mites? or fleas??????

[sg1trogdor]

has anyone ever seen black mites because my gecko (i know this is a bp forum sorry im just freaking out and no one is ever on that forum sorry) has these very tiny mite sized bugs in its water bowl they look almost like fleas but freaking tiny. i have spent the last 30 minutes getting handfulls of substrate and dropping it over white paper to see if any fall off and so far none but i dont know what they are. could they be fleas i have also looked over my bp's to make sure they are ok cus they are all in the same room. but i dont know what to do.

[hoo-t]

Sounds like mites. As far as I know, there are no fleas that infest snakes/geckos. You should probably look very closely around the eyes to see if there are any on the lizard. I don't have and have never had geckos, but I do know that with snakes, you can soak the animal in warm water, just enough to cover half way up the body. If it has mites, they will drop off into the water.

If you decide that they are mites, invest in a can of Provent-a-Mite. Follow the directions to the letter! You should probably treat the snakes while you're at it, because mites do travel. You'll need to treat twice as per the directions. While your letting the new substrate dry, clean the cage THOROUGHLY! Use bleach if the cage is glass or plastic (you don't want the bleach soaking into wood). Throw any wooden cage decorations away and replace them after you're mite free (you might be able to wash them and bake them in the oven, but the best bet is to just chunk 'em).

Good luck!
Steve

edit- BLACK mites are mites that have been feeding and are engorged with blood.

[sg1trogdor]

it was just weird cus i noticed them in the little water dish i have and i soaked them up with a paper towel and one of them jumped off to where i dont know but i dont think mite can jump like that its just weird. i have ome of that mite off stuff but i dont wanna spray it in the tank witht he gecko cus they will lick up anything and i dont know if they can safely ingest it.

[rabernet]

If you decide that they are mites, invest in a can of Provent-a-Mite. Follow the directions to the letter!

My only concern about PAM with a leo is that leos eat insects (mealies and crickets). Wouldn't PAM be killing those off as well (since the effects of PAM can last up to 30 days)?

[frankykeno]

Please before you treat for these wait for Emily or another very experienced gecko person to respond and give advice. Like Robin I'm not sure what the effects of P.A.M. are on gecko's and their food sources and I think that's far more dangerous than waiting a few hours for more information to come in.

[hoo-t]

Robin and Joanna are absolutely right! My experience is with snakes, and I didn't consider the geckos diet.

Steve

[mlededee]

i honestly have no experience with mites on geckos at all but i would NOT recommend using provent-a-mite anywhere near a gecko without express instruction to do so and how to do it from an experienced herp vet. sg1trogdor, i am going to send you a private message with some links on where you can get good help from someone more experienced with this.

[doyle033]

not sure if this might help, but what substrate are you using. some of the mulch products i have used have their own stuff living in it, kinda looks like mites, but doenst bother your reptiles. this is why i only use paper towels, and newpaper for my animals. i kept finding mite lookin things in the water and in the cypress, but none on the snakes. could be worth a check. good luck.