spider things living on wild bird

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kitla
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spider things living on wild bird

Post by kitla »

Strange title I know, but I'm wondering what they were! A young housemartin left the nest a bit early & got stranded on the lawn, I caught it & took it up to the window ledge under the nest & once it had rested it managed to fly off. While I was handling it several of these little spiders kept darting out from under its wings then dissappearring again before I could knock them off. They were brown/grey & quite big for the size of the bird - maybe 1/2 cm across, definately not mites, too fast for lice I think, looked more like spiders. Anyone know?
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kitla
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by kitla »

euwwww I just found them here https://www.fantasticpestcontrol.co.uk/ ... ird-mites/
That nest gets used every year & its under the topmost eave of the house, just above the loft window. I think when the Martin's have left I might spray it with something so they dont start creeping in through the window.
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wendy
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by wendy »

Yes mites, sadly.
I am sure there are loads of creepy crawlies in the eaves and lofts.
Best not thought about
)grin2(
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Mo
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by Mo »

Be careful what you spray with. Something suitable for hens might be OK for other birds.
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Richard
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by Richard »

Agreed Mo.

They've probably just shared the nest together.
The parents could have brought whatever, the young ones have dropped them and they've reproduced beside the young birds.

Just a guess.

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kitla
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by kitla »

Apparetntly if these mites build up in numbers they can invade your house when the birds have left! I've rescued adult & fledgling birds a few times over the years & never seen these great big things on them so they cant be something thats always there. My twitcher friend suggests we knock the nest down after theyve gone & let them build a new one next year. The thought does make me cringe - I'd need to wear a bathcap & goggles so mites dont rain down on me! )grin2(
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Mo
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by Mo »

A new nest sounds a good plan, maybe leave a foundation do you think???
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Richard
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by Richard »

Interesting Kitla.

We had House Martin Nests on the Grandstand at Canterbury.
One day in Winter it was decorated and they took the nests down - the House Martins appeared but left.
They tend to repair last years if they can.

Mind you, the paint may have put them off re-building.

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lancashire lass
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by lancashire lass »

kitla wrote:They were brown/grey & quite big for the size of the bird - maybe 1/2 cm across, definately not mites, too fast for lice I think, looked more like spiders. Anyone know?


But that link to bird mites suggest:

Size: adults are less than 1 mm in size


so not the half centimetre you describe although the colouration and description do appear similar
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kitla
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Re: spider things living on wild bird

Post by kitla »

aha! well spotted LL, I read that as less than a cm, I obviously didnt read the detail properly. So back to the drawing board - what were they?
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