Bugs!

bionicmomma · 11-08-2007, 09:25 PM

Hey there, it's been quite a while since I posted. I was lucky enough to get my little albino garter to eat and grow well. However the last few days have been odd. I came home the other day to find my tank had fallen over and the snake was MIA. Luckily we found him safe and sound. Tonight I came home to find he had wedged himself through the small hole at the top of his coconut house. After some coaxing we were able to get him out, but after I put him back in his house I found that his whole tank is COVERED in little bugs!

Any idea what they are? How do I get rid of them?

zooplan · 11-08-2007, 10:21 PM

First of all you should clean and wash the whole enclosure and interior.
Substitude everything thats easy to renew.
Frost or heat will be effective to kill those bugs and eggs you could not wash away.
Maybe they are ony springtails or something similar that are eating rotten material in soil or other bedding in the enclosure.

Bay_area · 11-08-2007, 10:57 PM

what do they look like

bionicmomma · 11-08-2007, 11:41 PM

Very very tiny and fast and they are everywhere! Smaller then fleas and larger then mites. I did as Udo suggested and I'm doing a diluted bleach bath on his log and I am following cleaning protocol that I use at the Oakland Zoo. It's just the first time I've encountered these pests.

adamanteus · 11-09-2007, 02:49 PM

They sound like springtails or thrips, as Udo says they are thriving in the terrarium environment. They're obviously not welcome, but at least they're harmless.

11-08-2007, 09:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
bionicmomma Hi, I'm New Here! Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 9 Country:	Bugs! Hey there, it's been quite a while since I posted. I was lucky enough to get my little albino garter to eat and grow well. However the last few days have been odd. I came home the other day to find my tank had fallen over and the snake was MIA. Luckily we found him safe and sound. Tonight I came home to find he had wedged himself through the small hole at the top of his coconut house. After some coaxing we were able to get him out, but after I put him back in his house I found that his whole tank is COVERED in little bugs! Any idea what they are? How do I get rid of them?

11-08-2007, 10:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
zooplan "Fourth shed, A Success" Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bonn Posts: 833 Country:	Re: Bugs! First of all you should clean and wash the whole enclosure and interior. Substitude everything thats easy to renew. Frost or heat will be effective to kill those bugs and eggs you could not wash away. Maybe they are ony springtails or something similar that are eating rotten material in soil or other bedding in the enclosure. __________________ best wishes bis bald Udo www.zooplan.net Member of the EGSA

11-08-2007, 10:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
Bay_area "Preparing For Second shed" Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 224 Country:	Re: Bugs! what do they look like

11-08-2007, 11:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
bionicmomma Hi, I'm New Here! Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 9 Country:	Re: Bugs! Very very tiny and fast and they are everywhere! Smaller then fleas and larger then mites. I did as Udo suggested and I'm doing a diluted bleach bath on his log and I am following cleaning protocol that I use at the Oakland Zoo. It's just the first time I've encountered these pests.

11-09-2007, 02:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
adamanteus Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheshire. (Near Manchester). Posts: 7,958 Country:	Re: Bugs! They sound like springtails or thrips, as Udo says they are thriving in the terrarium environment. They're obviously not welcome, but at least they're harmless. __________________ James.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode