Python & Aphids, Problem, Major HELP

Ok, so i know there are a few threads about mites, but i do not have mites, i have aphids, and they are in my tank, i have no house plants, but here is my story as short as i could make it:

I am having a problem, with my(ball python) snake tank.. To keep it short, i had tomatoe plants that were brought inside my house, had aphids, seen and got rid. however they seem to have went into my tank (big tank (4 ft x 1.5ft x 2ft(h)), i realized this, and shortly after baked the soil, wood etc, on 180F for 35mins, i have no idea if that was long enough as its "lots" of soil it was about two big trays in my oven, then two logs, the rest plastic plants, dish etc i washed throughly. After two months, i havent seen any aphids in my house (i have no house plants except lucky bamboo, which doesnt carry aphids), and now i see them again all over the tank. I am worried if i buy new soil and it happens that there is an aphid in the house it will fly in there and start again, but i truely believe the aphids are already in the tank and laid eggs, and thats where it is starting again(as they werent killed from the oven) from as there are tiny tiny aphids in there. so any advice? or known amount of temp, and time for baking the bark (wood) and the amount of soil i have? or natural stuff i can buy to kill aphids rather then mites, or would it work on aphids even though its for mites... help please....

Thank you

I would try using paper towels or newspaper, and get rid of anything wooden in the cage, or even nearby.

so news paper instead of soil? i am sorta new to this so im not sure what is ok or not ok lol.. so then how do you keep the humidity up? i have a dry house being in canada, its winter here, so the soil keeps the moisture in when i spray the tank down, etc. also when she is going to shed she uses the log cave(arch) i have for her so she can use that to help her shed, without that im not sure what i could use... but please keep any advice coming lol..if i can keep the humidity up and have something for her to help her shed, without wood or soil i will forsure try it.

Run all your cage furniture through the dishwasher. Toss out all your substrate. Spray down the cage with a 10% bleach solution. Make sure it is dry and clean of all the bleach smell. Use several sheets of newspaper for the substrate for a couple weeks to make sure there is no reoccurrence. Then replace with some aspen bedding.:cool:

What works for me with the humidity is:when the snake starts getting cloudy eyes before shedding. I dump half a cup of water into the aspen bedding right above the under tank heating. It keeps the humidity high just during shedding. In a week when the snake is done shedding the humidity goes back to normal.
If you have a glass aquarium its hard keeping the humidity up. You can cover the top of the aquarium with plastic about 85% more or less as needed to cut off all the airflow. If you dont want to cover the tank just add a little water aboave the under tank heater right in the substrate. This system works great with aspen or cypress bedding. I would reccomend aspen though.

ok and just to make sure, when you say newspaper, is that code for a special type of bought newspaper bedding for a tank, or just newspaper that comes in the mail? haah sorry if that sounds stupid but i like to make sure..

i dont have a dishwasher, so thats a no go, would baking the wood ( really dont want to get rid of it) help at all? wood meaning the wood arch, and two wood logs from the pet store. the rest i can soak in a tub with bleach solution and wash etc..

the soil yes i will get rid of, once i know i can just use regular old news paper..

well i spray my tank every day just to keep the hum. at 50%, and also pour water in the subtrait to dampn the soil and then it drys out by evening and more so when shes about to shed. My house is super dry, older home. I do already have the plastic overtop of the tank.. and i have no idea what kind of subtrait i have.. but i have taken some pictures to give you a better idea.. hope this can help and pick out what soil i do have already and if i should just get some more after a couple of weeks of using newspaper.. thank you

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...ie66/tank1.jpg
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...ie66/tank2.jpg
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...ie66/tank3.jpg

dark-winged fungus gnat

is what i found out it actually is.. so i guess im throwing out all the wood haha.. thanks for the help everyone

BTW i do mean regular old newspaper! It is easy!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Swingline0.0.1

BTW i do mean regular old newspaper! It is easy!

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awesome thank you..

i just know theres that "yesterdays news" for cats but you can buy that lol..

you may want to try to get your hands on a can of Prevent-a-mite, also known as PAM (NOT the kitchen PAM). It kills almost every insect, it is very strong. Follow the directions EXACTLY on the can and that may get rid of them.

