Found small bugs, need ID

Bartman · 01-21-05, 06:35 PM

I found these bugs, in only my boa and jcp tanks, that I assumed were mites from a piece of wood I got from a pet store. It was one big log that I cut in half and put one piece on the jcp tank and one piece in the boa cage. Now im finding these smal little black bugs...they have yellow heads with round black bodies and a white spot on their back. They are TINY and im seeing them because the boa is on paper towl.

Before I even saw the bugs the boa and jcp were in their water dish for a day, on different days, but havn't gone back into their water dishes since ive sprayed the tanks down with prevent-o-mite. I am still finding these bugs now, only in the boa tank, underneith his plastic hide. All that is in the tank now is the hide and a water dish and im using paper towl for substrate. Can anyone give an ID on wtf these bugs are and if they are indeed mites or if they are just wood mites or something?

Some of them I squash with my finger tip and they smear black or sometimes even red the bigger they are. Can these be ticks? I havnt seen ONE on the boa itself, just under the hide mostly.

Any help is appreciated. Ive collected 3 of the bugs into a deli cup because I want to take them to work and put them under a microscope...but as for now, can anyone think of something?

Thanks

csolis · 01-21-05, 06:49 PM

Sometimes its takes two or three sprayings of Prevent-o-mite to get rid of the mites, if they are mites. I think Prevent-o-mite also kills anyother insects that are in the enclosure. Take the bugs to Josh, he should know what they are. Good luck.

JAdkins2451 · 01-21-05, 06:50 PM

They might be wood mites.. I had them before from a log that I had bought.. The advice that was given to me was to bake the log for 30-45 min that should kill them.. And that they wont harm you snake.. I dont know if thats what they are.. It just an opinion.

ChunkyMunky · 01-21-05, 06:51 PM

They could be wood mites. If they are, I dont think they could cause any harm to your snakes, but I would imagine they are a pain in the butt.

EDIT: haha you beat me to it. Yea Adam, bake the log and all other wood accessories in the cage.

Bartman · 01-21-05, 07:34 PM

Thanks, will do carlos

Their is nothing left in the enclosure, its a melamine enclosure though so I hope its not wood mites. Im going to buy another bottle of prevento because the first one I used I sorta wasted and left the substrate in. It says you dont need to take it out, but that just gives them more places to hide, so with all the stuff out now, im going to spray again

I think im positive now its mites, I found one stuck to the boa and it was blood red...SHIZ!

ChokeOnSmoke · 01-21-05, 07:38 PM

sounds like mites to me as well
check this out http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showt...ight=using+nix

Bartman · 01-21-05, 08:05 PM

Thanks choke,

But wouldnt something like Provento, that has been researched and created specifically to destroy reptile mites be better then nix?

ChokeOnSmoke · 01-21-05, 08:16 PM

Please call me Andy. Same thing happened to me and my jcp a few months ago with a piece of cork. So after finding that thread I used the nix and never saw a mite again.
Its up to you... do some research and decide for yourself.

Bartman · 01-21-05, 08:21 PM

I have used the prevento and saw no results so im going to go out tomorrow and pick up some nix and try it out.

sidewinder · 01-22-05, 11:06 AM

At least thier not snake mites (which are all black ) so you know thier not bothering your snakes. when ever I buy anything like wood I put it downstairs right next to my oil burner for a week or two. That kills anything. Not so much because of the heat, but because of dessicasion (.Is that spelled right)? It kills by drying the bugs right out.

V.hb · 01-22-05, 12:18 PM

If they smear red when you squash them, id say they are snake mites. In order to smear red, they would need to be full of blood, from the snake.

Mites have a wierd life cycle, they hatch constantly, so you need something that will kill the eggs. I would remove the snakes and lather them with nix. Completely empty the enclosure and soak/bake everything you want to keep. The logs can be baked in the oven, anything else soaked in a nix/water solution. Keep the snakes on a very basic setup with just paper towel and a water bowl that you should remove and wash daily until you see no more mites.