Cypress mulch .....question

So I have my second Ball python and I have been using Carefresh due to the scare of mites. I talked with a local enthusiast/breeder and he suggested cypress mulch. I asked about mites and he told me that the mulch is treated and he has no problems and he is housing over 70 snakes mostly corn and b.p.'s So I switch and im changeing water no more than a few days later and what do you know...... Bugs wherever there was water cause he told me I could wet down the mulch. So my question is are these mites???? They were REALLY small whitish bugs and I am not sure what mites look like. I have been dealing with reptiles in small numbers since I was 2 so not a newbie by anymeans but also not a breeder/expert. Any advice will be very helpfull. Also I NEED my humidity up. I have tried the washcloth/moss in the tupperware container and no luck. Im uneasy about misting do to the Carefresh molding. Any other suggestions? And for my info I have my b.p. in a 55 gal glass aquarium and yes he loves it it is NOT too big. He is over 2000 grams and over 4 1/2 ft. long. Thank you for any advice and help-Ray:snake:

wood mites. We bake our mulch if it's buggy on a cookie sheet. Don't soak it necessarily.

350 deg for however long to dry it out. ;)

Very cool ty. But if you mist do they come back????

Id ditch the stuff and use paper towels or newspaper, it is soooo much better and cleaning is super easy, and feeding on it is worry free.

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Originally Posted by scales owner

Very cool ty. But if you mist do they come back????

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Not when you bake it!! LOL they turn to little crispies hahaha

We use cypress for all of our snakes, I love it! Will never use anything else. (except babies, babies get paper towels)

All the cypress mulch I have purchased had alot of buggies( wood mites, I think). Probably nothing that would harm my snake but who wants all those critters cruising around your house. Cypress is great to retain humidity but I use newspaper now and never looked back. Much easier for 50+ snakes.

Ty all so much please keep them comming.

Ty all. Any more suggestions on Humidity?

Moved to Ball Python husbandry forum for you! ;)

Ty lol!:)

I would get rid of the carefresh bedding. It is very dusty. I read one thread on here where a member thinks that using that bedding contributed to their snake getting an RI.

It will be very hard to keep humidity high enough in a 55 gallon tank. Temps can be hard to control in an enclosure this big as well.

I assume your tank has one of those screen tops? If you have not already, cover most of it with something to keep the humidity and heat in. The most popular way of doing this seems to be to use 3 layers of aluminum foil held in place with duct tape.

Putting in a humid hide will not significantly raise the humidity of the whole enclosure, but it does at least give the snake a place to go when it wants to.

We'll be able to help you better if you give more specifics of what you have done already.

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Originally Posted by kc261

I would get rid of the carefresh bedding. It is very dusty. I read one thread on here where a member thinks that using that bedding contributed to their snake getting an RI.

It will be very hard to keep humidity high enough in a 55 gallon tank. Temps can be hard to control in an enclosure this big as well.

I assume your tank has one of those screen tops? If you have not already, cover most of it with something to keep the humidity and heat in. The most popular way of doing this seems to be to use 3 layers of aluminum foil held in place with duct tape.

Putting in a humid hide will not significantly raise the humidity of the whole enclosure, but it does at least give the snake a place to go when it wants to.

We'll be able to help you better if you give more specifics of what you have done already.

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Ty so much will try the foil. I have no prob keeping the temp right just the hum. I also looked up the huma hides and might try one of those. I am not sure about carefresh causing ri but I am going to give cypress mulch a shot again. As soon as I put it in last time the hum. jumpped up quite a bit. I do also have a plastic tub with holes in it w/ water and moss hopfully w/ the foil this will help. Will keep posted ty all and please send more. Thanks-Ray