Small bugs in bedding - thoughts?

So some of my tubs have these tiny bugs in them. The picture is on my dissection scope at 80x magnification. http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15...89c9d9ce8d.jpg

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

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

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!

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

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.

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Originally Posted by 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

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

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!

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.

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...

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Originally Posted by gsarchie

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

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They came out about every orifice. They weren't visible anywhere on the rat when I inspected it before feeding

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Originally Posted by aLittleLessButter

They came out about every orifice. They weren't visible anywhere on the rat when I inspected it before feeding

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Yikes, that's pretty messed up. I hope you get your rats from someone else now!