Small bugs in bedding - thoughts?

[gsarchie]

So some of my tubs have these tiny bugs in them. The picture is on my dissection scope at 80x magnification.

[gsarchie]

Clearly an insect, I'm thinking some kind of mite that lives in and eats dead wood.

[nightrainfalls]

this is an insect, so no it is not a mite. Mites are chelicerates, this has mandibles. The bauplan seems to indicate termite. Probably harmless.

David

[gsarchie]

I do agree that it is harmless as they've been around for a while. I guess my entymology is a bit rusty, I thought that mites were in the insect family, thanks for clearing that up for me!

[aLittleLessButter]

not long ago I fed one of my snakes a small rat and once dead and still being constricted, I noticed bugs very similar to that coming out of it

[MarkS]

Yeah, that bug has six legs. (nice picture BTW) Mites are arachnids and have eight. I'd also guess some kind of termite or ant.

[gsarchie]

not long ago I fed one of my snakes a small rat and once dead and still being constricted, I noticed bugs very similar to that coming out of it

What do you coming out of it? Out of an orifice or off of it?

[gsarchie]

Mark - I should have known that, especially given that I took a class titled "The Biology of Spiders" when I was an undergrad. SMH. LOL
The picture is just my phone over an eyepiece, but it definitely turned out just fine!

[blk02ssmonte]

Clean the bedding and replace with new. I like to use eco earth when I had my tank set up. Now I use newspaper in my racks.

[Kris Mclaughlin]

Im perfectly used to seeing those. But ive had bioactive soils for a while in all my tanks so it may have come on a plant, wood, ive found them in tropical mix bedding before... all kindsa fun. Even after baked...