I found a poop behind a plant pot that had escaped my notice, and when i found it, it had what appeared to be lil yellow larva attached all over it,i'd show yu a pic but i'm a computer redneck and cant seem to get pic anywhere other than in my profile gallery.so does cham poop have natural parisite? that if allowed to incubate will develop?The culprit(POOP)was right under uvauvb lamp and well misted,and i havent changed the terra fibre in a month cuz hes movin into larger screen cage this weekend.so should i keep an eye out for mites?and what do i look for?
Will mite larva form in poop left too long?
- Thread starter Cooper007
- Start date
xanthoman
Avid Member
mites?
there are many different types of mites, and there will usually appear as little white, yellow or red specks, usually about the size of a grain of sugar. its not likely that you would notice their larvae. the usual key to spotting them whithout magnification is movement. if you have little specks watch them for about 30 sec.s, if they are mites you will notice movement, better still inspect the area with a powerful magnifying glass or radio shack has a hand held plastic microscope viewer for about $15 that works great for spotting mites. cage cleanliness is the key to avoiding mite infestations and is paramount to good husbandry in general. cage cleanliness will not guaranty freedom from parasites. although parasite transmission usually comes from other sources such as other chameleons. cage cleanliness is important in not escalating or perpetuating the problem. if you have a mite infestation you will probably notice your animal wiping or rubbing its face with paws or on plants. terra fiber or other substrates can make excellent breeding grounds for mites if the other conditions are right. this is one reason why bare floors are recomended and substrate should be kept to a minimum, if you must use a cage liner, use something that can be changed regularly and sanitized easily, like terry cloth liners that can be regularly swapped for a clean one and the used ones can be washed in hot water with bleach. when it comes to covering soil, i prefer rocks on top of window screen rather than terra fiber. jmo
there are many different types of mites, and there will usually appear as little white, yellow or red specks, usually about the size of a grain of sugar. its not likely that you would notice their larvae. the usual key to spotting them whithout magnification is movement. if you have little specks watch them for about 30 sec.s, if they are mites you will notice movement, better still inspect the area with a powerful magnifying glass or radio shack has a hand held plastic microscope viewer for about $15 that works great for spotting mites. cage cleanliness is the key to avoiding mite infestations and is paramount to good husbandry in general. cage cleanliness will not guaranty freedom from parasites. although parasite transmission usually comes from other sources such as other chameleons. cage cleanliness is important in not escalating or perpetuating the problem. if you have a mite infestation you will probably notice your animal wiping or rubbing its face with paws or on plants. terra fiber or other substrates can make excellent breeding grounds for mites if the other conditions are right. this is one reason why bare floors are recomended and substrate should be kept to a minimum, if you must use a cage liner, use something that can be changed regularly and sanitized easily, like terry cloth liners that can be regularly swapped for a clean one and the used ones can be washed in hot water with bleach. when it comes to covering soil, i prefer rocks on top of window screen rather than terra fiber. jmo
