!!MAY DAY!! !!MAY DAY!! Advice Required!

[PandaBaby]

So tonight I come home, I go to the tank to check on Kiba, lift the lid and as I go to set it down something on the lid catches my eye.

I look closer and it looked like a mealworm before it had been dried, it was a yellow/white colour about 1cm long, small and thin. I'm like ahhhh does Kiba have worms???

I checked in his bedding in his bed where he has kinda been pooping but nothing, poops were all normal. Had a look through the shavings and couldnt see anything obvious.

We have had Kiba for almost 2 weeks, we haven't done a thorough clean of his tank til tonight, we had just been spot cleaning poops etc, refreshed sand etc cause we didn't want to disrupt him whilst he was settling still.

We took him out into his playpen and thoroughly cleaned his tank, put fresh bedding in, the works. We washed the tank with fairy liquid and hosed it down.

I am scared to scatter feed him now if this has added to it.

It was on the edge of the tank lid. Not inside, on the outside. Help me!!!!!

Totally new to this, first time I ever seen something like this in my house also. Appreciate the help and advice

[LoveMyHams]

So you found a dead worm hanging on the lid? (just making sure I read that right) As long as you don't find more in the bedding or food I think you are fine. I'd have done exactly as you did and cleaned everything. I don't think it's a problem. Your hammy may have even thought it was a treat and eaten it!

[Arraminta]

Try not to panic!! You have done what I would do. I'm with LoveMyHams. Clean everything out totally, make a mental note and check daily to see if another one "drops in"!!
I'm sure it's probably just a one off weird thing.

Arraminta x

[PandaBaby]

It was alive. I was just trying to describe what it looked like.

It looked like a mealworm pre dried mealworm lol it was white/yellow, thin about 1cm long. Fully alive.

Didn't see anymore. Poops were find etc =)

[PandaBaby]

I wonder where it would have come from though. It was on the edge of the lid, no where it could have travelled from or what I have no idea.

Some people have said its naturally possible that it can come from certain food you can get for hamsters. Something about the food getting wet.

I'm scared to scatter feed now. Cause the food just gets pushed down into the bedding when he burrows and its hard to get it all out when spot cleaning. I actually thought the dried food stuff would be ok as its not fresh food etc

[Sandti]

Did it look like a maggot?

[PandaBaby]

No, it was too thin I think. Have been looking at pics and it didnt really look like a maggot.

Ah I dunno

[TheFeldhamster]

Sounds like a larvae of the indianmeal moth or the mediterranean flour moth to me. It's nothing serious - you sometimes get them in hamster food or in flour or in nuts or trail mix or similar. Check your hamster feed if there seem to be "spider webs" in there. Pack all feed mix, flour, etc. in airtight containers to prevent moths taking over all your stored food. Throw away and replace whatever is contaminated by the moths.

[radiocricket]

We call them "seed moths" here, and TheFeldhamster is right, they come from seed-based food and the seeds that are sticking together from some kind of webbing is a sign of them. Perhaps you've been seeing some little moths flying around? They can be hard to get rid of so prevention is the way to go, just get in the habit of freezing any seed based diets for at least three days.

[HollyHamster]

That moth larvae does explain a lot. I notice them primarily in the wild bird seed my mother gets to feed the wild birds. Mostly after its been sitting in a place for a while and forgotten til its found a few months later and they are crawling all over the packaging. I also saw them in the dog food treat container once, after the treats had been in there for about a year and had turned to mush.