• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HereBird.com | Pet Bird Care, Advice, Reviews & How-To Guides

Your ultimate resource for everything pet bird related! Expert information, tutorials and product reviews!

  • About  
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Editorial Policy
    • How We Review
    • Customer Service
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures
    • Contact
  • Cages  
    • Bird Cages
    • Aviaries & Enclosures
    • Plans for Building An Aviary
    • Other Topics
  • Accessories
  • Species
  • Health
  • Food
  • Training

HereBird is reader-supported. If you buy through links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. Learn more

Home  >  Food & Diet

Bugs in Bird Seed: How to Get Rid Of And Prevent Infestations

bugs-in-bird-seed

The last thing a bird owner wants to find when they open a bag or container of food is bugs. You certainly do not want to expose your treasured pet birds to an insect infestation, nor do you want your home to be overrun by a horde of many-legged creatures. There’s also the financial cost in replacing the spoiled food which most of us would rather avoid.

The problem can affect pet bird owners as well as wild bird enthusiasts that like to leave food in outdoor bird feeders. Let’s take a look at the kinds of bugs that you might find in bird food, what causes them to appear, and ways you can minimize your chances of having to deal with this predicament.

Table of Contents -->

  • Types of Bugs in Bird Food
    • Weevils
    • Indian Meal Moths
    • Cigarette Beetle
    • Ants and others
  • Get Rid Of Bugs in Bird Seed
    • 1. Throw Away
    • 2. Freeze
    • 3. Clean
    • 4. New bird food
    • 5. Airtight Storage
  • Bonus Tips
  • Related Posts

Types of Bugs in Bird Food

Bugs are likely to already be resident in the seed when you purchase it. Insect larvae can make it into the seed bags that you buy and spawn adults when you are ready to use it. According to absorbentproductsltd.com, these are the most common types of insects you will find infesting bird food.

  • Weevils

    Three types of weevils commonly are found in bird seed. Granary and Rice Weevils deposit their larvae in grain before the seed is processed. They will not be seen until the tiny adults are seen exiting through holes in the grain. They are not harmful to humans and do not bite or sting. Maize Weevils are also often found and are black or brown with long snouts. These insects can infest other stored foods in your home if left to their own devices. Checking for weevils is best done with a flashlight and careful observation to observe the insects’ movements.

  • Indian Meal Moths

    A moth infestation can also occur during seed processing or after you have brought the food into your home. Moths lay their eggs in the seed where the larvae feed until emerging as adult moths. The larvae’s appearance is that of tiny worms with black heads. They may leave the food and can be found on the container walls suspended on silk webs. Adult moths fly in the dark and these insects will get into other food sources in your home if you let them. If you notice fine webbing in your storage containers you may have Indian Meal Moths. Below is a video that demonstrates methods to cope with these moths.

  • Cigarette Beetle

    These small, oval insects can be seen flying in low light. As the name would suggest, they favor tobacco plants but can also infest bird seed and other products.

  • Ants and others

    Despite the best efforts at obtaining clean bird seed and treatment and inspection at the production facility, inadequate storage can lead to infestation from a variety of different insects.

bugs-in-bird-food

5 Steps To Get Rid Of Bugs in Bird Seed

1. Throw away your old food that’s open

You don’t want this infestation to spread then throw away any food you’re currently using. It’s hardly worth saving it since bird food is fairly cheap and the cost of an infestation can be quite high.

2. Freeze any unopened food

This’ll kill off any of you eggs that are present in the bird seed. Use freezer bags such as these for storage.
Ziploc Gallon Food Storage Freezer Bags, Grip...

3. Clean your bird cage, toys, perches etc.

This is recommended just in case any of the eggs have spread elsewhere around your home. We recommend using a bird safe spray as this for cleaning.
Nature’s Miracle Cage Cleaner For Birds 24...

4. Buy new bird food

With your old infested food thrown away, you’ll now want to replace this with some new quality foods. If you’re looking for a good deal on parrot food then you might want to check out the deals available on Chewy and the auto-ship features they offer:

5. Use airtight containers to store defrosted bird food

When you defrost your bird food, ensure that it is stored in an airtight containers. This’ll add an extra layer of cleanliness and bug prevention. Click on one of the 3 images below which are specifically designed to be airtight:

OXO Good Grips POP Square Storage Container,...
Gamma2 Vittles Vault Outback Airtight Pet...
IRIS USA 55 Lbs / 67 Qt WeatherPro Airtight...

Bonus Tips

According to pesticide.org, Indian Meal Moths can also be killed through heating. If you bake or microwave your bird feed then it can to kill the insect larvae. Purchasing a quality brand of bird food can minimize potential infestation. Some foods are sold vacuum packed and this is a very effective safeguard against bugs.

Other people also set up non-toxic moth traps or insect glue boards.

Other precautions such as not buying an open or torn bag of bird food and ensuring the freshness by its expiration date can be more closely controlled with a commercial, packaged product. Caution needs to be taken when buying loose bird food at the bird or pet store as this is highly likely to be infected. Below is another take on this subject from Marlene Mc’Cohen regarding freezing your bird food to prevent moths.

Related Posts

  • Parrot Food Guide
  • What Can Parrots Eat?
  • Bird Vitamins and Supplements

Post Updated: 2019-09-14

About HereBird Team

At HereBird.com, our goal is to help people to become better bird owners. Each content piece is authored by several people including professionals, avian experts & everyday pet owners. Find out more about us and what we do using the links below:

About · Our Team · Editorial Policy · How We Review · FAQ · Disclosures · Contact

Primary Sidebar

Food, Diet & Nutrition

Pet Bird Food

Parrot Food Guide
Bugs in Bird Seed
Bird Bread
By species:
Cockatiel Food
Conure Food
Lorikeet Food
Parakeet Food

Parrot Diet

What Can Parrots Eat?
Overweight Birds

Bird Nutrition

Bird Vitamins and Supplements
Teflon Poisoning and Bird Safe Cookware

Topics

CAGES

ACCESSORIES

SPECIES

HEALTH

FOOD

TRAINING

Our #1 Bird Cage Recommendation


Prevue 3151 Wrought Iron Bird Cage
(with play stand and seed catcher)

LEARN MORE

Footer

Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate Herebird.com earns from qualifying purchases. HereBird.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
HereBird.com is also involved in various other affiliate programs, so when someone buys a product on a site we link to, we may receive a commission.

Connect

     

About · Our Team · Editorial Policy · How We Review · Customer Service · FAQ · Privacy Policy · Disclosures · Contact

Copyright © 2023 · HereBird.com All Rights Reserved · Log in