Aphids are totally harmless to anything other than plants. That's the good news. Bad news is they attract ants, depending on where you live. And Fungus gnats are super annoying you don't see any for days then all of a sudden you find 1. Anyway about your aphids, I wouldn't go crazy, but doing general cleaning like others have posted will help.

ya they arent aphids. someone told me they were, but i did some researched and now i found out they are dark winged gnats.. so going to do the paper, and aspen thing.. ill update everyone what i find out and all that if all works lol

Im surprised that no one has commented about this but, bye he looks of your avatar picture thiingy you have a baby ball, (correct me of im wrong about that)
and i believe that a 4 foot by 1 1/2 by 2 foot cage is WAY to big for any ball, even adult

ya i know its big, but thats what this guy sold to me, and he owns a pretty good store, but his away right now. so im coming to the forums to talk to some people with similar problem to mine.

i personally dont see what would be the difference if i had this size of tank, to a smaller one, i put lots of stuff in it to make it become more inclosed.. and i can keep the humidity up as well. plus she loves roaming all over the place, personally i see it being better then some people who keep them in those tiny 1ft x 1ft. plastic containers.

not sure what is considered by a "baby" shes about 2 1/2 years old already

Fungus gnats will die on their own very quickly, but they also breed very quickly. You will need to eliminate all sources of moisture except the actual water bowl. There may be other areas of your apt./house that could be a problem. Drop ceilings, potted plants, dishwashers,drip pan under refridgerators, any othe places that could collect water/moisture. Also check window frames, sometimes the collect moss and could attract gnats.

ya, what had happened were they came from my tomato plants i brought in from outside...

i got rid of them, and have no other plants, i also live in winnipeg, mb, canada which its minus 30celusis, with a windchill of minsu 37celusis, so anything in window frames etc are now dead, i never had a problem with my snake tank till i brought in tomato plants.

I then didnt get rid of the substrate but baked it along with the wood etc, and cleaned the rest. i didnt see anything for 2 months in the tank. or in my house (only had a few flying in my house, but none anymore they went into my vingar traps i made)

but now i seen babies in the tank of the gnats, so i know that baking didnt kill them... i now got rid of all wood and substrate, and cleaned everything very very very well, i only have her cave, water dish and ceramic pot. and today bought her a foam magnetic shelf, a new heat plastic box and a new fake bark(sorta plasticish)(which doubles, as to aid in her sheding if she needs as its pretty rough like real bark), and am using news paper for substrate and paper towel in her cave, and in the plastic heating box. will do that for about 4 weeks with the news paper till i see everything is clear.

so i think ill be good for a bit, i was going to go with aspen substrat, but because you cant really mist it, im going with this coco or coconut substrate, which doesnt carry bugs or they cant, like my bark can, as per this great reptile store that just opened in my city suggested today.

the other thing, with the topic of my tank being too big, i have no problem with my snake eating when i take her out, and with her shedding, so i believe that when i do start to have a problem, then i will consider change, but untill then, she seems happy, shes alive, her tail isnt flat, and she loves me lol jk... but seriously im not going to go into panic mode till that happens,and niether should anyone else, snakes live in the outside just fine too which is a lot bigger then 4 x2.

All snakes vary in personality, some snakes like a big cage, while some dont. I was just sayin' that it probably is to big, but if he's eating, and having a good shed than thats great for you. Just Sayin';)

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Originally Posted by pink_zombie

ya plus she loves roaming all over the place, personally i see it being better then some people who keep them in those tiny 1ft x 1ft. plastic containers.
already

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You're putting human wants onto a snake. Animals aren't like us. As their owners and caretakers, its OUR responsibility to meet THEIR needs, not apply our wants to them.

Ball pythons are known for doing better in smaller, more cramped and enclosed spaces. Other snakes like corns or boas will take advantage of the space and utilize it. Ball pythons, 99% of the time respond by not eating which is a sign of stress, as is roaming. Ball pythons aren't a roaming species. If you're seeing her moving around all the time she is stressed. They spend most of their time under their hides. The only time they really roam is if they are hungry or its a male looking for a female.

The reason so many people keep them in smaller enclosures than an animal of similar size is because they thrive in them. I've had animals stop eating once i moved them to an enclosure that was too big for them. Moving them back to their older homes stopped that behavior.

