Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have done some research and they are coming in on my bedding....
I use cypress mulch-- I just cleaned cages and put in new bedding and they're everywhere.
UGH!

I have taken all the bedding and put it back in the bag, cleaned all my cages, and sprayed them down with reptile relief...

are they any harm to the snakes-- besides just being a nusance-- such as-- do they eat the blood of the snake like the actual snake mites do? or... if they come in on wood-- seems like they'd live on the wood... right... ?

i dunno...

I'm ordering a can of POM... finally... as I've been told that POM will get rid of the white bug things....
Please tell me if thats right/wrong...

thanks!

Beth
-----
The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

I think you are talking about wood mites, which as far as I know are harmless to snakes. I used to get them when I used Reptibark as bedding. As long as they aren't the little brown/black buggers you should be ok.

Yep, wood mites.

Harmless but who wants bugs all over their snakes?

I used to use aspen and if you miss a poop for a day and it gets humid in there, they are there almost instantly!

I now use paper towel... and never get em

Careful with prevent-a-mite or any other pesticide. It is meant to be used conservatively and not in enclosure areas.

If you spray with PAM they may be gone for the time being but PAM doesn't work forever. Keep your cages clean and not too humid and you shouldn't get too many.

Use PAM to fight snake
-----
-------------------------------
globalreptiles.ca

yes... my cages are pretty humid...
they're constantly dumping bowls....

*sigh*

I finally had 3 snakes in a row with perfect sheds.... i guess i'll have to figure something out....

more holes maybe...

Beth
-----
The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

we use cypress and reptibark...we solved the problem by baking it in the oven at bout 300 for 20 min or so...we bake ALL of our wooden substrate...whether bought at a pet store or walmart...and we haven't seen any bugs since we started baking it

Who cares if they are harmless. who wants bugs?? Get that crap out of there. who wants to sterilze their own bedding? What a waste of time. Do a search on Sani-chips. It's in the classifieds. Looks like Great stuff, thats what I might start using.

That baking is a great idea!!

However, I use aspen bedding. I buy it in large quantities and remove the bedding about a quarter at a time into a monstrous trash can that lives in my kitchen... I.E, I'll take about the quarter of the bag, put it into the trash can, Provent-A-Mite it, let it COMPLETELY air dry, and than add another 1/4 bag and do it again untill the whole bag is done. I also wipe down my racks with Provent-A-Mite about once every 4-6 weeks.

Provent-A-Mite is absolutely fine to use on your snakes enclosures, even if it is a closed space. JUST MAKE SURE THE BEDDING AND/OR CONTAINER IS COMPLETELY DRY BEFORE PUTTING YOUR SNAKE BACK IN IT. The fumes from the wet Provent-A-Mite can kill them.

You're doing exactly what I would do, and I haven't had a problem with wood or snake mites Good luck!
-----
Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)

You are using PAM like it is a going out of style.

You do understand that bugs can develop a resistance to this sort of thing and that is why it is not encouraged to use PAM like you have been doing.

There is absolutely no reason to spray your bag of aspen with PAM.

Use of proper quarantine and good husbandry practices are all you need.
-----
-------------------------------
globalreptiles.ca

I've got a mild mite infestation from feeder mice a while ago, and I don't consider that bad husbandry. Provent-A-Miting in advance can't hurt - if whatever crazy reason one gets in, it can't live long. And those little white mites are annoying if you use wood substrate. I'd rather prevent it in advance.

I don't have mites in my collection, therefore no mites to grow any immunities. I doubt anything accidentally introduced is going to suddenly grow an intolerance immediately if it gets in my rack. You never know, you know? I think its good to be prepared? Thanks for the advice, tho. I appreciate it.
-----
Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)

You are right, nothing will develop a resistant right away... but over time.

Just be a little more conservative with pesticides. After all, they are toxic
-----
-------------------------------
globalreptiles.ca

Haha, yeah, deffinately toxic -- PAM's not exactly baby shampoo.

I really will take it into consuderation. I never really thought about doing over-doing it before... Hey, I'm guilty --> Paranoid, I'll admit it :-p

Its weird when you do everything for your snakes and they get mites from stupid stuff like feeders or the bedding you buy. I probably am too careful. Thanks again.
-----
Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)

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...

I use heavy ceramic 5" bowls, and do not have a problem with them dumping their bowls. Hope this helps.

sometimes you will just get a bad bag of substrate, and it will come loaded with bugs, or bug eggs that hatch when moist. sometimes they can find your substrate bag in your storage area, garage or shed.

the easiest thing to do is evaluate the bag itself, or the source of the bag. maybe you need to toss out the bag and start with a new one.

BK-II will kill those gnats/flies/mites/bugs no problem, and you don't have to empty the room of your reptiles to use it.
-----
robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles