Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
@ Bella'sMummy - It's a shame you don't live nearer, if you'd have helped it'd have taken half the time.
Does anyone else find bugs in their rodent enclosures?
- Thread starter Sue_P
- Start date
- Status
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
@ Rodentlady1987 – Out of curiosity what do you disinfect? Do you just put a very thin layer of newspaper down and have to rub down the floor underneath? Seems such hard work, I’m still trying to avoid that by having a thick enough layer of paper down to just bin it daily avoiding the need for scrubbing. Yucky job is scrubbing.
I’m not having it an inch and a half thick again though, that was one hell of a task stripping it all out.
Connie
Adult Guinea Pig
if you lined it with something like lino, have one layer of newspaper would be fine and stop the bugs. I takes me ten minutes to roll up the newspaper from the bottom of my cage. If its done on a regular basis there would be no scrubbing necessary. *maybe a spray and a wipe with a pet friendly disinfectant once a week* Besides that, i have refrained from posting before because I'm AMAZED that on a GUINEAPIG FORUM you are talking about your time and effort being more important that whats best for the piggies.
rodentlady1987
Junior Guinea Pig
I have a plastic bottom to my cage so I disinfect that, with a thin layer of newspaper at the bottom with bedding on top. Then its easy to roll up the newspaper, with the bedding throw that away disinfect the bottom and then re layer down newspaper and clean bedding. The bedding isn't normally to yucky as I spot clean daily. I scrubs everything clean though, including toys, and their beds / fleeces get hand washed with baby safe washing powder. I use "Keep it Clean" pet safe disinfectant which is pretty good stuff and smells of lemons 
|)
|)
P
piggyfan
You say that you cannot be bothered to wash fleece but it is really nice and cosy for GUINEA PIGS and hygienic too. Your piggies needs must come first at all times. If you are going to use newspaper then you have to change it every single day. You must not let your piggies home get into such a state again. Thank goodness they did not get ill from all the insects and build up of ammonia from the urine. It sounds like you need to make their home more interesting. They get bored easily and you should get them new things and move things about to make it more interesting. Cardboard rolls stuffed with hay,paper bags and tunnels are fun things for your GUINEA PIGS to do.
I think you're making it harder for yourself really! I know you've done a full clear out now but you need to stay on top of it. Not just for the piggies but surely for your nose as well?! The best thing to do IMO would be to use lino or at a push go to somewhere like dunelm and get their pvc table cover fabric which you can buy by the meter. Then cover it with a thick layer of newspaper, possibly something like megazorb and then lots of hay. It would take literally 10minutes every few days to roll up the news paper, dump it in the bin and lay down some more. A quick wipe over with a vinegar and water solution neutralizes any nasty smells as well.
Seems like you have a nice sized enclosure but just think how rotten it must be for your piggies living with all that damp cardboard and a collection of bugs around them. Plus the risk of flystrike is a real possibility and it would be a terrible way to lose a piggy.
There's 100's of suggestions on here on bedding options, some will suit, some won't. For instance I personally couldn't cope with fleece but the combination of lino, newspaper, megazorb and hay works brilliantly for me.
Keep us updated!
Seems like you have a nice sized enclosure but just think how rotten it must be for your piggies living with all that damp cardboard and a collection of bugs around them. Plus the risk of flystrike is a real possibility and it would be a terrible way to lose a piggy.
There's 100's of suggestions on here on bedding options, some will suit, some won't. For instance I personally couldn't cope with fleece but the combination of lino, newspaper, megazorb and hay works brilliantly for me.
Keep us updated!
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
@ Connie – My rodents have one hell of a life thank you very much, they’re very lucky and spoiled.
It took me longer to muck out as I had the pen before actually, I think the pen was much more rodent friendly beforehand, 8 boxes to hide in, 3 tunnels and having hay all around to sit on and graze on, to me it seemed like it was more fun than how it is now with just 3 tunnels and 3 cardboard boxes and nothing much else. Having less clutter in the pen does save mucking out time but it can’t be as much fun for my rodents. If I wanted to give them the upmost pleasure I’d go back to having it look pretty much like it did before with lots of boxes and lots of hay all around. & I’m sure they didn’t even notice the bugs were there.
& as for how many layers of newspaper I put down, my rodents aren’t aware if they’re sat on one newspaper or five.
@ rodentlady1987 – OMG, you hand wash fleeces?!
That’s gotta be one of the most rank jobs in the world!
Yurrrrrkk. No way in the world would I ever do that.
I didn’t have enough newspaper down in one of my bed areas this morning and the lino probably got a bit wet, I’ll have to get out my white vinegar and a cloth again and get rubbing sometime soon. I used to have a litter tray in the pen and a cat basket too and they used to use them to sleep in and pee in, I used to use white vinegar to clean them out afterwards cos I never put enough newspaper down in them. Can’t say I enjoyed the white vinegar job, it stinks and I hate cloths or tissues with pee on. Yucky yuck yuck.
