Humidity trays

[avian]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Oh, the link anytime the word "mist" is used is automatic... a product of the owner of the forum. Just a slightly annoying little "feature", a bit of advertising for a person who supports this whole operation... small compensation.

It's somewhat effective since I did check out the product.

[Roberta]

It's been awhile since I has that "spare bedroom as greenhouse" setup, but I don't recall much of a problem with an "algae farm" in those big bins, even though I was watering directly into them. The water evaporated pretty fast. Maybe a couple of times a year they'd get gross and I'd clean them out... hadn't learned about Physan at that time.

[MJG]

And I no longer lug the orchids back and forth to the sink. I bought a 2 liter sprayer (not a mister) and the bucket that I mentioned. It's easier for me to move among the orchids rather than going back and forth to the sink.

A side benefit of the sprayer is more controlled watering than I could get with the sink. I can water without flooding the pot every time. I think it helps avoid overwatering.

[avian]

Physan....I'm careful with chemicals due to the birds but I remembering reading somewhere that it's safe around birds. Toxic for fish.

I fill a pitcher with water instead of watering directly from the tap. It's easier for me to control the flow plus that's how I fertilize.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by avian

Physan....I'm careful with chemicals due to the birds but I remembering reading somewhere that it's safe around birds. Toxic for fish.

You remembered correctly. Physan is not harmful to birds - or humans or pets. It is very toxic to fish, attacks the gills.

[Ray]

Avian - try the link again. We were playing with some DNS settings.

[WaterWitchin]

Hey Avian... what kind of birds? I've raised several different ones, and always had a humidifier.

[avian]

Originally Posted by Ray

Avian - try the link again. We were playing with some DNS settings.

Still not working for me.

---------- Post added at 11:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 AM ----------

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Hey Avian... what kind of birds? I've raised several different ones, and always had a humidifier.

Never used one with my birds. Have had birds for many years. Have a variety of birds: house sparrow, cockatiels, Amazon parrots, Cockatoos, a conure, Senegal parrot and red-bellied parrots (used to breed red-bellies).

What kind of birds do you/have you had?

[WaterWitchin]

Of course rescue birds like sparrow, robin, etc, etc. Bred and raised parakeets, roller canaries, finches. Had a conure, a double yellow headed Amazon, and an African grey. A couple other parrots I can't call to mind at the moment. And raced homing pigeons for about twenty years (not the same thing at all).

Was curious. Always had a humidifier in area where birds were. Have to have excellent sanitation skillz to run one. Around 50% RH is the best compromise between people and birds.

[Ray]

Sorry to continue the highjack, but you two would love the Sea Biscuit Bird Rescue here on the island. A 70+ year old retired realtor has her entire back yard ~ 1/10 acre converted for the process.

She has a pen with a pool for the pelicans (she usually has at least a half-dozen), a large, tall cage for the hawks and eagles and a bunch more smaller pens for owls, shore birds, etc. A nearby island is the breeding place for 85% of the white ibises in the US, so she gets a lot of those, too.

She does all of it on her own dime, so I catch menhaden and other smaller fish or save my unused bait and take them over to supplement her food supply.

Literally the second time I went over there, my wife, sister-in-law and her husband went along. The moment we walk in, she say “Here. Hold this ibis.” Then she tells my B-I-L to hold its beak open, and she started stuffing fish down its throat. When feeding the pelicans, one escaped into the yard and she told the ladies to “throw a net over him!”. Fortunately he came waddling back and she grabbed his bill and pulled him back into the pen.

She has several birds that cannot be released (pelican, great horned own, red tail hawk, crow and a gannet (“pit bulls with beaks”) last I was over there) that she legally keeps for educational purposes, giving lectures all over the area.

She has gained such a good reputation that she quarantines birds before being shipped to zoos, and between the town and Duke Energy, plus some donations, a new wildlife rescue/education center is being built.