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Old 02-15-2021, 11:10 AM   #21
RolyRocks
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Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 228
Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

I've taken a look at the two you suggested Ria but I don't think they really look like either of them. The one it probably looks like most is a Springtail?! I have never heard of them before but my Dad looked at one under a microscope and it looked very similar. No idea how and why they would be in Loki's cage though!
I've got his new cage ready but because he can't have any of his things in there I worry he may be unhappy. It's only for a very short time though whilst I deep clean his.
Is it safe to disinfect wood incase it gets chewed? And lastly, I'm sure I've asked this before, but what is the best length of time to freeze food etc?
Thanks again!
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Old 02-15-2021, 11:21 AM   #22
Ria P
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Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

I've read that the minimum recommended time for freezing is 48 hrs.
I've never had to disinfect wood and would probaby bake it for an hour at 100C to kill off any bugs.

Must go and look up those springtails now.
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Old 02-15-2021, 11:32 AM   #23
RolyRocks
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Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

Thanks Ria.

I came across them when reading about someones Tarantula and they had similar bugs in their water bowl.
I really am not sure if they are Springtails, Loki's cage certainly doesn't contain moisture apart from his water bowl. The only thing I would say is that this past week the heat has been on a lot more because it's been so cold. And I also still have a Poinsettia in my room left from Christmas, could that be the source? I couldn't see anything on it but have removed it anyway.
Loki's house is handmade so contains some glue, I'm guessing this might melt if I put it in the oven!
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Old 02-15-2021, 01:30 PM   #24
Ria P
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Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

Oh yes! I i remember now. Your dad made Loki's house. Baking is not an option then because it would be a shame to risk damaging it. I'd freeze it.

I do wash, scrub and rinse my messy hamster's wooden houses but he has the inexpensive Ferplast guinea pig ones.

I just remembered that i have disinfected, washed and rinsed a second hand wooden house and it turned out alright.
One of my dwarfs uses it as a food store.

I have no idea where these bugs came from. You could check the soil of the Poinsettia. I vaguely remember seeing white bugs in the soil of houseplants before. But why would they move from soil to a hamster cage.....so strange
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Old 02-15-2021, 02:45 PM   #25
RolyRocks
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Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

That's right! My dad made me a lovely hamster house!
I have got Loki settled into his new temporary home. Don't think he is too impressed, he can't understand why he has moved from a mansion to a flat but I have told him it is only short term! Tomorrow is clean out day and I want to freeze some bits for at least 48 hours. Fingers crossed all bugs will be well and truly gone!!!!
Thanks so much for all your help, it is very much appreciated! X
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Old 02-17-2021, 04:56 AM   #26
RolyRocks
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Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

UPDATE -

These "bugs" have been identified as an insect called Booklice. We managed to look at them under a microscope and sent a picture to my sister who is a vet nurse. She put it on a forum and they have been confirmed as Booklice.
Firstly they are not actually lice as their name would suggest and are completely harmless to pets and humans. However they are a nuisance and need to be dealt with.
It says the are associated with damp and poor ventilation. I do not have my windows open in my bedroom because I do not want him to get a draft and in the morning my windows can sometimes be quite wet which I wipe down with a cloth. I wonder if it might be down to this although I have not spotted any insects on my windows or anywhere else. The other possibility which my sister suggested is the paper bedding. They love paper so they could have originated from there.. They also feed on grains and could have possibly come from food but I do freeze his food before hand.
When I cleaned out his cage I found a few more in his coconut and a few underneath the substrate. Certainly not an infestation.
Anyway, as recommended I have got rid of all bedding and food in his cage and thoroughly cleaned it. I am freezing everything else for at least 48 hours, including his new Kaytee Clean and Cosy bedding. Fingers crossed this will do the trick!
Lastly, they suggest online getting a de-humidifier which I am in the process of looking into!
I just hope all this doesn't stress my little guy out too much. He is not eating very much in his temporary cage. Is there any way of lessoning stress when I put him back into his old cleaned out cage because everything will smell new. I'm guessing Pet Remedy Plug Ins maybe aren't the best due to their strong smell?!