Thats not to say that people don't make lavish large enclosures work for BPs--they do, but they know how to meet those animals needs before they go about attempting to do that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

You're putting human wants onto a snake. Animals aren't like us. As their owners and caretakers, its OUR responsibility to meet THEIR needs, not apply our wants to them.

Ball pythons are known for doing better in smaller, more cramped and enclosed spaces. Other snakes like corns or boas will take advantage of the space and utilize it. Ball pythons, 99% of the time respond by not eating which is a sign of stress, as is roaming. Ball pythons aren't a roaming species. If you're seeing her moving around all the time she is stressed. They spend most of their time under their hides. The only time they really roam is if they are hungry or its a male looking for a female.

The reason so many people keep them in smaller enclosures than an animal of similar size is because they thrive in them. I've had animals stop eating once i moved them to an enclosure that was too big for them. Moving them back to their older homes stopped that behavior.

Thats not to say that people don't make lavish large enclosures work for BPs--they do, but they know how to meet those animals needs before they go about attempting to do that.

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Thank you for saying that, i was to afraid to say the same thing.

right, and before buying my new stuff she had 3 hides(2 being wood) to go into,(now plastic and the fake enclosed bark and plastic hut along with her cave), this is how she acted. (which is still off topic from teh bugs)

she slept all day in her cooler corner and soemtimes about 8pm she cruised around for about 2 hrs(not every night but sometimes a few out of the week), then go into her warmer cave for the rest of the night.. she crusies more you are right when shes hungery, i feed her usualy every 14 days, when i notice her more "searching" for food, i have never had a problem with her not wanting food, or shedding.. so i know that just because she has a big tank, doesnt mean i havent met her needs in the other ways.. but i have vines hanging from the tank that she does like to cruise on for a couple of hrs(while searching for food or hey maybe just playing around). then she goes back to her cave.. so again unless i have a problem with her eating or shedding i feel as though i have provided her with her needs. so chill shes not stressed.


i feel that you are contradicting yourself.. your saying that you cant have a big tank because 99% of snakes are getting stressed and wont eat, but saying you can so long as i have the right needs met... so fyi, i guess i have being that she eats with no problems, and sheds "beautifully" if i may so myself... so to me i see no problem, i also wanted to get one more snake too so a nice tank of that size would fit both of them with 3 hides just great.

this thread was not about me having problems with her, it was about bugs, so untill someone states they are having a problem with shedding or eating, maybe we can all stay on the topic..
thank you for you input, but i havent had any problems with my snake except for these damn gnats.
maybe i just have a happy snake lol..

also the picture was from the first day i got her, so yep she may have been stressed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pink_zombie

right, and before buying my new stuff she had 3 hides(2 being wood) to go into,(now plastic and the fake enclosed bark and plastic hut along with her cave), this is how she acted. (which is still off topic from teh bugs)

she slept all day in her cooler corner and soemtimes about 8pm she cruised around for about 2 hrs(not every night but sometimes a few out of the week), then go into her warmer cave for the rest of the night.. she crusies more you are right when shes hungery, i feed her usualy every 14 days, when i notice her more "searching" for food, i have never had a problem with her not wanting food, or shedding.. so i know that just because she has a big tank, doesnt mean i havent met her needs in the other ways.. but i have vines hanging from the tank that she does like to cruise on for a couple of hrs(while searching for food or hey maybe just playing around). then she goes back to her cave.. so again unless i have a problem with her eating or shedding i feel as though i have provided her with her needs. so chill shes not stressed.


i feel that you are contradicting yourself.. your saying that you cant have a big tank because 99% of snakes are getting stressed and wont eat, but saying you can so long as i have the right needs met... so fyi, i guess i have being that she eats with no problems, and sheds "beautifully" if i may so myself... so to me i see no problem, i also wanted to get one more snake too so a nice tank of that size would fit both of them with 3 hides just great.

this thread was not about me having problems with her, it was about bugs, so untill someone states they are having a problem with shedding or eating, maybe we can all stay on the topic..
thank you for you input, but i havent had any problems with my snake except for these damn gnats.
maybe i just have a happy snake lol..

also the picture was from the first day i got her, so yep she may have been stressed.

