freezing, make your own kibble, nut, and seed blends. Store these mixtures in smaller plastic containers, which can be donated by family members (such as empty candy and pretzel containers). Keep the containers in a regular freezer until needed.

Holistic Remedies

For a natural approach, boil whole cloves and bay leaves in filtered water and let the mixture seep while cooling. Strain the cloves and leaves, then pour the solution into a spray bottle. Use this spray around windows, doors, cage liners, and cages.

Additional Measures

Since rescued birds might not be able to fly, window fly paper strips from Amazon can be effective. Place these strips on each window to capture any flying pests. I notice that these strips catch all types of flies and gnats and mosquitoes.

If you love live plants in your home as I do, you can remove the topsoil, replace it with fresh and use the clove bay leaf spray around the plants.

Conclusion

By adopting these preventative measures, bird owners can significantly reduce the number of gnats, flies, and moths in their homes. With consistent effort and attention to food quality and holistic remedies, maintaining a clean and pest-free environment for both birds and humans is achievable.