Dear Parrots magazine,
Flying irritants
I live in the UK and as the weather is getting warmer it seems flies are awakening and I am becoming extremely frustrated as my parrots hate them. I like to have my conservatory doors open and do have those plastic tassel hanging fly screens over the doorway. I think they are quite effective at keeping out the flies, but there’s always some that manage to get in and my two Greys become quite agitated, as do my two dogs. You wouldn’t think living creatures that are massively larger than a fly could be so intimidated by them.
I don’t like using fly sprays or any type of chemical devices, so I have gone back to old-fashioned remedies and use those sticky fly papers. The only question I ask myself is that does the sticky adhesive on them give off any vapours, although for years I have used them and there doesn’t seem to be anything adverse from them. But manufacturing methods and different suppliers may change the formulations, so I always check thoroughly. Although I was targeting the odd large fly, my sticky traps do end up catching many others including those little tiny fruit flies. I now have a new supply and have declared once again war on these flying irritants.
Barbara Hussein, by email
Barbara Hussein in her letter raises an important issue about flies. They can be a real irritant to both us humans and our pets and particularly with caged birds. A fly that gets into a cage can create havoc and injury to a bird that cannot escape and is forced to fly frantically in its restricted environment, so be aware when flies are about! Ed.