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Bugs on poop?
My ball python has been sleeping outside of his hides since yesterday. At first I didn't think anything of it as he does this time to time tucked into corners and such, but today I lifted up his cool hide to find a massive poop....And there were tiny bugs crawling all over it [emoji2961]. My stomach dropped, and I immediately took him out to check him over. No bugs. No bugs on his substrate that I can see, either. Just his poop. Could these be mites? Parasites? Or just some bugs that took advantage of the fact that I didn't find his poop right away like I usually do? I haven't thrown it away as I'm not sure if I should. Any advice on what to do forward is appreciated. Should I take his poop to get tested, or is that not worth it at this point?
Edit: Okay so I just picked up the poop and put it in a baggy and got a better look. The bugs are white.
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Pics sure would be helpful... you mean like wood mites? maggots? tapeworm segments? (You say they're crawling but do they have legs???)
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Re: Bugs on poop?
Yes, they have legs. I will try to get a picture. From what I'm reading they look like wood mites, which does ease my mind a bit.
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Re: Bugs on poop?
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It's amazing what a thirsty wood mite will "drink" isn't it? :D
(& no, your pic didn't work for me- but you can search pics to compare your "bugs")
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Re: Bugs on poop?
It was a video, as it was a lot easier to see them that way, but here is a screenshot...https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b7775590d3.jpg
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Not sure but probably wood mites -assuming you have some kind of wood or wood products in there?
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Re: Bugs on poop?
Yes, I use some cypress mulch for the substrate. I will still be ordering some sort of mite spray, but at least it doesn't seem like I have to be worried about my snake.
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No, wood mites don't bother snakes- & they live with all sorts of insects in the "real world" too. (You're not talking about using mite spray on these, I hope?) I'd never spray the substrate for mites, just bake it (very low & slow oven), that should kill them off. (Ie. never risk exposing a snake to a toxic substance when a harmless choice will get the job done.) I don't use cypress but I seem to recall many others having this same issue with cypress mulch.
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Re: Bugs on poop?
Oh, so Provent a Mite isn't recommended? Is that only for more aggressive mites? Good to know!
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