A device comprises a perch (1) which has a sitting section (3) whose top forms a sitting area (5) for the animals and whose bottom (7) has a mounting face (9) by which the perch (9) is fitted to supports (11). It is then impossible for bird mites to crawl up to the sitting area and thus to the animals other than via the bottom (13) of the sitting section. In order to prevent bird mites from crawling up to the animals the bottom of the sitting section has along its entire length two parallel non-insulated elongated electrical conductors (15). During operation a voltage difference is introduced between these two electrical conductors. Bird mites that intend to crawl over the conductors to the animals resting on the perch then simultaneously touch the two conductors and are thereby electrocuted. These electrical conductors (15) thus form a barrier to bird mites so that they can no longer crawl up to the sitting area.
