Do Parrots Attract Mice? (Answered!)

For many people who want to keep some parrots, one of the first questions they usually ask themselves is will they attract mice?

If you don’t know the answer to that question, don’t you worry, in this article we are going to see if parrots can attract rodents into their aviaries.

So do parrots attract mice? Parrots themselves do not attract mice, but the seeds and the food leftovers do. So if you leave your bird’s cage in state of disarray, or leave seeds lying around, it can attract mice.

So, having parrots does not mean having a mouse problem, provided you don’t leave your birdcage in squalor.

If you put the correct measure in place to discourage mice, everything will be perfectly fine.

 

What attracts mice to parrot cages?

Naturally, mice are opportunistic omnivores.

This means that they will feed on anything they come across.

And one of their favorite foods is grains and seeds. Incidentally, seeds are grains are also parrot’s favorite foods.

So, this is where mice can be problems for you if you own a parrot.

The reason why mice will be attracted to your parrots’ cage is because of the plenty of readily available food and even water.

If the cage of your parrot contains seed bowls, containers and trays, fresh vegetables, discarded seeds, vegetable scraps, seed husks, and water, then mice will pay a visit.

Parrot cages constantly stocked with the above items i.e. water, seeds, and vegetable scraps can turn out to be a buffet to hungry mice.

Allowing discarded seed, seed husks, and vegetable scraps to accumulate will only increase the chance of attracting mice.

Also, mice can be attracted to the parrot’s cage if it makes a good home for the mouse.

This is usually the case if the cage is outdoors and not mouse-proof.

When building a cage for your parrot, keep in mind that a mouse will be enticed to hang around if it is in a dry, dark, and warm place with an adequate supply of food and fresh water.

 

Are mice a problem to parrots?

Yes, mice can pose a number of risks to your parrot.

Mice are carriers of diseases and bacteria, which can be passed to your parrot through food contamination, direct contact, as well as through urine and droppings.

Moreover, mice usually carry mites and fleas that can spread to your parrots and even your home.

In addition to the danger of spreading diseases, mice can also be a problem for your nesting parrots and their young ones.

Mice can enter the nest of your parrot and eat eggs or attack young chicks.

Mice also feed on the seed and other foods intended for parrots, which can cause your bird to starve.

Last but not least, mice are known to be great chewers, can they can chew down the cages or containers and toys for your parrots.

 

How do I know if mice have infested my parrot cage?

The easiest way to tell if mice have attacked your parrot cage is to see one.

During one of your visits to the cage, you may stumble or see a mouse running around.

That is the first sign.

Another way to tell is to look for signs of mice, which include:

Mouse droppings in the dark covered areas where a mouse could hide or along the walls.

If you don’t know how mouse droppings look like, they are shaped like tiny black sausages.

Bite marks and scratches on cages, cage walls, perches, nest boxes, or pieces of wood.

Ammonia like smell

Shredded newspapers in the parrot nest or materials.

Sudden parrot noise especially during the night when they are supposed to be sleeping and mice like to come out to fodder.

 

What should I do if I have mice problems in my parrot cage?

If you have sufficient evidence that you may have a mouse problem in your parrot cage, the first step you need to take is to clean up the cage of any seed, seed husks, vegetable scraps, and water.

Carefully clean and disinfect all the water and food containers in the cage as well as the cage itself.

Be sure to use safe disinfectants to clean the cage and the cage food and water containers.

After cleaning the cage, come up with the best ways to eliminate all the mice in the area.

Try the following methods.

 

Mousetraps

These are the easiest and the most common way to get rid of mice in the area.

You can use catch and release or catch and kill traps.

Just don’t place the mouse trap inside the parrot’s cage as you may unintentionally trap or kill your bird.

 

Baits and poisons

This is also another viable option if you don’t want to use traps.

They are usually in black, pellet, or paste form.

Also, just a word of caution, don’t use it inside the parrot cage as it can also harm them.

Be sure to follow the directions carefully and be careful not to expose yourself, your family, or other pets.

 

Hire an exterminator

If nothing else works, consult a rodent exterminator.

Most of the time, the exterminator will just give you advice through the phone if you feel you can handle it yourself.

Avoid using an outdoor cat as a mouse control measure as they are likely to prey on the parrots as well as the mice.

What you should do is collect urine-soaked cat litter and sprinkle in the regions where you have seen the mice convince them that cats are around.

 

How can I prevent mice from invading my parrot cage?

Once you have eliminated the mice, you want to ensure they don’t come back again and become a problem.

Thankfully, the easiest way to prevent the mice from returning is just to keep the parrot clean and tidy all the time.

Make it a habit of regularly cleaning up dropped seeds and seed husks and avoid leaving fresh food or water in the parrot cage overnight.

Also, try moving all food and seed containers off the cage floor to a place where the mice cannot access.

Consider hanging them from the roof of the cage, but away from timber and mesh as mice can climb up these as well.

If your parrot cage is small, you can just move it off the ground by hanging it from a cage stand or roof.

Keep parrot food in covered containers.

You also use a bucket or a bin to store larger quantities of parrot seed.

Seal up any cage openings on the walls, as mice can squeeze through tiny holes.

Most of these openings are found under the roof of the cage or around the doors.

Mice can squeeze through most parrot cages so be sure to add a layer of, let’s say, a smooth piece of the metal sheet around the bottom of the cage to prevent the mouse from climbing up and inside the cage.

Seal off the cage floors.

Since most mouse invasion happens through the tunneling beneath the wall or floors of the cage.

So avoid pacing the cage directly on the ground. Instead, place it on paving stones or concrete with a fine mesh wire under it to prevent mice from tunneling from the underground and into the cage.

 

Can a parrot eat mice?

Technically yes.

Parrots are classified as omnivores and the meat that they could eat are usually mice and snakes.

Though some parrot species don’t eat meat at all.

The best-known meat-eating parrot is the New Zealand alpine species called the Kea.

 

Can a mouse eat a parrot?

Mice are known to be opportunistic scavengers and are not known to prying on live animals or birds, especially something as the size of the parrot.

However, mice can eat parrot eggs out of a nest and could target a parrot of it was cornered in a nest box or a cage.


How Can We Improve This Article?