Redditors Learn That Some Urban Birds Use Cigarette Butts As A Form Of Pest Control For Their Nests, As It Keep Parasites Away

You can say that nicotine is a natural insecticide

Maryjane

• Published in Animal Stories
• November 29, 2022

It may seem unhealthy to stuff cigarette butts into the lining of nests. However, a group of ecologists asserts that rather than being unnatural, city birds' use of cigarettes may represent a modern incarnation of a long-ago adaptation.

It is well known that birds surround their nests with flora that contains substances that keep parasites at bay. Monserrat Suárez-Rodrguez, an ecologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, and her colleagues wondered whether city birds were using cigarette butts in the same way because chemicals in tobacco leaves are known to repel arthropods like parasitic mites.

The nests of two bird species that are widespread in North America were analyzed by the researchers. They counted how much cellulose acetate - a substance found in cigarette butts - was present in the nests and discovered that the more of it there was, the fewer parasitic mites were present.

Additionally, the team tested using heat traps if the nicotine concentration of the cigarette butts rather than their structure or other characteristics was responsible for the repelling effect. The team discovered that devices with smoked butts, which contain more nicotine (because cigarette smoke has passed through them) had significantly fewer parasites attached to them than devices with unsmoked butts.

In nests containing bird eggs, traps with unsmoked butts collected on average more than twice as many parasites.

More Info: Reddit, Nature

Meet u/Hilla007, a Redditor who has an interesting piece of information to share with the TodayILearned subreddit group

Some urban birds like finches and sparrows use cigarette butts as a form of pest control for their nests

According to Timothy Mousseau, an ecologist at the University of South Carolina in Columbia had this to say:

“It really makes me wonder: might these birds show a preference for cigarette brands high in nicotine? If they did, that might suggest this behaviour has truly evolved as an adaptive response to challenges from parasites."

And the comments roll in...

Life always finds a way

This Redditor doesn't believe birds are real

Do not use it as an excuse

You climate deniers are all the same

A way to filter out parasites

The actual purpose of nicotine in the tobacco plant

Who drinks and smokes has no worms

The chew on the cigarette butts

This Redditor is asking how they learnt this

Urban birds just doesn't feel right

It has detrimental effects for animals

An ashtray with a lid is a must

Nicotine is a natural insecticide

Life always does

The one guy who wasn't affected was a smoker

Urban areas have more butts lying around

They just like fluffy stuffs

An important question to ask

This Redditor regrets giving up smoking

Due to the fact that many of the compounds in cigarette butts are known carcinogens and some are pesticides, Suárez-Rodrguez warns there may be additional negative effects for the birds that are not yet known. These effects include those that are anti-parasite.

Let us know your thoughts about this information in the comments below and share this post as well.

Maryjane