Mite problem with zebra finches.

Question
Hi Megan, a couple days ago my Zebra finches were making a nest. They were running short of nesting material and I couldn't find anything in the house to supply the birds as their nesting material. So I went outside and found a nice stalk of dried grass. I placed it in the cage and the birds did their thing, but almost immediately, I noticed that the birds started to hop around as if they were very itchy. I took the entire nest out and examined it. I found lots of red mites crawling all over! I went and bought a mite spray for the birds, but the birds weren't looking too good. Soon after, the male zebra finch died within two days. The female is doing ok since I gave her a really good "bath". What might have caused the death of my bird? The mites? By the way, the male Zebra had lots of dried blood near the edge of his wings.
Thanks.

Answer
I'm not sure what kind mites they had but you better keep an eye on your female and take her to the vet immediately if she starts to show signs of the mites again. This is the problem with using things like grass from the outdoors. There are plenty of bugs and such out there that don't harm our pets often but birds haven't been here long enough to become immune to our bugs. Best to stick to items from the pet stores. It will save you so much more than money in the long run