I haven't had bugs around my snakes in along time but I have had TINY I mean TINY white bugs the size of the sharp end of a sewing needle in my homemade wooden racks for my ASF Rats, I can see them just barely they are that small and if the tubs weren't jet black I doubt I would have ever noticed them.. I still don't know what they are for sure, if they are a grain mite coming from the mixed grains I feed the rats or a wood mite or what . I am not sure if they even bother the rats but I don't want them regardless so I have sprayed the rats directly with Reptile Relief (totally safe according to the manufacturer) and the tubs with equate which is a generic version of Provent a mite.. It is kinda humid in my new rat building at times so maybe they are the same things you guys are talking about here.. I don't know if they come in on my corn cob bedding or wood pellet bedding or what , if that is the deal I think I'll start putting the bags in a deep freeze for a week before using them , maybe that will fix the little critters.. I don't like using chemicals all the time either so just wish I could get rid of them for good as it seems they go away for a month or so then start showing up in the exact same cages that had them before again. I also wonder if they could be bugs coming from within the wood 2x2 Pine used to build the racks, could some of the wood be carrying them within and hatching them when temps and humidity are just right? Like I said they show up in the same exact place when they are back again, it seems like I get them killed off and removed once I see them pretty easy but why/how would they come back if I am spraying down the rats with Reptile Relief (in case they do get any on them) and using equate on the tubs/bedding?? Maybe the bedding is the reason?? It's frustrating as Heck as I spent alot of time and $$ on the new setup and don't want any bugs of any kind period. I thought of using cedar chips for a few weeks but hear that is not good for the rats and can cause respiritory infections as the fumes from the cedar bother them??? Any help from a rodent expert/bug expert is much appreciated as I don't have time for bugs.. I'll do whatever it takes to rid them , I just need to know what they are (these aren't brown or red bugs for sure, maybe they aren't a mite at all, they are always LITTLE bright white ones so small you can't really make out the legs on them) and how I can keep them from coming back once I treat everything, thanks in advance, Anthony McCain...

[ Show Entire Thread ]