They could be mites......not snake mites though. Probably some kind of dust mite. They are common even in clean houses.
My guess is that a population of mites that would have gone unnoticed has exploded. Nice humidity, a great food source and boom....mite city. The "dust" is most likely a collection of living mites, dead mites, and exoskeletons....if they shed (I'm not sure about this but I guess they do).
Try keeping your feed in airtight containers with a good seal. There are some made for big dogs that I keep my turtle food in.
You could keep the feed in a chest freezer until you are ready to use it.
Or keep less on hand.....but that defeats the purpose of buying in bulk, right?
As far as killing the mites for good.....I don't think it will happen if it is in fact the buggers that I am thinking of. They are pretty common. You could keep them in check with insecticides but who wants to live in insecticide city?
Anyone that makes their own fruitfly cultures knows that they have to battle "the other kind of mite" from time to time. One day the cultures look clean and a few days later....oh no.
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