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Old 10-24-2018, 07:15 AM   #1
cookietiger
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Exclamation Burgess dwarf food infested?

Today when filling my hammy's food bowl I noticed loads of small bugs are in my Burgess dwarf hamster food I've been using this bag for a couple months now but I never noticed this.
I'll admit when I first opened it there was a tiny tiny little spider but I thought nothing of it. Now theres dozens of these tiny black bugs and I think other bugs too. I use a a food clip to keep the bag closed so I don't understand how they might have gotten in.
Has anyone else had this issue?
I'll probably go back to using pets at homes hamster food and throw this bag out.
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Old 10-24-2018, 07:24 AM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Burgess dwarf food infested?

It does happen sometimes, it's always best to freeze food for about a week first before using it just in case.
Definitely bin the food with the bugs as you can't use it now.
P@H isn't a great food so you'd do better to get the Bunny dwarf hamsterdream expert from Zooplus, it's a good dwarf specific food with more variety than Burgess,, a little low in protein for a young ham but a few mealworms will soon make that up.
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Old 10-24-2018, 07:42 AM   #3
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Default Re: Burgess dwarf food infested?

Oh. I didn't know about freezing food :/
My parents probably won't agree to buying that dwarf hamster food as they thought Burgess was a bit expensive are there any other good food mixes?

Also this is probably a stupid question but should I get Burgess mix again for now since you're supposed to change food mixes gradually. Also since I have to throw the old lot out I won't have time to freeze the food for a week so will freezing it for around 24 hours be ok?
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Old 10-24-2018, 08:01 AM   #4
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Default Re: Burgess dwarf food infested?

It should be fine to get Burgess again, you could take a little out & freeze that separately to keep you going then freeze the rest of the bag for longer.
It's important that it's in a completely airtight freezer bag or the unopened food bag when you defrost it so any condensation is on the outside or the bag & the food won't get damp.
I don't think there are any other dwarf mixes that would work out cheaper tbh, most of the good ones are more expensive with delivery costs on top.
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Old 10-24-2018, 08:20 AM   #5
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Default Re: Burgess dwarf food infested?

The bugs sound like weevils. I know of a few people who've found them in Burgess, Harry Hamster, Best Pets and JR Farm from Zooplus. I don't think the ridiculously hot summer has helped. Like Cypher said, it's always best to freeze the food before using it. I put mine straight in the freezer and, for larger bags like Best Pets I bag it up into smaller ones to freeze too
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Old 10-24-2018, 09:12 AM   #6
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Burgess dwarf food infested?

Burgess is fine It may be old stock from Pets at Home. It's a good mix for dwarf hamsters. The Bunny Dream Expert is a great mix but as you say it means ordering from Zooplus whereas Burgess is available more easily.

As we never know what storage conditions are like for hamster food it is a good idea to freeze it for a week first. When I haven't had time I stick the bag in the freezer and take some out each day while it's still in the freezer So each day it's been frozen a bit longer and 24 hours will help. Then take the whole bag out after a week and put itor the contents in a lock and lock box - I use those because they are the only ones supposed to full air tight.

At least they weren't moths! The main reason people freeze the food first is to prevent an outbreak of moths, which I have had and took months to get rid of! It is very common from pet foods. They contain moth eggs which aren't visible to the human eye - it's unavoidable and fairly normal and only an issue when the conditions are right for the eggs to hatch - and then any moths can proliferate by laying eggs all over the place. They are a particular type of moth called a food moth or pantry moth. Freezing for a week kills the eggs so then you know it won't happen! But I still store the food in an airtightcontainer anyway after freezing so if anything did hatch it can't get out!

The little bugs won't do your hamster any harm but if you do see a moth in the cage I would suggest a full clean out of the cage - not normally recommended but nips it in the bud.

Yours doesn't sound like moths though as you wouldn't see anything and moth larvae when hatched don't look like you've described.
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Old 10-24-2018, 10:25 AM   #7
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Default Re: Burgess dwarf food infested?

Thanks guys!

I've just bought another bag of Burgess and it's in the freezer now. I'll definitely freeze all my new hamster food from now on just to be on the safe side. I can't believe I never knew this :O

Also in outrageous news. XD In the adoption section of Pets at Home they have named another roborovski hamster Titch (my Tofu was originally named Titch by them!) :O
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Old 10-24-2018, 12:12 PM   #8
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Default Re: Burgess dwarf food infested?

Our freezer has more hamster stuff in than food ha ha. I tend to have two bags of hamster food at the same time. The second one stays in the freezer until the first one is nearly finished. It's defrosted in a few hours. When I need the second one I buy another one and put that in the freezer. I also do it with any rough bark wood items or things with hay on them and most hamster treats (although not ones that say they have egg in the ingredients which I think is some of the rosewood stuff like the mini rodent chews - I take a risk on those!). Believe me I had moths everywhere - in the food cupboard, the pan cupboard, in all our board games! Not to mention a few constantly fluttering in every room in the house. It took weeks of cleaning out everything with vinegar, hoovering every day. Pheromone traps didn't work, some traps worked but not well enough.

So I freeze goddam everything except ceramic lol.
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Old 10-25-2018, 04:07 AM   #9
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Default Re: Burgess dwarf food infested?

My freezer has 4 drawers, 2 are full of hamster food lol. I've had both moths and weevils in hamster food. Dunno which I found worse. The weevils seemed to take way longer to get rid of though
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