& as for how many layers of newspaper I put down, my rodents aren’t aware if they’re sat on one newspaper or five.
@ rodentlady1987 – OMG, you hand wash fleeces?!
I didn’t have enough newspaper down in one of my bed areas this morning and the lino probably got a bit wet, I’ll have to get out my white vinegar and a cloth again and get rubbing sometime soon. I used to have a litter tray in the pen and a cat basket too and they used to use them to sleep in and pee in, I used to use white vinegar to clean them out afterwards cos I never put enough newspaper down in them. Can’t say I enjoyed the white vinegar job, it stinks and I hate cloths or tissues with pee on. Yucky yuck yuck.
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
@ piggyfan – There was no build up of ammonia in my pen as I had it before as the thick layers of newspaper underneath was all clean dry newspaper. I mucked out daily changing the top layer.
Stuffing hay in an old toilet roll thingie is a good idea, I might try that one.
Stuffing hay in an old toilet roll thingie is a good idea, I might try that one.
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
@ youthnovels – My pen didn’t smell.
I know people here might find it hard to believe cos I came on and admitted to having a bug infested pen but I’m actually a neat freak and over-obsessed with hygiene.
I can’t deal with dirt or dust and although my carpets don’t look their best, everything else in my house is immaculate. Any guests I have round moan about me telling them off for putting their dirty shoes on my carpet or for them standing on my mats in their socks (men don’t seem to understand that doormats or the mat for the rodent pen are for dirty feet and carpets are for clean feet, doesn’t matter how many years I tell them off for, they still don’t get it
), I shout at Uncle Derek for dumping his money on my table and point out how much bacteria and germs there must be on coins that have passed through thousands of hands and I shout at Meanie Mummy for putting her hand bag down on my table knowing full well it’s been on counters in shops and stuff. Everytime a guest leaves I get out my anti-bacterial spray and go after anything they’ve been in contact with.
Seriously, I’m obsessed with dirt. There isn’t a thing in my house that hasn’t been wiped down with a cloth, you won’t find a fingermark on any of my doors or windows I can guarantee you.
I considered a plastic tablecloth actually and asked around to see if anyone had a spare one but no one did. I’m a tight *rse and don’t wanna spend money so will just keep my eye out for something plastic and suitable to use as a base layer for the rest of the pen although I do have lino under the bed areas.
Is it just bluebottles that give rodents fly strike? I do get plenty of flies in my house but they’re all little ones. Nothing I can do about that, well they could forfeit their daily grass but I’m sure they’d rather have a few flies in their pen.
I’ll take a photo sometime of how I have the pen now. I should have taken one with it empty or with the lino down as once everything was cleared out the place looked huge.
Oh and for a new update: - My roddies seemed a lot happier last night and more settled in. They came out for a social time. I usually sit down for half an hour and read to them or get on the phone to someone and they like to come out of their boxes and be sociable when I’m in there with them. They weren’t sociable at all on Saturday or Sunday, they seemed quite traumatised but last night they were back to normal.
I considered a plastic tablecloth actually and asked around to see if anyone had a spare one but no one did. I’m a tight *rse and don’t wanna spend money so will just keep my eye out for something plastic and suitable to use as a base layer for the rest of the pen although I do have lino under the bed areas.
Is it just bluebottles that give rodents fly strike? I do get plenty of flies in my house but they’re all little ones. Nothing I can do about that, well they could forfeit their daily grass but I’m sure they’d rather have a few flies in their pen.
I’ll take a photo sometime of how I have the pen now. I should have taken one with it empty or with the lino down as once everything was cleared out the place looked huge.
Oh and for a new update: - My roddies seemed a lot happier last night and more settled in. They came out for a social time. I usually sit down for half an hour and read to them or get on the phone to someone and they like to come out of their boxes and be sociable when I’m in there with them. They weren’t sociable at all on Saturday or Sunday, they seemed quite traumatised but last night they were back to normal.
pelicano
Adult Guinea Pig
I sometimes see little tiny bugs in my guinea pig room, eg on the window sill and on top of the plastic box where the hay is kept. I'm sure they come from the hay. I wash the cage every week though, so they don't live in the cage.
Forgot to say, the moths usually come from the food - horrible grain moths, which are hard to control.
Forgot to say, the moths usually come from the food - horrible grain moths, which are hard to control.
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
@ pelicano – So when you get new hay in, do you continue to still get the bugs? Cos I don’t think my bugs came from my hay bale as I lifted up the clear plastic bag the rest of the bale was in and there was nothing running around in it.
