Flour mites 😫
- Thread starter Magpie
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I haven't used it before.
your cage set up looks very nice
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How’s the mite situation??
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Annoyingly they are suddenly now back again. Noticed them 2 nights ago.
Seems like there is absolutely nothing I can do about them?! He's had a bit of a stressful time recently with full enclosure clear out for the bugs then a new puppy arrived as well as renovation work on the house meaning we had to move house for a week, so I'm loathed to gut his tank out again right now. (plus I don't have the luxury of time and space right now with all the above still ongoing!) They do him no harm so will need to try to ignore them for now he's ready for a total clearout again.
The last effort was monumental. It took all day. There's literally nothing more I can do to try and be rid of them. I've no idea what they are or where they come from. Everything that's back in there was baked or frozen for over 2 weeks to be sure... other than Mr Maggie himself!
Just feels totally futile at this point.
Seems like there is absolutely nothing I can do about them?! He's had a bit of a stressful time recently with full enclosure clear out for the bugs then a new puppy arrived as well as renovation work on the house meaning we had to move house for a week, so I'm loathed to gut his tank out again right now. (plus I don't have the luxury of time and space right now with all the above still ongoing!) They do him no harm so will need to try to ignore them for now he's ready for a total clearout again.
The last effort was monumental. It took all day. There's literally nothing more I can do to try and be rid of them. I've no idea what they are or where they come from. Everything that's back in there was baked or frozen for over 2 weeks to be sure... other than Mr Maggie himself!
Just feels totally futile at this point.
Maybe the mites are on poor little Maggie? If I understood my vet correctly, hamsters themselves can be affected by mites. Especially if the immune system is running low due to stress or infection. It does seem strange after all your efforts that they keep coming back. If you can catch a few and put them in a small container and take them to your vet, maybe they will have a solution. I am very sorry, you have had enough stress and it must be devastating to keep finding these little pests.Annoyingly they are suddenly now back again. Noticed them 2 nights ago.
Seems like there is absolutely nothing I can do about them?! He's had a bit of a stressful time recently with full enclosure clear out for the bugs then a new puppy arrived as well as renovation work on the house meaning we had to move house for a week, so I'm loathed to gut his tank out again right now. (plus I don't have the luxury of time and space right now with all the above still ongoing!) They do him no harm so will need to try to ignore them for now he's ready for a total clearout again.
The last effort was monumental. It took all day. There's literally nothing more I can do to try and be rid of them. I've no idea what they are or where they come from. Everything that's back in there was baked or frozen for over 2 weeks to be sure... other than Mr Maggie himself!
Just feels totally futile at this point.
Sending a big hug and hopefully a solution to get rid of them.
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Oh no!!!! I’m battling them myself and was wondering. Maybe once the weather is drier?? I haven’t done a complete clean out yet and now I’m wondering if I should bother. Just 50% plus baking cleaning freezing vinegar etc. ugh.Annoyingly they are suddenly now back again. Noticed them 2 nights ago.
Seems like there is absolutely nothing I can do about them?! He's had a bit of a stressful time recently with full enclosure clear out for the bugs then a new puppy arrived as well as renovation work on the house meaning we had to move house for a week, so I'm loathed to gut his tank out again right now. (plus I don't have the luxury of time and space right now with all the above still ongoing!) They do him no harm so will need to try to ignore them for now he's ready for a total clearout again.
The last effort was monumental. It took all day. There's literally nothing more I can do to try and be rid of them. I've no idea what they are or where they come from. Everything that's back in there was baked or frozen for over 2 weeks to be sure... other than Mr Maggie himself!
Just feels totally futile at this point.
Sorry you’re dealing with this!! Keep us posted
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I am so sorry. That is so unfair on both you and Mr Maggie. Could you just squish them for now and hope they don't proliferate?Annoyingly they are suddenly now back again. Noticed them 2 nights ago.
Seems like there is absolutely nothing I can do about them?! He's had a bit of a stressful time recently with full enclosure clear out for the bugs then a new puppy arrived as well as renovation work on the house meaning we had to move house for a week, so I'm loathed to gut his tank out again right now. (plus I don't have the luxury of time and space right now with all the above still ongoing!) They do him no harm so will need to try to ignore them for now he's ready for a total clearout again.
The last effort was monumental. It took all day. There's literally nothing more I can do to try and be rid of them. I've no idea what they are or where they come from. Everything that's back in there was baked or frozen for over 2 weeks to be sure... other than Mr Maggie himself!
Just feels totally futile at this point.
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I am trying to think - you did a really thorough cage clean - nothing could have survived that. I am sure they don't live on hamsters. The type that do live on hamsters are invisible to the naked eye (demodex mites). These are book lice. Eggs can hatch and eggs will be invisible but that is why you did such a thorough cage clean. When I've had to do that I have never had anything hatching from the hamster themselves, but as a precaution I have sometimes, gently wiped the hamster with an almost damp cloth before putting them back in by holding them in the cloth and letting them walk from it like a tunnel - virtually dry but just a few drops of water to dampen it enough to wipe anything off. I doubt it made any difference though.
All I can think now is they are somewhere else in the house and getting to the cage. Someone else did have them in other parts of the house. Do you have any house plants in the room with damp soil maybe?
