HELP!!!!! Big Problem Maybe

[damiankain]

i had a rubbermaid with worms and beatles in it. trying to do the whole meal worm breeding thing. anyways i noticed today that there was dust all over the lid, upon closer inspection i noticed it wasn't dust. there is little white bugs everywhere. i mean everywhere. in my snake drawers, leo drawers, all over. i'm freakin panickin here. i dont think its mites but what the hell is it????? and what do i do, use the nix solution on ea drawer and animal? i have 147 drawers to do if thats the case. and the thought of all these damn bugs everywhere. errrrrrrr anybody have any answers or seen this before?????? thanks for your time

Casey

[Manitoban Herps]

Casey, try to wash all of your cages off, I am sure it isn't a problem.

[DragnDrop]

My first guess is grain mites. They're common in worm and cricket substrate if it's too humid in the container. I don't know how you're supplying moisture, but if you're spraying it, then that is almost definitely what they are. If there's a lot of moisture, they can get fat, like pinhead sized white pearls. The only way to get rid of them completely would be start over with uncontaminated cultures, nuke the grain based food for a minute to kill the mite eggs. Wash containers with warm soap and water, rinse well.
They're a pain to get rid of since they are so small and can hide in the darndest places, cracks and crevices.
Supply moisture for the worms and beetles with potato or carrot slices, no too many or you increase the humidity again. Best is to only use 1/4 of an average potato or carrot.
Grain mites aren't predators, so your snakes and lizards aren't threatened. However, having the mites crawling all over them can't feel good, so wash their containers and equipment as well.