Little White Bugs + Little Flys Infestation

[OutL4w]

Hello everyone!

I've been running my viv for about 3 weeks by now without any crested geckos in it (waiting for special specimens to arrive before buying them) and I noticed in my viv that I have a little white bug and flys infestation.

How do I get rid of those, I don't want them to spread ot my appartment neither bug my cresties when they'll take their new home.

Anyone else have this kind of issues?

Any fast replys will be greatly appreciated.

Regards

[Liz]

whats in the viv?

[smith710]

What kind of substrate are you using?

[OutL4w]

There will be crested geckos in about 2 weeks

The substrate is a made of a dark brown bark (can't remember what is it thought) but I was recommended using this.  It's some dark brown bark and was something sold in big bag.  Maybe some jungle mix bark.  Anyway it's brown with bark!

Thanks for quick answers!!!

[Liz]

maybe bugs were in it when u bought it?

[smith710]

First of all.  Bark chips aren't a good substrate to use with cresties.  Some people use it with no problems, but I've heard of alot of things gone bad with it.  Alot of cresties get impacted from the wood, others get splinters, It's really not the best substrate for crested geckos.  You are better off using peat moss or bed a beast, something more soft, kind of like dirt, but not dirt.  As for the bugs, they most likely came in with the wood chips.  Do the white bugs look anything like fly larvae?  Maybe a fly layed eggs in the wood chip bag and now they are hatching and laying more eggs and everything.  I don't know how you would get rid of them besides cleaning out the wood chips, it's not very good for cresties anyhow.  Some people do use the wood chips, but there really is no reason to take a chance with them that doesn't need to be taken.  So I would suggest just getting rid of the wood chips and that would  solve a bunch of problems.  Just get a bag of peat moss or bed a beast, etc.  Hope this helps at all.

[firecrested]

I'm not sure what it could be.  I have never had bugs in my crested enclosure but like smith710 said, it could have came in the bag.  I have had unwanted guests (mites)  in bags of jungle bedding for my snakes a while back.  and they spread through almost all my snakes enclosures before i found them.  It took a couple weeks to completely get rid of all of them.

[Liz]

we did too. (the mites thing) Looks great but it sucks with bugs.

[OutL4w]

Alright,

I will change my bedding for bed a beast since it seems to be a lot safer for cresties and hopefully it will solved my mites/bugs problems.

Thanks!!!

[Liz]

good luck

[smith710]

It definately should solve the bug problem... Plus, definately more safe.

[jackxc925]

Hello everyone!

I've been running my viv for about 3 weeks by now without any crested geckos in it (waiting for special specimens to arrive before buying them) and I noticed in my viv that I have a little white bug and flys infestation.

How do I get rid of those, I don't want them to spread ot my appartment neither bug my cresties when they'll take their new home.

Anyone else have this kind of issues?

Any fast replys will be greatly appreciated.

Regards

You should really consider using newsprint type paper or paper towels, possibly that green astro-turf stuff. I am actually using bed a beast, and I recently found a centipede in the tank, plus when dead crickes or spilled ICB gets moldy, it's a bear to clean. Bed a beast is great, if you can handle cleaning every day. I am considering the astro turf, simply because I could have three of them cut to fit, and when one gets dirty, I can just switch them out an clean the dirty one.

[smith710]

I use peat moss, which is pretty much like bedabeast and i just put perlite under it with some screen over it so the water can drain and it doesnt mold. I wouldn't recommend the carpet because I've heard alot of people say that their claws and jaws get stuck in it.  I wouldn't take a chance that doesn't need to be taken.

[Liz]

but really the perlite makes a HUGE difference

[cml3.0]

With the carpet when I used it with my snakes some of them got rashes? Don't know, all I know is I stopped using it. But I have heard others that really like the stuff.

For the bug problem, you want to let the substrate dry out, and to pick, and kill as many as you see.
Good luck

[monster]

i've gone through a ton of diffrent substrates with my animals. universally, newsprint is the cheapest, easiest and by far most tacky (unless it's the sunday comics ). flies & most undesirable pests thrive in humid places. mites are a diffrent evil i pray you never have to go through. throw out the chips and lightly-bleach out the tank. dry & rinse with water. you don't know what else might have come along with the chips so it never hurts to be safe. half my tanks now have the washable cage carpet and the others have paper towels & newsprint. i've never had an issue with anyone getting stuck on it or teeth snagged. when i was 17 my brother's milk snake choked on a woodchip and i've never used them with any of my animals sense then.

[GECKOHAVEN]

big fan of the VIVA papertowel here!

[tennisbunny]

I use shelf liners that i picked up at Bed Bath and Beyond. Makes cleanup SOOO easy.

Bea

[monster]

I use shelf liners that i picked up at Bed Bath and Beyond. Makes cleanup SOOO easy.

oh hey, that's a cool idea! easy to clean and move? any cutting involved?

[tennisbunny]

Well, the shelf liners come in two sizes, I think 12" and 20", both 5 foot rolls. One roll is about $4.00 and will be enough for a few tanks, depending on size. For spot cleaning, you just wipe, and for more thorough cleaning, you can put it into a 10% bleach solution. It looks neater than paper towels.

Bea

[cml3.0]

Well, the shelf liners come in two sizes, I think 12" and 20", both 5 foot rolls. One roll is about $4.00 and will be enough for a few tanks, depending on size. For spot cleaning, you just wipe, and for more thorough cleaning, you can put it into a 10% bleach solution. It looks neater than paper towels.

Bea

Very interesting, may have to try those out ...

[Liz]

does sound liek something good to try... thanks

[tennisbunny]

Oh, yeah, I also use vinyl tile in my 12x12 Exo-Terra terrariums. I got them at Home Depot and they look like stone. $1.09/each

[monster]

i did try the vinyl tile with my first cage. liquids eventually leaked into the cracks and under the tiles, which defeated the purpose of it in the first place.