small white bugs

Hi

While I was examining the substrate which is reptibark and soil for reptiles, I noticed tiny white bugs crawling around and jumping around. I examined my bp and they are not crawling on him. I don't think they are mites. Any ideas?

Their wood mites. Thats the joys of using that type of substrate. you can help by baking the mulch in the oven to kill them. Other wise buy new or go to newspaper.

Or you could try freezing the substrate....a nice deep freeze;)

But those buggers have a way of showing up again.

I am seriously thinking of going to newspaper, so new dumb question....
I have a glass aquarium, UTH, a thermometer and thermostat,
WILL THE NEWSPAPER CATCH ON FIRE!!!!!

I know!!!!Dump question! But I need to know.

Will switching to Aspen make a difference?

By the way, thank you for helping!

The newspaper will not catch on fire. You could also use paper towels, some people suggest only using newspaper if you can get unprinted newspaper. Just something I've read, I don't have experience with it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Elise.m

The newspaper will not catch on fire. You could also use paper towels, some people suggest only using newspaper if you can get unprinted newspaper. Just something I've read, I don't have experience with it.

---

printed newspaper is not an issue. the inks in news paper today are vegetable or soy based i can't remember which one. the worst they will do is rub off on your snake but i keep 5 snakes on news paper (or paper towels, it depends on the tub size) and i have yet to see news paper rub off on any of my snakes.

If I switch to aspen, will there be some other kind of bug I have to worry about. Thanks for all of your help everyone. I'm kind of a perfectionist and that includes my snake.

This is my new plan...Repti-carpet on the bottom, then aspen on top. Does anyone see any future problems with this?

Thanks again!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Horde

If I switch to aspen, will there be some other kind of bug I have to worry about. Thanks for all of your help everyone. I'm kind of a perfectionist and that includes my snake.

This is my new plan...Repti-carpet on the bottom, then aspen on top. Does anyone see any future problems with this?

Thanks again!

---

even with aspen you can get wood mites

repti carpet tends to start to smell very bad and cannot be completely cleand or disinfected

O.K. So if I just use newspaper and paper towel I have one concern. If the bp gets under the newspaper and sits on the glass where the UTH is and the temp is at 92, is there a risk he will get burned?

Thanks!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Horde

I am seriously thinking of going to newspaper, so new dumb question....
I have a glass aquarium, UTH, a thermometer and thermostat,
WILL THE NEWSPAPER CATCH ON FIRE!!!!!

I know!!!!Dump question! But I need to know.

Will switching to Aspen make a difference?

By the way, thank you for helping!

---

Remember that book, 451 Fahrenheit? That's the temperature paper burns, and if your tank gets that hot I'm pretty sure your snakes will be fried long before your newspaper is.

Aspen, newspaper, paper towels, or Kraft paper. All these make good choices for substrate depending on your personal preferences!

I wish I had time to read a good book! How about the chance of a burn on the snakes body if he gets under the newspaper?

I have my girl in a tub, with paper towels. Most of the time she's hiding, so she doesn't really burrow.

I've seen people (on here) say the BPs burrow, and I've seen some say that they do not burrow. When people say they do not, and they're talking to someone who is saying that theirs is burrowing, it's commonly because they want to get closer to the heat source. I'm no expert, just passing on what I've read.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Horde

O.K. So if I just use newspaper and paper towel I have one concern. If the bp gets under the newspaper and sits on the glass where the UTH is and the temp is at 92, is there a risk he will get burned?

Thanks!

---

If the temp under the substrate stays below 95* you are good.