If you have an aviary, you have certainly had a problem with rodents and vermin in and around your aviary. In the worst case, rats can kill their birds or even scare them away from caring for their young.
You will be aware of their presence if you notice small mounds of sand and elongated brown grainy droppings. If you don’t act right away, the problem will just get worse. The best way to do this is to call in pest control specialists, as poisoning them on your own is risky, not only for you and your family, but for your birds as well.
Mice can quickly become a serious problem, as where food is freely available, i.e. bird seed, they will reproduce and multiply rapidly. Did you know that a single pair can produce more than a hundred children in spring a year? If you have a lot of mice, they will destroy your aviary in no time, as they can get into the wall covering materials and nest there. They could also find a place on the ground to nest, and if this happens, it will be very difficult to get rid of them with poisoning methods or traps, or your birds could be harmed.
A good option is to place a killer trap in their cage enclosure. This is where you come in, but where the birds can’t reach. Mice can generally move freely between the bars of the cage and will be able to easily access the trap. Box traps that catch mice alive are more effective and can catch more than a dozen mice in the course of one night. They also have no dangerous components, so you can use them around the aviary without harming your birds.
At first, it will take a few days for the mice to get used to the trap. Place the bait in it to attract them without the lid for a few days until they regularly feed there. Then you can put the lid on and the mice will be able to get in, but not escape again after they have fed.
A cat is another option, but you will have to be careful here as you have half the chance that your birds will be eaten as well. Before letting a cat into the aviary, remove all birds. Make sure the cat cannot get close enough to the birds to harm them. If the cat climbs onto the roof of the aviary, it could scare cockatoos and other birds out of their nests.