Please...urgent help! Mites over stuff out of cage!!

[Animalloveruk]

Hello.

Im new.

I am saddened I didn't find this forum beforen when I had my little hedgiepig.
I need to know something urgently.
My hedgheog sadly passed a little while ago and he had a lot of mites right at the end too. How do we get rid of them in the house? We wiped down the wooden drawers the hedgheog cage was on before and chucked away things. We wiped down the drawers also afterwards with pet safe deodorising disinfectant. I'm guessing this did not get rid of them. I can't move fhe drawers as my bearded dragons tank is on there and also my parrot. We rinsed a couple of things off that we hsd onnthere with hot water so all the mites are gone and then today we only just noticed there's some crawling all over them again. Little White specks crawling over the spray water bottle and discinfectant.
My husband said we have to bug bomb the room but my parrot and bearded dragon are in there. I can't move my bearded dragon.

Also we just adopted some rats and mice. Their cages were going to go where the hedgehog cage was and now they will get mites! How long are these mites able to live away from the hedgehog and breed? What will they be eating? Will they effect my other animals or are they just hedgehog mites? I'm worried about them being on my cats too if they get out the room! Please please help!! I need a quick fix! My new animals are sposed to be in there tonight!

 

[melbur10]

I don't mean to be rude but this sounds incredibly irresponsible to have one animal die, not get rid of the mites, get MORE small animals and claim that no animal can be moved or relocated in any way while you properly get rid of the pests...
This is some thing I could see a kid doing...

The animals should be relocated while you get rid of the mites. I have seen mites of all types affect many different animals. I can't say wether they are Hedgie specific but mites in general can effect the bird and the beardy I'm not sure on the others but if the mites are as bad as you say they are I would be seriously concerned

http://www.hedgehogworld.com/content.php?198-Oh-No!

Some reading on the different mites found on hedgies.

Did you find out from a vet which type of mite you have???

 

[Caroline]

I don't mean to be rude but this sounds incredibly irresponsible to have one animal die, not get rid of the mites, get MORE small animals and claim that no animal can be moved or relocated in any way while you properly get rid of the pests...
This is some thing I could see a kid doing...

The animals should be relocated while you get rid of the mites. I have seen mites of all types affect many different animals. I can't say wether they are Hedgie specific but mites in general can effect the bird and the beardy I'm not sure on the others but if the mites are as bad as you say they are I would be seriously concerned

I think you need to reread what she said before making such an unkind accusation. She had tried to get rid of the mites and it wasnt until today, I am assuming after she brought the new pets home that she realized that there were still mites. She is asking for help not to be criticized.

 

[melbur10]

Caroline I'm making this statement not to be unkind.
If the mite had been identified a course of action could be planned out. I've had mites on a hog. At no time was it IMPOSIBLE to remove the other animals at the very least to another room temporarily. Asking for a 'quick fix' to some thing that was not looked into properly before bring home MORE animals in my opinion is irresponsible.

Was the Hedgie being treated for mites?
Don't get me wrong I know mites can be a ***** to get rid of...
But it sounds like nothing was sprayed with any thing that could kill the mites?

My vet gave me a spray that would kill mites in the room/carpets ect when I treated my girl years ago... But with a bird I wouldn't spray any thing ... Again animals need to be removed

Maybe I'm being harsh but for me this is black and white as to what should have and needs to be done

 

[Caroline]

Well, first of all it appears to me that they had tried to get rid of the mites and believed that they had been successful. They did their best to be responsible, clearly they made a mistake but were now admitting that they had by asking for help. If you reread it you will see that they didnt see the mites again until yesterday. Secondly, I would have asked why it is impossible to remove the tank. Having spent enough time in England I know how small a lot of those houses and flats are and I can imagine how difficult it would be to move a large tank from one room to another, especially one that has already been set up. Same thing with the parrot cage, could it be one of those really big ones that would require
disassembling to get it through the door? I would have asked those questions and then tried to make suggestions according to how they answered after that.

 

[Animalloveruk]

Thankyou.

I did only just notice them. I believe they have been living somehow on the live food I have for my exotics that I keep in that room as today I found them covering the entire box I keep them in. Seemed to come outta nowhere. It wasn't realised until too late when he was ill with something else that my hog has mtes again. When I emptied the cage I to a bag afterwards I had to leave the bag in there till I filled it up and the next day there were loads of them pouring out of the bag. I don't know if theu will live in carpet, but they seem to be on some stuff on the floor.
I want to bug bomb it but heard that's only for fleas. I expect they're in all the drawers and wardrobe. I can't see anything in my bearded dragon or parrots cage. My parrotlet isn't a problem to move as she is tiny and won't grow anymore so her csge can always be moved. She's got an awkward tall cage. She's a parrotlet so she's very small. I can't put her in the spare room as we smoke in there nd it wojldnt be cleared out in time even if he stopped now before she could be put in there. I could work something out with her though. The tarantulas could be put in the spare room if they dont hsve mites, along with my gecko.
The bearded dragon is in a big heavy delicate four foot long wooden and glass vivarium. It's not the sturdiest either as it's a converted tank.

I just wanna know how to get rid of all of them asap snd the best way to go about it to keep all my animals safe wether they're all moved or not. Will bleach work??

If the doors shut and the windows open in there will the fumes/smell whatever I use travel through into the hall and other rooms cos my indoor cats are romingthe rest of the flat too.

I just wanna make sure all my babies are safe and be able to put my rats in there instead of keeping them in the kitchen or bathroom. Do you think the mites are probably living off the live food?

 

[Animalloveruk]

I think I know what they are! Mould mites! They look pretty much like the ones I have seen on videos just now and it would make sense of why they are living still when my hog is gone. But why were they in with my hog in the firet place and why did they attack him? I can't find any on my other animals..but they're on other stuff and the live food. They are attracted to heat and moisture so maybe that's why they were in my hogs cage as it often got warm in places in threre, but then sometimes very cold. In my bearded dragons tank it's probably too hot for them at the one end at least. My parrotlets cage is not really a spot for them I suppose. I don't kmow if my rats will be ok or not seeing as they are cleaned out fully everyday. But then why was my hedgehog losing quills so much before and itching? The vet had said he had a lot of mites on him again when I took him up at the end.
Also when people describe the hog mites they say it looks like dandruff walking which they do... But then so do mould mites from what ive seen.
The vet didn't say it was a different type of mite snd my hog was mouldy so why would the mould mites live on him anyway?

Sorry, just really really confused and at a complete loss of what to do to protect all my animals and get rid of them, whatever they are!

Has anyone ever seen a hedgehog mite off the hog snd got pics please? I seem one on my hogs lost quill before snd it looked like the ones I got here...but then it might've been a mould mite. These mites all over the place are tiny and speck like, but they csn be easily seen still on different colour surfaces if you look closely but mainly on black of course.

 

[melbur10]

Mites do live in various substrates it's very likely the substrate you have for the live food is a great place for mites to hide... They could have easily originated from there... Had you purchased a new container of live food before Hedgie broke out with mites? Perhaps that's where it came from first or they just migrated there afterword...
Mites tend to hide in bedding,soil,shavings,carpets...

Bug bomb would be my best solution.. The spray my vet had me use was intended for fleas as well.
Unfortunatly any thing that can be used to kill mites cannot really be used around animals...
I have seen bleach be in effective against mites Unfortunatly... The one thing I used with mites was Borax (found in the clothes washing detergent area) I'm not sure if it's available to you over there but if it is I would get a box... I used it typically in the washing machine while washing the Hedgie laundry. And also added to hot water and used as a sort of disinfectant on surfaces. Borax is belived to be safe around animals, but mites do not like the stuff at all.
Bleach or borax might be some thing to try, but keep in mind bug bomb then airing the room out for a day or so may actually be the faster solution.

Does the beardy have substrate? Be sure you double check his terrarium.

 

[melbur10]

also i would like to apologize for jumping to conclusions, i think i just had a short fuse last night after dealing with irresponsible pet owners... from your first post i assumed you were just completely unwilling to remove the animals and would be adding the rats/mice regardless of the mites in the room. i was wrong in my assumption as it appears you are willing to move the animals to other rooms, while inconvenient, still willing... this is where i thought you were being irresponsible (if you had just plain been unwilling to move them due to inconvenience) so i apologize and hope you can get rid of them soon and no other animals are affected.

 

[Animalloveruk]

That's ok. Thank you. I'm not really sure what to think about it really, as ivs always bought live food most weeks since before I had my hog and I've never had a problem with mites with them. Not that I've seen anyway.

When I had my hedghog he had wood based pellet litter I think but I used to use thst on my rats years ago with no problems whatsoever.
Could've been a bad batch I suppose.

But would mould mites or any other type of mite thst doesn't live on an animal be itching my hedgehog and making him lose quills etc?
It just doest seem likely, especially as the vet didn't say they were not hedgehog mites. Maybe they didn't take a closer look and they looked the same. It's good thst I csnt see any on my other animals as of yet so maybe the rats will be ok...I dunno. My bed is broken ATM and we need to sort out the bedroom (where the animals are) cos there's clutter. There's boxes on the bed snd no mites on that.

I keep my parrotlets seed boxes on the floor..seed in ice-cream containers. These are bird seed, pulse mix seed and EMP egg food. I havnt seen any in or on the boxes and hopefully there isn't. That's strange considering mould mites are also cslled grain mites I believe and like food stuffs...mainly seeds etc.

 

[3CsMommy]

Check with your local chemists' shop for a pillow spray for human head lice containing permethrin. It is an INCREDIBLY powerful insecticide, but in low enough dosages, is safe to use around pet animals EXCEPT arthropods (I saw you mentioned tarantulas; get them well away from this stuff!). You'll also have to completely scrap and restart your feeders bins, which to me is the worst part of this. You've likely got quite a bit of money tied up in them. (I'm guessing crickets or dubias based on what you keep?) This spray WILL kill the feeders, but since the mites are likely in their substrate, the bins they're in must be treated as well.

