Today I noticed some bugs in my RF's substrate so I pulled him out and inspected him. There were these tiny little bugs crawling all over his plastron. Immediately I washed them off, but I noted that they did NOT seem to be on his skin at all, only his plastron as if he had sat down on top of them and fell asleep. I inspected him closely and there were no bugs on his head, limbs, or soft tissue like his neck. He's behaving normally, very active, bright-eyed, ferocious appetite. That all seems good so far.
He had been sleeping right next to his log shelter, so I pulled that out and checked it. It was swarming with these little bugs. I didn't even try to rescue that thing, I tossed it. These little bugs were scattered here and there in his substrate (cypress mulch) as well, and his enclosure was due for intensive cleaning so I threw it all out. I didn't notice them at all yesterday and I checked his plastron for shell rot then, too. It's like these bugs exploded in numbers overnight.
The problem is, I can't find ANY definition of common enclosure pests that match these guys. I see a lot of people mentioning little white bugs which seem to be harmless, but these guys are mostly brown or even black. I have found some white ones, but they aren't exactly "white", more of a grey-ish color. I also can't tell if they can fly or if they're just so small and lightweight that they float away when I lean in or exhale while trying to look at them up close. They seem to have an oval shape but they are so small that I can't know for sure. They're wandering up and down the sides of the enclosure now with no hiding place to retreat to. I kill them on sight. I hate them.
Could these things hurt my RF? Regardless, I want them all gone and I want them to suffer like they made me suffer. I've been feeling itchy all over since seeing them.
He had been sleeping right next to his log shelter, so I pulled that out and checked it. It was swarming with these little bugs. I didn't even try to rescue that thing, I tossed it. These little bugs were scattered here and there in his substrate (cypress mulch) as well, and his enclosure was due for intensive cleaning so I threw it all out. I didn't notice them at all yesterday and I checked his plastron for shell rot then, too. It's like these bugs exploded in numbers overnight.
The problem is, I can't find ANY definition of common enclosure pests that match these guys. I see a lot of people mentioning little white bugs which seem to be harmless, but these guys are mostly brown or even black. I have found some white ones, but they aren't exactly "white", more of a grey-ish color. I also can't tell if they can fly or if they're just so small and lightweight that they float away when I lean in or exhale while trying to look at them up close. They seem to have an oval shape but they are so small that I can't know for sure. They're wandering up and down the sides of the enclosure now with no hiding place to retreat to. I kill them on sight. I hate them.
Could these things hurt my RF? Regardless, I want them all gone and I want them to suffer like they made me suffer. I've been feeling itchy all over since seeing them.