maggoty things in viv

[Alisa-D]

I've noticed a few different bugs in Yogis and Koko's viv, some I have put in like the crickets and roaches, these do get eatten but some survive and are running around in there. But some I haven't, they have some centipedes that I have seen Yogi eatting one but I have also seen a few more in there, I think they came from the branches. I have also noticed some other bugs but not sure what they are. There is a lot of them. They don't seem to be doing any harm. They look a bit like meal worm but aren't. Any ideas what they could be.



http://i58.tinypic.com/2akb38i.jpg

[poison123]

They do indeed look like meal worms or maybe another species of beetle larva.

[Starbuck]

Lots of beetle and grain moth larvae can look very similar to meal worms. If you want to be sure you can scoop them out and try to keep them alive until they pupate and metamorphose. They are most likely harmless, and could have come in on the soil, branches, or been hiding out in a cricket or roach container (eating th cricket food).

[Indyvai]

My next leap is going to be bio active soil... sounds like yours is pretty good. Free food!

[Jim Smith]

They look a bit like wire worms which eat grains etc. I am wondering what animals you keep in your viv. That substrate looks very wet almost soupy.

[Pirarucu]

I agree, the substrate looks a bit too wet. Jim, she is keeping a pair of small savannahs.

[Alisa-D]

Thanks, as long as they wont cause my monitors any problems I wont worry about them being in there.

The substate is ok,it is probably too dry if anything, I took a lot of the moss out the other day and left in in a bucket of water overnight to try and revive it as it was drying out but even after squuezing out most of the water it is still a bit mushy and not how I wanted it to turn out.
I really need deeper substate as although I am keeping the humidity up it is starting to become a loosing battle now.

[jpsteele80]

That wet of a soil is going to cause you huge problems soon if your keeping monitors on that

[moshirimon]

You don;t need to have drenched substrate for humidity. you'd do better with and enclosure that retains humidity.

[SnakeyJay]

Seal off all the vents etc if they aren't already sealed.

[Pirarucu]

Can you take some pictures of the dirt in the rest of the cage?

[Alisa-D]

Yeah here are some more pics of the whole viv, i have tried to make it as covered as possible in the back

http://i61.tinypic.com/inbg37.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/264ggh4.jpg

http://i58.tinypic.com/20l1f6t.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/2ji2bn.jpg


This is a wet marsh area that I put in for them it helps keel humidity up and the love playing in it aswell, I always see there little faces poking out as they dig around in it getting muddy

http://i62.tinypic.com/2ugz77a.jpg