Find a temporary container for the beardie (a rubbermaid bin with holes in the sides will work) to keep him out of the room while you're spraying, and roll the parotlet into another area, again just for while you're treating the animal room. Once the smell of the spray has subsided, it's fine to move the beardie back into it, but I would wait a full day with the parotlet and the arachnids. Keep in mind that any surface you treat will not be safe for a spider to come in direct physical contact with, ever. Spider enclosures are safe to put back on a treated surface after a day or so. I would clean and restart the beardy's tank after the spray as well, simply to be sure there is not airborne residue in it, and that none has potentially landed in his water or bowls.

You're going to use this pillow spray to treat every hard surface where you've seen mites, and the flooring around those areas. It may be sprayed directly on the floor in the corners and cracks, and we used a flannel that hasn't been used for anything else to wipe down furniture and the OUTSIDES of all cages, aquariums, bins, and boxes in the room. Crawling through permethrin will kill juvenile and adult phases of mites (called instars), so rubbing down the exteriors where the pets can't reach will keep the mites from infesting areas they haven't yet. They lay eggs between baseboards and walls or in the carpet, so they'll keep reinfesting until you completely obliterate them, and the best way to do that is dutiful cleaning and a good bug spray, sad as it is to say. Keeping the beardy on newspaper for a week can help insure that his enclosure harbors no mites as well, without exposing him to the pesticide.

We've just sorted this problem with our reptile collection (different type of mite, same recurring infestation); it has been 9 months of ****. I wish you luck. Feel free to message me with any other questions or concerns. Besides my chinchillas and cats, I'm a big fan of beardies, and my fiancee is a crazy tarantula (and snake) guy.

 

[Animalloveruk]

Thankyou. I shall try that. As long as all my babies will be safe, especially my parrotlet and bearded. I had a loooooong look last night at my parrots cage and interior (wood perches and toys especially) and couldn't see anything. I am pretty sure they just attacked my hedgehog or came from my hog and are not leaving for some reason. I hope they don't get to my cats.

My bearded is already on newspaper as a substrate. I'm keeping all new live foods out of that room now.

I tried to post a reply before replying to Melburs post and accepting his apology but it wasn't accepted?

 

[lauralynne]

I tried to post a reply before replying to Melburs post and accepting his apology but it wasn't accepted?

As a new member, your posts are in a moderated status until an admin or mod approves them. You'll see this won't be an issue once you get to around 10-15 posts.

 

[Animalloveruk]

Oh it won't take me long then, lol.

I don't know why my other posts were accepted though and thst one wsnt.

 

[Chinmama]

Animalloveruk, I don't see any posts in moderation for you or that any of your posts have been removed. Maybe your connection timed out before the post went through or something?

 

[melbur10]

I see the post accepting the apology... It is the last post on the first page

 

[3CsMommy]

I had a loooooong look last night at my parrots cage and interior (wood perches and toys especially) and couldn't see anything.

To be safe, a soak in strong (1:3) vinegar water with a quick trip into a low temp oven (120 C) should kill off anything that might be on the perches or non-destroyed toys. You could also rinse them with a weak solution of chlorhexadine (Nolvasan is a brand name here in the U.S.) and bake as above, but I don't like to use petrochemicals if I can avoid it.

 

[Animalloveruk]

Thanks. My oven is bust T, :banghead:
I found mites crawling on one of my tarantula tanks so they're most likely inside them too. I havnt got any spare tanks/tubs or soil for them and no way I can get rid of mites without killing them!

 

[Animalloveruk]

Would a hedgehog type of mite still live afterwards wether it was living off my live food or even tarantulas or not and be all over my stuff?

All the mites I've looked up look tjw same and I am so wary of harming my anjmaks or the fumes coming out the room/lingering in the room

 

[3CsMommy]

You could in theory get separate tubs ready for the tarantulas, treat the outsides with the mite killer and, after their next moult, move the Ts into newly sterilized bins. But my fiancee informs me that the type of Ts you keep can make that a moot point since some females take ages to moult. It does sound to me, though, that however they got started, these mites are in the bedding of all the arthropods in the room. The question becomes what specific type they are, and whether they're hazardous to the remaining animals.

Can you stick a few mites to a bit of sellotape and ask someone in a pet shop, vet's office, or university science department for help identifying? It could be a mostly harmless mite. Unless they're red, they're not the sort that are dangerous to the T. If they're not black and round like a teeny pin head, they're not a reptile/snake mite that would hurt the leo and beardie. Rodent mites are usually brown or white, which it sounds like you had in the past with your hedgie. Those could cause discomfort for the rats if they're what's present. And if that's the case, then substrate changes and tank exterior treatments with permethrin should get the problem under control. It seems the key step is sorting what type of mite it is.