It’s a bit of a mystery where my bugs actually originated from.
What food do your moths come from? You feed your rodents grain?
What food do your moths come from? You feed your rodents grain?
sazmatazz
Junior Guinea Pig
I agree I think it would be much easier to get a waterproof layer on the bottom and keep the layers to a minimum.
They sell plastic tablecloths and things in pound shops, I got my lino from Leeds Freegle so didn't pay anything for it.
As for scrubbing, if you leave it, you'll have to scrub. If you sweep it out and have a 'piggy mop' for the pen, you can just quickly mop over it with a little bit of water and some sort of cage disinfectant.
I think you are making it more difficult for yourself and potentially smelly if you dont disinfect - our cage gets smelly after 3 or 4 days as the wee soaks through the paper onto the base, if you use a thin layer of paper but no waterproof layer underneath, your floor will become damaged as the wee leaves deposits behind, not sure what it is but it's sort of limescale-esque.
They sell plastic tablecloths and things in pound shops, I got my lino from Leeds Freegle so didn't pay anything for it.
As for scrubbing, if you leave it, you'll have to scrub. If you sweep it out and have a 'piggy mop' for the pen, you can just quickly mop over it with a little bit of water and some sort of cage disinfectant.
I think you are making it more difficult for yourself and potentially smelly if you dont disinfect - our cage gets smelly after 3 or 4 days as the wee soaks through the paper onto the base, if you use a thin layer of paper but no waterproof layer underneath, your floor will become damaged as the wee leaves deposits behind, not sure what it is but it's sort of limescale-esque.
pelicano
Adult Guinea Pig
@ pelicano – So when you get new hay in, do you continue to still get the bugs? Cos I don’t think my bugs came from my hay bale as I lifted up the clear plastic bag the rest of the bale was in and there was nothing running around in it.It’s a bit of a mystery where my bugs actually originated from.
What food do your moths come from? You feed your rodents grain?
It is hamster food for the moths I've had. Any muesli food can have grain moths hatch out in the summer months.
>>>I've never actually spotted any movement in the hay, but they are so teeny tiny that I only normally spot them on clear white surfaces, like the window sill.
missy
Adult Guinea Pig
Sue_P,
Quite a few times you've mentioned your own personal sensitivity and aversion to stinky smells and poor hygiene etc. When deciding how best to organise your set-up and cleaning regime, I would urge you to please bear in mind the fact that guinea pigs have extremely sensitive skin, an acute sense of smell and can be easily susceptible to respiratory infections and all the while they trundle around with their noses very close to the floor, so please consider what life must be like for them. If something smells bad to you then I'm sure it'll smell a hundred times worse/stronger to them. And please don't just assume that any bugs/pests are not affecting them in some way just because you assume that to be the case.
Your refreshed enclosure sounds like a great start but I definitely agree that lining the floor (preferably in correx/lino) would be the best way to keep the cleaning manageable and enable you to strip back to clean the floor on a weekly basis. Your guinea pigs are lucky to have a lot of room but, to be honest, it's not so much of a benefit to them if you can't manage to keep it clean enough.
Sorry if this sounds harsh (that's not my intention) - you've clearly put in lots of effort, cleaning out the enclosure and trying to start afresh, but for your piggies' sake I'd hate for it to slip back to how it was before and it does seem like you're making it much harder work than it needs to be.
Quite a few times you've mentioned your own personal sensitivity and aversion to stinky smells and poor hygiene etc. When deciding how best to organise your set-up and cleaning regime, I would urge you to please bear in mind the fact that guinea pigs have extremely sensitive skin, an acute sense of smell and can be easily susceptible to respiratory infections and all the while they trundle around with their noses very close to the floor, so please consider what life must be like for them. If something smells bad to you then I'm sure it'll smell a hundred times worse/stronger to them. And please don't just assume that any bugs/pests are not affecting them in some way just because you assume that to be the case.
Your refreshed enclosure sounds like a great start but I definitely agree that lining the floor (preferably in correx/lino) would be the best way to keep the cleaning manageable and enable you to strip back to clean the floor on a weekly basis. Your guinea pigs are lucky to have a lot of room but, to be honest, it's not so much of a benefit to them if you can't manage to keep it clean enough.
Sorry if this sounds harsh (that's not my intention) - you've clearly put in lots of effort, cleaning out the enclosure and trying to start afresh, but for your piggies' sake I'd hate for it to slip back to how it was before and it does seem like you're making it much harder work than it needs to be.
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
@ Samatazz – Thanks.
@ pelicano – I remember getting some half eaten wheetabix out of a tupperware box when I was younger that was months or years out of date (nothing unusual in my mother’s house
) and non one had touched it in months, as soon as I disturbed it the whole thing started moving and was swamped with little lice things all running around over the top of it.