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Ball pythons do not play. They do not enjoy roaming around their cage. They move from place to place for very few reasons.

Reason #1: They are hungry. If they are hungry, a ball python will move around its enclosure in search of food.

Reason #2: They are thermoregulating. If a ball python is too hot or too cold, they will move somewhere else to regulate their body temperature.

Reason #3: They are stressed. They are looking for a way out of their stressful situation.

Reason #4: Breeding.

And that's about it. Ball pythons sit in the same place for a long time out in the wild, digesting their meals. They only move to a new place in search of food or a mate. That is it. They like to conserve as much energy as they can since they sometimes have to go for long periods of time without food. What would be the purpose of wasting energy by taking a stroll? Ball pythons do not "enjoy" handling or roaming their cage or the great outdoors.

On the topic of the bugs, I would take everything out of her cage, get newspaper or paper towel as substrate and get her two (or more) identical hides, and keep the water dish but make sure to clean with a 10% bleach solution. As for the hides make sure they are enclosed on all sides except for an opening for her to crawl in through. Butter tubs work well for this. Just cut a small opening, just big enough for her to crawl through. Getting a can of PAM might also be beneficial.

you have been given some very helpful information on how to deal with the bugs.

Many people (myself included) are just giving you some preventative advice because we see threads like "my snake wont eat" "my snake wont shed all the way" "my snake is never in its hides" etc, all the time, especially with less experienced keepers. The usual response to getting an animal is to give it the best, and for some reason the best usually means more. But with BPs -most- of the time more is detrimental and not helpful -- that is all we're saying. There are several people on this board that keep their BPs in 40gal breeders and have animals with great feeding responses, temperaments and sheds. Its not impossible and you may be one of those people but you didn't really give us that info. Its going to take us a little while to get to know you, you just joined the other day :)

right, and like i said, she does usually stay in one spot about 90% of the time.. so chill.. she roams once in awhile and she actually goes onto her vines and sits there for a bit.. so again chill...

she eats great, she sheds great.. so i dont have a problem, and no im not new to this. and i have been on this board for a bit, but i had a different user name, went on a few tours, and forgot it, along with my changed email address soo could not retrive it..

....
as for the bugs, yes i got great advice from there and another forum. i did teh bleach thing, and also got rid of all the wood.. and got new stuff thats fake bark(help in shedding), and a plastic hide rather then a wood one i had.. along with her cave..

and if a snake doesnt like to be handled, (mine seems to do just fine, they like the body heat of people).. why even have one.. what is the point.. why have something you cant hold once in awhile.. to me that just seems pointless you might as well have a goldfish.

Personally I think having the big tank is fine, as long as it has plenty of hiding spots and decor so the snake can feel secure. Plus, if the snake is eating, pooping, hiding, shedding well, what's the big deal?

As for the bug problem - I agree with everyone else: Get some P-A-M, and switch to non-particulate substrate (e.g. newspaper or paper towels). I use unprinted packing paper (can get it at Home Depot near their cardboard boxes). It's cheap, looks nice, and works well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pink_zombie

and if a snake doesnt like to be handled, (mine seems to do just fine, they like the body heat of people).. why even have one.. what is the point.. why have something you cant hold once in awhile.. to me that just seems pointless you might as well have a goldfish.

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Snakes do not ENJOY being handled but they tolerate it. They don't sit in their cage saying to themselves "Oh I hope she takes me out today." My snakes do not enjoy coming out of their enclosures but I like to hold them so I do so. Just because they don't enjoy it doesn't mean you can do it. Its just that ball pythons are not like puppies and kitties that thrive on human interaction. Ball pythons are instinctual animals and display little emotions.

well even though theres a limited amount that i hold my snake,
what makes you think they dont like it. or "tolerate it"? what does your snake do that makes you think that?
like snaps at you? curles up int a ball?


as for teh bugs.. ive done all the cleanig that topic is now done and delt with thank you.


as for a smaller encloser i was going to eventually make my own encloser even though she is fine in the size, i want something that holds up the humidity better. however homemade ones are seeming to be more and more toxic, with either woods, which you either need to treat, or varathane which is toxic, or put plastics in and over the wood, which also too are toxic.. so unless i spend lots on the pvcx ones, i feel homemade ones are becoming very toxic.