Bugs in tank but NOT mites?

So I recently moved my baby python's water dish to the heated side of the tank to raise the humidity a bit(he's getting ready to molt! So excited) and this morning I went to refill it, and saw these wee little bugs crawling away from the edge, some heading back to the mulch, others actually trapped on the surface of the water, and all a tad but fast to be mites. I've dealt with mites before, I've had reptile mites on a gecko I adopted, have had wood mites on a colony of pill bugs from my biology teacher gave me(which later spread to my tarantula tanks- boy that was a disaster) and trust me when I say these little dudes are not mites.

Being my paranoid self I had to get a closer look and make sure, so I snagged one out of the water using a q-tip. They're wingless, elongated with a slight curve, segmented, and sand colored. It looked like it had short antennae but I can't be certain, considering I got about 2.5 seconds to inspect it before the bugger jumped away on me. It literally jumped right off the q-tip, like a fricken flea, and I hate fleas. Fleas mites and ticks are the three arthropods I cannot do, but these little guys are neither of the three, though likely to be added to my list.

I will be cleaning out the tank tonight after work, possibly giving my baby a rinse in the tub since whatever they are seem to like the moister but fail at swimming. I just want to know if any of you have had the same problem, and if it's something I should be whipping out the bug repelant for, and possible a vet trip. This is my first snake and I've only had him a month now, I'd hate to already have him in bad health.

What are you using for substrate?

Cypress mulch. It's the same thing his previous owner used, I use it for the more natural look. I purchased both the snake and mulch on the same day during a Reptile Expo down in Denver. Made sure it was heat treated, checked it just in case before I bought it just to make sure. I check his tank nearly every day for feces and such, but the past few days I've left him alone since he's getting ready to shed.

Ah. Sounds like either the heat treat didn't get everything, or something laid eggs in it after it was treated but before it was packaged. I use cypress also, it's wonderful stuff.

Do you think it's anything too serious, like percautions I should take other then a good clean out? I know it's not mites but it's small and annoying and I'm not sure if they'd pose any threat to my python regularly, but I'm not educated on whether they're more vulnerable to such things when they're molting. I

No idea. I did find ants attempting to nest under a water bowl once; the ants were coming in from outside though. The enclosure got the PAM treatment and I used Torro bait at the entry point to kill off the main colony.

Oh gosh, what's the PAM treatment? o.o

Provent-a-mite you can buy it at LLLREPTILE or thebeanfarm.Com

Rock on! I'll have to check it out. You said PAM and I immediately thought of PAM cooking spray, sitting here like "there is no way that actually works." Thank you guys so much though. Really wish I knew what the buggers were, but so long as I get them out I'll be pretty content.

if its not mites, why treat for mites?

if they are really small and really fast then it could be springtails. in that case i would just ignore them. some springtails can be really beneficial.

Pics if you can please.

I am using crushed walnut shells and had a similar issue. My bugs were cigar beetles I emptied out the tank, cleaned and refilled with new substrate and two months later the buggers are back. If PAM will kill them, I may try that as I have some on hand.

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Originally Posted by Pythonfriend

if its not mites, why treat for mites?

if they are really small and really fast then it could be springtails. in that case i would just ignore them. some springtails can be really beneficial.

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PAM will kill bugs its a poison .. Its not for only mites but since that's most common that's what it is marketed for

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Sadly I don't have a camera other than my phone, and they don't even show up from being so tiny. I know they're not spingtails, I keep a colony of springtails in with one of my frog tanks. I've cleaned it all out, bleached the tank, double rinsed, burned the mulch just to be safe and vaccumed every crevice of my room for good measure, so hopefully whatever they were won't be coming back. I saw no major outbreak while shifting through the mulch, and it appears I'm all out of cypress and my only other option is the coconut based substrate I use for most of my other critters, however for now my dear baby is going to have to make due with old fashion newspaper and a towel for bedding, least for a few days so I can keep an eye out and make sure the pests are gone.

Zachary brings up a good point with the PAM though. If it kills all bugs, I may be reluctant to use it, considering I also have 3 species of roaches, 3 species of tarantulas, springtails, pill bugs, feeder crickets and a mantis all in the same room, and it's a tiny room. Granted I could always remove the tank from my room to treat it to a good hose down of PAM, but I'm not sure my landlord would appreciate a python tank camping out on her kitchen counter.

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Originally Posted by ZacharyPoller

PAM will kill bugs its a poison .. Its not for only mites but since that's most common that's what it is marketed for

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yes, i know it will kill them.

but if the bugs are harmless / neutral, or maybe even beneficial, why eradicate them with toxins? it depends on what exactly you are dealing with. it seems like no matter what crawls in the substrate, its always the same default reaction: kill it with fire. well, not with fire, but at least with pesticides. i think thats strange, in the world of amphibians and aquaristics people pay good money just to get the right springtails or flatworms in there. if its springtails, in the case of a snake enclosure, all they will do is to reduce smell, by eating bacteria and biofilms. and in a vivarium for amphibians they keep mold out and help break down droppings.

so why throw toxins at the "problem", when all you know is: its some bugs, but its not mites. wiping out carpenter beetles is understandable, they dont do any good and are a bit too large, which makes them a nuisance.


i dont like the strategy: "it crawls?? --> PAM". my strategy would be: "it crawls? what is it, can it harm the snake, can it become a nuisance, or can they maybe do something beneficial? if its in any way bad for a snake or can cause problems ---> PAM".

the actual issue may be hard to capture in pictures, so i would ask: can they jump, can they walk on water, and are they soft? so soft that if you manage to catch one with your fingers, it just turns into a smudge? if the answer is yes to all, then just leave them alone.

If they aren't black or red but they look like mites then they are most likely wood mites. These are harmless. Do a google search to see if wood mites look the same.