Help please !

[G.Vega]

So I go to check on my snakes like I always do once I get home from work and mist they're tubs.. I get to my Pieds tub, I noticed a few tiny, grey bugs.. I've own snakes for long time and never seen this or had this problem before so I'm a little worried. I didn't see any on the snake just seen them on the substrate. It'll be easy to spot on him since he's high white, and I didn't see not one on him. Are these mites!?if not wth could this be? I recently switched over to cypress mulch could this be why I got these bugs in the tub?

Please help!
Thank you!


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[DooLittle]

Do you have a picture of the bugs?

[Pythonfriend]

could be carpenter beetles, could be springtails, could be anything.

now lots of other people will come with solutions on how to eradicate them. and i tell you, identify the critters, and you have a high chance that they are completely harmless and you need to do nothing.

try to get pictures, maybe you need to drown one and then use a macro lens. anyway, try to identify the species. if its springtails, just leave them alone, they actually can be helpful. carpenter beetles can be a pest. it all depends.

be aware that actual reptile mites only spread from reptile to reptile, and they cannot survive without reptiles, they are the biggest threat, and they typically either hide perfectly or they are on the reptile. so spotting them anywhere before spotting them on the reptile is highly unlikely.

it all depends on identification. if its springtails, let them be. do they have a solid body? can they walk on water? are they bugs, with the typical body structure of a bug?

[bcr229]

Where did you get the mulch?

[G.Vega]

Do you have a picture of the bugs?

No, I didn't have any pics yet but I'll try to take some as soon as possible.. Thank you


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[G.Vega]

could be carpenter beetles, could be springtails, could be anything.

now lots of other people will come with solutions on how to eradicate them. and i tell you, identify the critters, and you have a high chance that they are completely harmless and you need to do nothing.

try to get pictures, maybe you need to drown one and then use a macro lens. anyway, try to identify the species. if its springtails, just leave them alone, they actually can be helpful. carpenter beetles can be a pest. it all depends.

be aware that actual reptile mites only spread from reptile to reptile, and they cannot survive without reptiles, they are the biggest threat, and they typically either hide perfectly or they are on the reptile. so spotting them anywhere before spotting them on the reptile is highly unlikely.

it all depends on identification. if its springtails, let them be. do they have a solid body? can they walk on water? are they bugs, with the typical body structure of a bug?

They are super, super tiny so it's kinda hard to tell. I didn't find or see any In the water bowl. I'm going to try to take some pics once I get home today.. Thank you so much!


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[G.Vega]

Where did you get the mulch?

I got the mulch from Petsmart


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[vangarret2000]

If it is a bug of some sort really identifying which it is will be important before you start to worry. Like mentioned before it might not be anything you even need to deal with. There is a chance something came on the mulch but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Most people try to get certain bugs in their enclosures because they actually act as a natural cleaner for the substrate. Try to get pics as best as possible and identify what you have.

[bcr229]

I got the mulch from Petsmart

Ok just wanted to check that it wasn't a blend of garden-variety mulch, as those are not usually treated to kill off bug eggs like the reptile mulches are. It looks like some eggs may have survived - is anything hatching in the bag of mulch that's left? I would just treat the same way as for mites, and you can bake any remaining mulch in a roasting pan at 200*F for about half an hour to kill off any remaining eggs.

[Pythonfriend]

if they are really really tiny, and came with the substrate, and when you dont find them on the snake or drowned in the water bowl, that increases the chances that its springtails.

these are harmless. they eat bacteria and fungus and as such help with reducing smell and help keeping the substrate clean.

they are very difficult to catch and when you do catch them, you notice that their body is so soft that you only get a smudge on your fingers. they vary in shape and color.

mites, the dangerous kind, will be found on the reptile, and drowned in the water bowl. springtails will never drown, they are so water-repellant that they can walk on water. most springtails will jump when disturbed, reptile mites cannot jump. some springtails can even jump from the water surface.

here is a picture of some of them walking on water: