Possible mite???

[leakyfawcet]

I was peering into my BP's terrarium today, and noticed some very small yellowish almost clear bugs scurrying around (I saw about 3 of them on his hide). I took the snake out and inspected him, but did not notice any bugs on him. Could these bugs that I'm seeing not be the type that pose a threat to my BP, like an aphid or something?

[LadyOhh]

If they are yellowish, I am going to assume that you have him on wood chips?

And if that is the case, then they are wood mites.

[leakyfawcet]

I was thinking they came from the clay pots that are his "hides", that I got from Home Depot. I use a white papery substrate called T-Rex "Desert Snow".

[leakyfawcet]

He also hasn't eaten in about 2 1/2 months so thats what got me thinking about the mites.

[leakyfawcet]

bump.....

[LadyOhh]

Well, reptile mites are either red or black. If they are white or light, then they are not there to attack your snake.

[mainbutter]

wood mites are a non-issue(they don't bite reptiles) but there is no harm in going ahead and using some prevent-a-mite. Even though they are harmless, I wouldn't want wood mites in my snake's cage.

[leakyfawcet]

What do mites that prey on snakes look like??


Edit::Sorry didn't notice your post on the mite description::

Thanks for your help!!

[spiderfan]

i'd still get some pam and treat the whole enclosure, make sure to remove the water dish prior. make sure its dry before you put the snake back in. i treat my enclosures once a month just for the prevention. better to be safe than sorry. even if they aren't the typical mites that attack reptiles they can still get under scales and be an annoyance to your animal, not to mention the fecal matter that even mites release have the ability to promote disease or unwanted bacteria that could lead to issues down the road. i treat any kind, even minor infestations of even wood mites from my substrates on the rare occasion as something to be taken serious. good luck my friend! they could be part of the reason for your snakes fast. my bp just went on a several week fast for no reason that i could figure out why. sometimes they just do for no reason. most snakes aren't fed on weekly schedules in the wild so i figure theyre sometimes just not gonna eat regularly just out of instinct and inner nature.