The only other thing I can think is set up a spare cage newly set up with new items and move him to that and have it in a different room. Then disinfect the current enclosure and items again but leave him in the spare cage and don't re-use the enclosure and items for a while. And see what happens. They may not re-occur in the different cage with new items. It they reoccur in the disinfected cage with the items stacked in it you'll know there's still a source from something to do with the enclosure or items.
I think you mentioned you don't have a spare cage. It could be worth just getting a second hand plaza cage - you can get them for about £30 to £40 second hand. It's also easier to carry to another room if needed.
All I can think now is they are somewhere else in the house and getting to the cage. Someone else did have them in other parts of the house. Do you have any house plants in the room with damp soil maybe?
The only other thing I can think is set up a spare cage newly set up with new items and move him to that and have it in a different room. Then disinfect the current enclosure and items again but leave him in the spare cage and don't re-use the enclosure and items for a while. And see what happens. They may not re-occur in the different cage with new items. It they reoccur in the disinfected cage with the items stacked in it you'll know there's still a source from something to do with the enclosure or items.
I think you mentioned you don't have a spare cage. It could be worth just getting a second hand plaza cage - you can get them for about £30 to £40 second hand. It's also easier to carry to another room if needed.
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I’m just squishing them for now.
We’ve got no plants in this room, and they aren’t anywhere else other than in and on his tank.
I don’t think they are on him but even if they are they aren’t harmful to him.
There is no way I could wipe him with anything. I’ve never been able to hold him and at the moment he’s a total ghost. I don’t think I could even get him to climb into his jug to be moved. When we moved for the week for the builders knocking down a wall we ended up moving him in the bucatstate. I tried to dig him up and pop him in his carrier but he was not happy. So decided the least stressful way was to move him as he was. I just removed the top level
Heavy things to prevent them falling over or moving.
He used to take food from me and happily hop Into his jug.
I will try again to be rid of them and perhaps entirely change his enclosure and quarantine the bucatstate but for the moment I’m just going to do the best I can to keep them at bay.
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I had the whole tank completely dismantled and cleaned it with vinegar solution then bleach… thoroughly rinsed and then blasted with a hair dryer. I feel like there’s nothing else I can do and that to do again would be a hiding to nothing.
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It's a complete mystery. I am sure the Bucatstate was completely cleansed. Was there anything in the cage itself that could have been missed? I remember someone else who had them, eventually found them hatching out in a bag of wood chew sticks and that seemed to be the source. But I'm sure you've frozen or baked everything.
I am so sorry. I suppose it's not surprising he's hiding away after all the upheavals, but that can change. He could come out of it and you rebuild things - it's just if you can get rid of these bugs so he can have some stability.
I don't think you should keep completely disinfecting the cage and contents - it's too much for you and for Mr Maggie. A bit of googling suggested that even though the legs were completely cleaned out with bleach that could have created humidity and a breeding ground again as it's hard to fully dry inside them. It only takes a few eggs to survive I guess. The suggestion was seal off the legs so nothing can get out. Hmm - not sure if that would work.
If it was me I honestly would move him to a completely different cage and store the Bucatstate somewhere - a garage or something. And get a simple barred cage and base and move him to that, with new contents and have the cage in a different room - an upstairs room maybe. Because I can't see how they can come back then. Then at least you'd both have some peace - even if you have an infested Bucatstate outside.
I know that is extra cost though - but I mentioned a second hand plaza before. And you don't need to go overboard with cage contents. I'm sure he'd be perfectly happy with plenty of bedding, a cardboard shoebox house and a few hides and tunnels. And maybe use the green shelf. And keep it really simple. And then after a period of time, if all is well you could get some nicer things a bit at a time.
I wouldn't re-use anything at all. You don't need to throw them away. You could just wash/bake or leave them out in the sun and then store them somewhere.
What bedding are you using?
I am so sorry. I suppose it's not surprising he's hiding away after all the upheavals, but that can change. He could come out of it and you rebuild things - it's just if you can get rid of these bugs so he can have some stability.
I don't think you should keep completely disinfecting the cage and contents - it's too much for you and for Mr Maggie. A bit of googling suggested that even though the legs were completely cleaned out with bleach that could have created humidity and a breeding ground again as it's hard to fully dry inside them. It only takes a few eggs to survive I guess. The suggestion was seal off the legs so nothing can get out. Hmm - not sure if that would work.
If it was me I honestly would move him to a completely different cage and store the Bucatstate somewhere - a garage or something. And get a simple barred cage and base and move him to that, with new contents and have the cage in a different room - an upstairs room maybe. Because I can't see how they can come back then. Then at least you'd both have some peace - even if you have an infested Bucatstate outside.
I know that is extra cost though - but I mentioned a second hand plaza before. And you don't need to go overboard with cage contents. I'm sure he'd be perfectly happy with plenty of bedding, a cardboard shoebox house and a few hides and tunnels. And maybe use the green shelf. And keep it really simple. And then after a period of time, if all is well you could get some nicer things a bit at a time.
I wouldn't re-use anything at all. You don't need to throw them away. You could just wash/bake or leave them out in the sun and then store them somewhere.
What bedding are you using?