Tons of black granules appearing in snakes cage?? Help

[Snakkegi]

Hi there, I’m new to these forums so forgive me if I’m posting this incorrectly but I desperately need help. There’s been these weird black specks appearing in my snakes cage and I’m a little freaked out because I can’t find anyone else with this problem yet. Ive been using paper towels for my snakes bedding temporarily. The first time I saw them I thought it might have been left over substrate that I forgot to clean out and didn’t think much of it and replaced the paper towels. This time I found them in her water dish where she defecated. I threw it out and figured it was just feces because once the water shifted, it disintegrated into a bunch of them, but now it’s the next day and they’ve appeared again on the paper towel and in her water but this time no feces?? It’s dry and they’re all slightly misshaped so I don’t think it’s mites. Anyone know what this might be?

[FollowTheSun]

It looks like the bugs came out of the wooden branches in your cage

[Faith.luu]

It sounded like mites. Have you squished em to see if blood would come out? Also check your snake and see if you see any mites around their face or body. They’re hard to notice so be thorough. Any noticeable changes in your snakes behaviour?

It might be bugs from the wood as well like FollowTheSun has said. Otherwise possible droppings from other animals? Do you have any known bug infestations? Maybe they got inside the enclosure?

To be safe I would sterilize everything. What are you using to clean? A mixture of vinegar and water is okay to maintain but it won’t sterilize everything. If you have a diluted bleach solution that should work. Otherwise diluted chlorhexidine solution works as well. I’d soak everything in hot soapy water for a few hours, longer with your wooden pieces. If you wanted to be extra safe, you could scrub down what you can.

I’d then sterilize everything with the suggested solutions except your wood. Bake the wood in the oven between 375-420 degrees. The time it should be left in the oven depends on the temperature you set it to. Make sure to keep an eye on it at all times while it’s baking to avoid fire hazards. This is also why it’s important to soak your wood in soapy water for as long as possible.

If you wanted to be extra cautious, you could also freeze some of your decors like the hides and water dishes if the material it’s made of is safe to do so. (Some materials can crack or break) Once frozen for 12 hours you can then allow it to get to room temperature, clean it with solution and then set it up again.

I would thoroughly rinse out the enclosure as well, and clean it inside and out with the solution. Also clean all equipment around the elcosure. Thermostats, humidity probes, heat pad, heat lamp, temp controller, ect. And check floors and walls to make sure these black things aren’t lingering anywhere else.

Keep your snake on paper towel and try to keep things inside the enclosure to a minimum for now if you can. I’d check daily for these black granules and see if any more appear. If so, take a look over all your decor inside the enclosure. Maybe it’s coming off of one of the hides or something? And then give the enclosure a look over again, and then check your snake again.

Let us know if they keep coming back.

[KMG]

If that is a dried piece of driftwood you bought as it appears to be it should not be coming from there.

If it's mites it is the worst case I've ever seen and you would be easily seeing them on the snake. So I don't think that's it.

What else is in the tank?

Have a picture of the full enclosure?

[GoingPostal]

Weird, my first thought would be bugs, bug poop, bug eggs or maybe one of your decorations was previously in a fish tank or enclosure with black sand and it's falling out now that it's dry. Got a microscope? If they are mites you'd be able to tell, some of them would be moving around and they would be full of blood, squishable.

[Bogertophis]

Weird, my first thought would be bugs, bug poop, bug eggs or maybe one of your decorations was previously in a fish tank or enclosure with black sand and it's falling out now that it's dry. Got a microscope? If they are mites you'd be able to tell, some of them would be moving around and they would be full of blood, squishable.

This ^ ^ ^ is my thought too...since you didn't mention them moving, I'd say bug eggs or bug feces.
FYI, I use natural local branches in some of my snake homes & sometimes one of the branches will have a wood-boring beetle in it; I only know when I start seeing tiny piles of fine sawdust in the cage- the beetle stays in the wood & is harmless. In THIS case though, I'd say either eggs or feces, either way that's a LOT & I'd lose the offending decor if I were you. If you aren't convinced, take it out & double seal it in a clear plastic bag & wait. You might also put those "black specks" in a sealed jar for "observation"...I think you'll know pretty soon. What else is in the cage? Any other natural hiding places? Magnification really helps too...GoingPostal nailed it IMO.

[Bogertophis]

. Bake the wood in the oven between 375-420 degrees. The time it should be left in the oven depends on the temperature you set it to. Make sure to keep an eye on it at all times while it’s baking to avoid fire hazards. This is also why it’s important to soak your wood in soapy water for as long as possible...

I'd urge great caution when "baking" wood decor to kill bugs or pathogens. I've done this before, & I agree with soaking the wood first in water (only), I'd never go higher than 250* on the oven...actually 200* was just fine. Please don't start a fire in your kitchen! It's very easy to get side-tracked, so don't: set a timer, stick around & use a "slow oven" for baking wood. About an hour or so should be adequate. Freezing does not usually kill stuff in wood, don't waste your time or food space.

[Craiga 01453]

I'd urge great caution when "baking" wood decor to kill bugs or pathogens. I've done this before, & I agree with soaking the wood first in water (only), I'd never go higher than 250* on the oven...actually 200* was just fine. Please don't start a fire in your kitchen! It's very easy to get side-tracked, so don't: set a timer, stick around & use a "slow oven" for baking wood. About an hour or so should be adequate. Freezing does not usually kill stuff in wood, don't waste your time or food space.

Agree 1000000000%

Do NOT bake branches in your oven at temps over 250°. I've always gone 200° for 2 hours or so depending on size of the branch. Never any issues.

[Snakkegi]

If that is a dried piece of driftwood you bought as it appears to be it should not be coming from there.

If it's mites it is the worst case I've ever seen and you would be easily seeing them on the snake. So I don't think that's it.

What else is in the tank?

Have a picture of the full enclosure?

They're not moving and I don't see any on my snake. I've had mites a few years back but these don't seem like it at all? It's so odd, theyre too hard to squish unless they're wet, then you can sort of smear it but it's a little crumbly.

Here's the enclosure:

[Snakkegi]

Weird, my first thought would be bugs, bug poop, bug eggs or maybe one of your decorations was previously in a fish tank or enclosure with black sand and it's falling out now that it's dry. Got a microscope? If they are mites you'd be able to tell, some of them would be moving around and they would be full of blood, squishable.

I got my decor at a reptarium shop, but that was almost 3 years ago. They've been sanitized and baked since then so it seems odd that something would be coming out now all of a sudden