Tiny white (bug?)

[Darwin]

Hi all,

Last night I was checking up on my ball and I saw this tiny, tiny white speck moving on a bare patch of glass where the substrate was pushed aside. I mean this thing was tiiiiny - like smaller than a pin head; like almost invisible, it was so tiny! Anyway, I searched the tank and saw one more, but then couldn't find anything else... I keep the snake on plantation soil which I usually keep in the freezer but the last time I had run out I just picked up a pack at the local pet shop and used it without freezing it. I have read about some kind of white (wood mite?) bug that can sometimes be found in soils of that type but I've never come across such a thing since using it for years. As far as I know they're not harmful to the snake. Does my description fit what these things look like?

Today I did a full clean/disinfect of hides, dishes, plants, baked the wood and took the steamer to the entire enclosure. I didn't replace the substrate as I want to freeze this next stuff just incase that's where this little bug thing came from. I just put down newspaper for now. During cleaning, I didn't see anymore of these tiny white things nor have I seen any atop the newspaper.

Does anyone think this could be something more than just something from the soil? I get the compressed blocks but I always thought these bugs were more common in the loose soil. Is there anything else I should watch for? I don't want any sort of tiny bugs in there (harmful or not.) What about eggs? If anything, using the steamer probably just helped them to hatch! Maybe I'm overreacting...

[norwegn113]

I get the exact same little white bugs in my reptibark! I have even baked the bark @350 deg for 20 min and still those creepy little things survive! I have been thinking about contacting zoo med to see what they have to say.

[Darwin]

Crap...I only baked mine on 250 for an hour. I figured that was hotter than boiling water and not many bugs could survive boiling water... I guess if there was anymore than the two I found, they're still alive. Geez...tough bugs.

[Darwin]

Omg....if they survived, they could be in my oven! You just freaked me out.

*Currently blasting my oven!*

[norwegn113]

Crap...I only baked mine on 250 for an hour. I figured that was hotter than boiling water and not many bugs could survive boiling water... I guess if there was anymore than the two I found, they're still alive. Geez...tough bugs.

yes MY guess is that they live inside the bark and apparently I did not heat the bark long enough to raise the inner temp allowing them to live . I was afraid that at 350 deg I would have a fire on my hands if I went much longer than 20 min. Its sad you buy a product from the store and still you have to try to find a way to sanitize it! you would think at the prices they charge it would come ready to go??

[DestinyLynette]

Well I buy Reptibark and now I'm scared, so I guess I'll be watching this thread

[Darwin]

yes MY guess is that they live inside the bark and apparently I did not heat the bark long enough to raise the inner temp allowing them to live . I was afraid that at 350 deg I would have a fire on my hands if I went much longer than 20 min. Its sad you buy a product from the store and still you have to try to find a way to sanitize it! you would think at the prices they charge it would come ready to go??

Heres to hoping an hour was long enough to kill anything that may have been living in there!

Maybe try freezing it? I keep mine frozen (with the exception of last time) and I never noticed anything like these bugs. Could just be a coincidence though.

[Neal]

Omg....if they survived, they could be in my oven! You just freaked me out.

*Currently blasting my oven!*

Aahaa, omg priceless. Your response at first was like tough bug, then you're like omg... If they survived they could be in my oven. You're fine, they can get inside of the bark and it'll help them manage the temps.

yes MY guess is that they live inside the bark and apparently I did not heat the bark long enough to raise the inner temp allowing them to live . I was afraid that at 350 deg I would have a fire on my hands if I went much longer than 20 min. Its sad you buy a product from the store and still you have to try to find a way to sanitize it! you would think at the prices they charge it would come ready to go??

Exactly, you both are okay as they're most likely just stuff that either feeds on decay or wood and stuff of that nature. I've seen them before especially if you had scorpions that would kill something and wouldn't finish it all the way off. They're probably harmless though I can't say for sure if you have the same ones that I've seen.

Also I'm sure they do sanitize the stuff, but they probably run into the same thing that you did as well.