Birds use cigarette butts to expel mites
4,875 views · Published 7 January 2013 · 0:31 · Indexed 18 October 2026
Channel: News Direct · 2013 · Science & Technology
Birds are insulating their nests and keeping them pest-free by lining them with used cigarette butts suggest researchers at St Andrews University. The nicotine and the other chemicals in used filters work as a natural pesticide that repels parasitic mites. The cellulose in the butts also provide good insulation for the nest. Birds in the wild are known to protect their nests from mites by using certain chemical-emitting plants. The new research suggests that some urban bird species may have adapted the same behavior to take advantage of the repellent properties of tobacco. Researchers examined the nests of house sparrows and house finches which each contained, on average, around 10 used cigarette butts in Mexico City. In both species, the nests with more butts had significantly less mite infestation. Scientists pointed out that the tobacco plant uses nicotine as a natural defence chemical to drive away plant-eating insects.
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