Sorry for the long post - I will be interested to hear if anybody else has heard of booklice?
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Old 02-17-2021, 07:48 AM   #27
Amethyst_ice
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Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

Hello

I was just about to spring in and suggest booklice!

My old house was very old and damp and a few christmas ago I found HUNDREDS all over everything in one room, had a total freak out and melt down!

Once I knew what they were I started noticing them on lots of things!

I moved house last year and I still find the one one or two on things, mostly the pet stuff, the wooden things.

As grim as they are, they aren't harmful and if you can get them under control should be ok. I just squish and hot rinse whatever i find them on.

They can come in through windows, tiny cracks etc and with the heating on and cold spells I'd attribute it to that.

I'd try just wash everything and look at other surfaces in that room and hopefully you will get the numbers down

Oh and having the window open a tiny bit just for 30 minutes a day will help and wont harm him
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Old 02-17-2021, 12:26 PM   #28
RolyRocks
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Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

I had never heard of booklice before, you learn something new everyday! Thankfully we haven't seen too many, maybe less than 10 adults but about 40 odd babies in one cluster that we eliminated straight away!
I have hoovered my whole bedroom out today and will start to put his cage back together once everything has had atleast 48 hours in the freezer!
I know Loki will be much happier once he returns to his familiar surroundings, although if everything smells like new he may not be... He's a confident little fella so fingers crossed he'll be fine!
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Old 01-30-2022, 01:36 PM   #29
hammielandlovely
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Question Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by RolyRocks View Post
Help - I just went to put some fresh water in my hamsters bowl and found a little cluster of tiny white bugs on the inside edge of the bowl. It looked like a circle of white dots and when I looked closer they were moving!! What are they and why were they in his water bowl??
He has a bowl instead of a bottle because I got him when he was older and that's what he had been used to and even though I tried a bottle he never really used it. His water bowl is close to his food bowl and I had a good look in there and couldn't see anything. Obviously I took them both out and gave them a thorough clean but could they be everywhere in his cage?!
I give him mineral water out a bottle daily and have never seen these bugs before... it's making me itch just thinking about them!!
Please help!

Update - Found a couple more very tiny brown bugs on top of his wooden shelf where I keep his food and water bowls. Does this mean a complete cage clean out is required?! I have no idea where they have come from as I freeze food, toys, treats etc!

hey, ive never used this website before so idk if im using the right way to contact you but i have the same description of the bugs in my hamsters enclosure and i keep going back and forth as to what they are and what to do to get rid of them, did you ever find out what bugs they are? i looked at your image attached and mine are the exact same, in crowds and they seem to have made a path leading to my hamsters water bowl, so overall my question is did you identify the bugs and how did you get rid of them (if you did), and how long did it take to get rid of them? (once again, if you did) thanks!
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Old 02-23-2022, 02:58 AM   #30
ShadowNinjaHamster
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Default Re: Help - small bugs in water bowl?!

Hey!
My hamster had bugs when I got him. I cleaned, I froze bedding and food and everything and I cleaned all of my apartment + I cleaned the cage with vinegar. Nothing helped.
The problem was solved when I took him to a vet and he gave him some shot.
I'm guessing Ria P and some other members remember me fighting with bugs and asking for the same advice. Eventually only the vet was able to help my hamster and ever since then the bugs have disappeared.

I often take my hamster to a vet checkup. I always go to different vets because they all tell me different things.

Some vets have told me that his weight is okay, but the last vet told me that he's extremely obese and now we're losing weight. Also, the vet that told me that he's extremely obese told me not to use store bought food. She gave me a list of what food hamsters should eat and so I ordered the food online. It's not a bad idea to visit different vets when you are a new hamster owner and know nothing about hamsters. There's so much misinformation about hamsters online.
Doing great actually.
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