HELP - teeny little bug found crawling on snake's climbing branch

[HoneyCombTina]

So I was cleaning my baby ball's tank yesterday and as I was inspecting her climbing branch to make sure there was nothing funky going on with it, I spotted a single teensy little bug crawling on it, it was very small, and had more of a elongated body. It did not look like a tick or mite. I dunked the branch in boiling water for a little while, my method of cleaning it (if this is wrong, would love some advice), inspected it again, and saw nothing.

I was wondering if anyone has come across this before, maybe knows what the abomination was, or knows what I can do about it?

>

please and thank you!
<3

[Kaorte]

could have been some type of wood mite. I would just disinfect everything very well and keep an eye out for more. Sometimes the occasional bug gets into the enclosure. Most of them are not harmful. Its the snake mites and ticks you have to watch out for.

[BabysMomma]

It might have been just your average bug that sometimes slips through the cracks. My old apartment was infested with carpenter ants, and one time one the size of my thumbnail got into Baby's cage. The sucker was huge and disgusting, it was at least half an inch long. I squished it, Baby wasn't bothered.

[HoneyCombTina]

I plan on it. Thank you both!


If anyone else has any input,
it would be appreciated!

[Evenstar]

I would bake any wood pieces you use. This is a bit better than boiling. Preheat your oven to 400* and place your wood on a cookie sheet (or perhaps line your oven rack with foil) and bake the pieces for about 20-30min. Nothing can survive that temp. Those little buggers might be able to crawl deep enough into the wood crevices to survive boiling water, but they can't escape an oven's heat.

But I agree with everyone else and it was probably just a little wood lice. Nothing to bother your snake.