Contaminated pet hair used to line birds' nests has been killing off songbird chicks in numbers, the Guardian reported.
What's happening?
A newly published study in the Science of the Total Environment this month found that in 103 blue and great tit (songbirds) nests containing pet fur, 100% of them contained fipronil, and 89% contained imidacloprid. Both of these are harmful insecticides used widely in flea and tick treatments for pets, which then end up in birds' nests through pet hair lining.
The researchers also tested all the nests for specific insecticides and found 17 out of the 20 they were testing for. A higher number of unhatched eggs or dead chicks were found in nests with a higher incidence of insecticides, according to the Guardian article.
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All the time 😨 Why are insecticides concerning?
Fipronil has been banned for use in the food industry in both the U.S. and the E.U. and is highly toxic to aquatic life and some birds, according to the National Pesticide Information Center. Imidacloprid is restricted for outdoor use in some U.S. states and banned in the E.U. because this pesticide is moderately to highly toxic to important pollinators, including honeybees and birds. Imidacloprid lingers in the environment, leaching into the soil and contaminating water sources.
"These flea treatments … enter rivers, killing the wildlife within," the Guardian article reads.
Despite the dangers of these chemicals, they are still used extensively in treating pet fleas and ticks. In fact, veterinarians promote these treatments for pets, even if they don't have the pest, which increases the incidence of nontarget demise, as seen in the falling songbird population across the U.K.
What is being done about insecticides?
SongBird Survival, the charity that sponsored the contaminated nest study, is calling for the U.K. government to review the environmental impact of insecticides and other veterinary drugs. According to the Guardian article, the charity hopes to see the government reel in the use of these toxic pesticides, to save the remaining songbird population.
Pet owners can also help in this fight by limiting the use of harmful pet flea and tick treatments or switching to chemical-free insecticides entirely. One Fur All Pets recommends trying diatomaceous earth — a powder made from fossilized algae — or essential oils, apple cider vinegar, or herbal flea collars.
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