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black bugs in the enclosure

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bexs
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Bexs

I have found some of these little black bugs in my hamster enclosure. Obviously it’s gross but i’m wondering if they’re harmful. My hamster gets very stressed from full deep cleans and would not be happy in a temporary home. I’m thinking if they won’t hurt him to just leave it. I have given him a full check and he seems fine. The picture is rubbish but they’re too big to be mites. I’ve read on other threads i should have been freezing the sprays and food and i will now do that buts it too late.
 

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Hi. So annoying. I hear you - hamsters don't like full cage cleans and being moved somewhere temporary. However, it may have to come to that. The bugs won't do any harm to your hamster but they could start to multiply. They can come from hay, sprays, or even hatch out from invisible eggs in hamster food or treats. So I freeze absolutely everything edible and even some hyacinth and grass things or wood bark items and hay as well. Freeze them for a week. Anything wipe clean like smooth wood items or ceramic is fine. Although I have seen reports of some niteangel houses coming with bugs living in the corners of them - possibly from bad storage. And once had a barkwood house with woodworm! Which I sent back straight away.

But houses are usually fine.

You could wait and see, just squashing them as you see them and see if that solves it. If they start to increase in number though, you may well have to do a full cage clean as bug eggs could end up in every item in the cage and in little crevices. It's a horrible big job though.

I did once find a half eaten, rotten blueberry in a cage that was crawling with bugs, but once I chucked the blueberry I had no issues with bugs in the cage.
 
Thank you, this is very helpful. Glad they’re not going to hurt him! I killed as many bugs as i could see and no far i’ve only seen 1 more. I’ve started freezing everything new as well.
 
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