Mites?!

Lilafernim · 10-23-2021, 02:24 PM

I read a while ago mites can come from hay and food.

This isn’t directly for my hamster, we got a rabbit the other day and got hay as a temporary bedding as I have some wood based pellets on order.

I saw this bug in her hutch and was wondering is it a mite? It has two wings and is very small.

Im worried it could make all my animals ill!

Is it a mite and what should I do?!

Lilafernim · 10-23-2021, 02:25 PM

The two dots below by the way are just dirt, I’d already checked that. It’s just the winged one.

Ria P · 10-23-2021, 03:16 PM

Looks like a moth. They wouldn't make an animal ill but could end up multiplying. Best to freeze hay and pet food. I do since i had moths and never got rid of them completely.

Lilafernim · 10-23-2021, 03:49 PM

I know this sounds mad, but we don’t actually own a freezer. Is there any other way to remove any risk?

I have pet safe disinfectant but surely it can’t be good to always spray?

Ria P · 10-24-2021, 12:16 AM

Easiest way to know if it is a moth is kill it. Moths turn into a greyish dust.

Pet safe disinfectant needs to be rinsed off so only works with washable items.

Wood can be baked at 100C for an hour to kill off bugs and their eggs but i have no idea if that would work with hay.

Pebbles82 · 10-24-2021, 08:31 AM

Hmm. I agree about freezing hay and as Ria knows I’ve also had moth house invasions. Hay is usually other bugs snd mites. Bit as rabbit owners use hay a lot it makes me wonder if it’s normal for them to freeze hay as they must go through quite a bit. Whereas hay is optional/unnecessary for hamsters and usually small amounts.

Moths are usually from pet food though (the eggs in the food are too small to see). Do you have a freezer compartment in your fridge? I’d have a poke around in the rabbit hutch and see if you find any more bugs.

Pebbles82 · 10-24-2021, 08:32 AM

I can’t tell from the photo what it is or how big it is. Might be a moth but looks a bit square for one in the photo.

Fluffagrams · 10-24-2021, 11:35 AM

It looks too big to be a mote to me, it's certainly a lot bigger than the mites that I recentely had in my hamstery which to the naked eye were not much larger than a small speck. I would hazard a guess that it's some kind of moth which can be a nuisance but are not normally harmful to hamsters.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Hmm. I agree about freezing hay and as Ria knows I’ve also had moth house invasions. Hay is usually other bugs snd mites. Bit as rabbit owners use hay a lot it makes me wonder if it’s normal for them to freeze hay as they must go through quite a bit. Whereas hay is optional/unnecessary for hamsters and usually small amounts.

I've never frozen hay for the guinea pig and we've only had two incidences of hay mites in the five and a half years we've had him and both occasions have been September time, which can be quite common apparently. We usually treat him with a preventative anti-parasitic though as he usually goes outside in his run during the summer months and consequently is more at risk of picking up various things.

Ria P · 10-24-2021, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluffagrams

It looks too big to be a mote to me, it's certainly a lot bigger than the mites that I recentely had in my hamstery which to the naked eye were not much larger than a small speck. I would hazard a guess that it's some kind of moth which can be a nuisance but are not normally harmful to hamsters.

How did you get rid of the mites in your hamstery?

Lilafernim · 10-24-2021, 03:37 PM

To be honest I thought it was too small to be a moth. It’s about the same size as a screw head, very small. I haven’t seen anymore since then.

I did think about baking as when I collect things for my hamster when I’m out I always bake them before giving them to my hamster. But as hay is so flammable I don’t know if it’s safe to?

I don’t think I could kill another animal 😔 it would be a sure way to know but I’ve grown moths before and you come to realise how incredible they are to become what they are. I am WAY to soppy over animals.

At the moment I’ve kept the same hay in the hutch as she originally had and I’m thinking of getting rid of it entirely and just using wood based pellets. I got some Timothy hay today for the rabbit as it’s meant to be better to eat and I’m just giving her the amount to eat then keeping the bag in another room.

It’s lovely having a rabbit but when my partner got it I thought I could use some of my hamster stuff for her. They’re so different! As you say they hay is normally small quantities for hamsters, treats and food are different, rabbits have super sensitive stomachs, water and litter is different, bedding is different. They’re worlds apart! I just really hope having a rabbit doesn’t accidentally harm my hammie such as mites in hay, and I guess visa versa if I accidentally leave hamster treats out.