Bedding and mites!

Jen250 · 07-12-2016, 09:19 AM

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted here (super busy right now!), but Hubble and I had a recent issue that I wanted to share so that everyone could be aware of this for their own hamsters!

About a week ago, I cleaned out Hubble's house and nest and replaced the bedding with some new (Fitch). A few days later when I was saying hello, I noticed a couple of very tiny white bugs crawling across the lid of his house. I got out a torch and inspected it closer, and there were...dozens of them. There were a lot. As you can imagine, I freaked out. I looked even closer, and they were all over his house and his wheel. Both are wooden. I took a look in his toy box, and they were all over his wooden toys in there. That was also where I happened to be storing his bedding. These bugs weren't anywhere else in the flat that I could find. And trust me, I looked!

Luckily, the vet believed they weren't the kind of mites that burrow and bite. Hubble was and is completely fine, but I got some medicine for his fur and some spray to decontaminate everything just in case. I had to throw a lot of his toys out, the big bag of bedding (where we believe the mites hatched in the hot weather). Both Hubble and I got very stressed out about the whole thing. I love Fitch, but I've switched to Megazorb now just to be on the safe side. The bedding is where they seem to have come from, unfortunately. Luckily, he seems to love the Megazorb even more. It's so soft. So, just a warning out there for everyone else!

Pebbles82 · 07-12-2016, 10:24 AM

Thanks! Urgh that sounds unpleasant. I haven't had any problems with our Fitch but our bedroom is quite cool. I wonder sometimes if these things are microsocopic and around us but only hatch out in warm or damp conditions. White mites like that are supposed to be associated with damp.

It does sound like it's something to do with the bedding (or the wood storage box) from what you said - is it indoors?

Jen250 · 07-13-2016, 09:04 AM

Yes, I believe they were microscopic and there, but it's been so hot and humid in the flat that they hatched! Eep. The bedding and the box (now gone) were both indoors, but it's been quite warm in our flat. Luckily, I managed to get rid of them and Hubble is happy in his new bedding.

POLAR WHITES · 07-13-2016, 03:20 PM

Sounds like wood mites. They wouldn't hurt your hsmsters but still arnt nice to have. I like megazorb also