Cedar Bedding...

[Dragonboy]

I have noticed more and more places seem to be bedding on cedar again since it seems to naturally control black mites which are the bane of many a rodent breeder/snake keeper. I run a closed system here with no new rodents being purchased now in over a year yet it seems from time to time I get either an infested bale of pine bedding (or maybe it is the mazuri feed) and wind up with mites all over the place. I break out the sevin dust for the rats and mice, and heaven forbid they have reached one of the snake rooms (some of them only eat live). Anyway that being said, many say the cedar bedding keeps the mites out. I know it works for fleas in the cats and dogs, so maybe it is really an example for the rodents. But will the cedar oil on the rodent be detrimental to the snake? That seems to be the $64,000 question I cannot find an answer to. Thoughts from other members? With 21 rat pens, 12 tanks of asf's, and 5 tubs of mice this can become a problem very quick.
Thanks

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Do not use Cedar with your rodent, use either use pine or pine pellet or any other safe substrate such as aspen etc.

Remember that mites are host specific, wood mites will not affect your rodents in any manner.

I would also be very cautious using seven dust with your feeders.

Not sure why you have outbreaks but I can tell you that I never had any mites from wood shaving nor the feed, if you have mites from your bedding than it is time to change supplier in my opinion.

[Dragonboy]

To explain more about the life cycle of the black mite...as my vet explained it to me.
These are present on wild animals from birds to squirrels and then some. At some point the mites eggs fall off waiting for another host to stick to. They get onto the trees and that is how they wind up in the bedding. I have had friends get them on their hamsters and gerbils which were pets for their kids. I have tried baled pine from 3 different companies so far and they all seem to get it in cycles. I have found that these things live on anything with blood. And my vet confirmed they are not species specific. The ones on the rats and mice were the same species I treated everything for about 6 months ago. We used NIX on the snakes and sevin and ivomec on the rodents. Everything was cool until this new outbreak. I was hoping to avoid all the chemicals but I guess it is the best way to go all in all.
Thanks

[nixer]

those black mites dont go for reptiles, but ill tell you they do bite people.
right now is a bad time because of the weather changes which makes them tend to come indoors.

oh yes and cedar bedding will not rid you of them either