Now does that mean their eggs are in wheetabix and every day people are eating tinsy winsy lice eggs?
@ missy – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… MY PEN DOESN’T SMELL & IT NEVER HAS!
New update: -
I’m in trouble cos the little critters are still around.
Strangely I found a couple of little reddy brown ones (presumably book lice) within the hay of a bed area even though all hay in the pen is from a different bale. I found a black beetle by my windowsil and a new species of lice by my windowsil too which I wasn’t able to capture cos it was too damn fast and jumped to safety.
I then got out my torch and looked down the sides of my pen at the 4 inch gap surrounding it and I believe the bugs are coming out from under the skirting board and are behind that and the hollow wood paneling in the bedroom. Wonderful!
Here’s a couple more pics to show you what I mean, note that these were taken earlier this year.
I can’t get behind the wood paneling and I’m not prepared to strip it out cos it’s lovely and in perfect condition, wonderfully painted with no chips or scratches. Perhaps I should infest my house with spiders? (To eat the bugs I mean.)
@ pelicano – I remember getting some half eaten wheetabix out of a tupperware box when I was younger that was months or years out of date (nothing unusual in my mother’s house
@ missy – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… MY PEN DOESN’T SMELL & IT NEVER HAS!
New update: -
I’m in trouble cos the little critters are still around.
I can’t get behind the wood paneling and I’m not prepared to strip it out cos it’s lovely and in perfect condition, wonderfully painted with no chips or scratches. Perhaps I should infest my house with spiders? (To eat the bugs I mean.)
I think you need to strip it out. Do you really want to share your house with bugs?
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
Might have to get pest exterminators in to spray the place before the bugs make their way all around my house and into the loft. Not sure what effect that’ll have on my rodents though.
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
Or I might do it myself with a spray like this http://www.rentokil.co.uk/residenti...ucts/insectrol-insect-killer-spray/index.html . Is it gonna harm my roddies though?
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
I'd feel sad killing spiders though.
Niki
Senior Guinea Pig
I have been to Sue's house, seen her enclosure & her pigs. The enclosure did NOT smell, there was no dirty bedding & her pigs were well cared for, healthy, chubby boys.
I have no doubt when my pigs lived in their shed they were sharing their lives with many a bug & they came to no harm.
In previous years i've had rats living in the shed & one year my pigs shared their hutches with mice. Whilst it wasn't ideal & the rats & mice needed to go the pigs were totally unaffected by their little visitors.
Rats & mice sharing a shed with my pigs no doubt infers i was a bad owner, an opinion based on what i have written but maybe some should look beyond the words.
I have no doubt when my pigs lived in their shed they were sharing their lives with many a bug & they came to no harm.
In previous years i've had rats living in the shed & one year my pigs shared their hutches with mice. Whilst it wasn't ideal & the rats & mice needed to go the pigs were totally unaffected by their little visitors.
Rats & mice sharing a shed with my pigs no doubt infers i was a bad owner, an opinion based on what i have written but maybe some should look beyond the words.
Sue_P
Teenage Guinea Pig
BellasMummy
Senior Guinea Pig
Or I might do it myself with a spray like this http://www.rentokil.co.uk/residenti...ucts/insectrol-insect-killer-spray/index.html . Is it gonna harm my roddies though?
I personally wouldn't use anything like that unless you moved the piggies out of your house for awhile.
missy
Adult Guinea Pig
I'm very sorry if I got hold of the wrong end of the stick but from how the set-up was described I couldn't see how it wouldn't smell or be dirty. I must've completely misunderstood if you're saying it's wasn't unhygienic.
I'm not perfect myself, by any means, but found it all quite a shocking read (and actually wondered if it was a wind-up). Anyway plenty of people want to help so I'll just keep quiet from now on! :x
Sue, I genuinely hope that you manage to get rid of the pests quickly and safely. Best of luck! x
Splat n Dexter
Junior Guinea Pig
You weren't the only one.
It's simple to cover the floor in lino and once a week remove all bedding and hay and disinfect. Hay, bedding, paper etc lying undisturbed for any length of time is just asking for problems.
I find it concerning that the OP is now considering using chemicals. I think in this case it's best to call in the experts who can identify all the bugs and use the correct sprays to get rid of them as well as advise how long to keep the piggies out of the area till it's safe for them to return and also how to prevent the return of the bugs.
Once that's all done Gorgeous Guineas do a powder that can be sprinkled over bedding called to keep bugs away; but will only work in conjunction with good standards of hygene and regular cleaning of the area. It won't cure what's currently going on I believe.
Poppy'sMum
Senior Guinea Pig
Sue have a look at this, does this look like them?
http://www.scambs.gov.uk/environment/pestsandnuisance/insectpests/booklice.htm
Possibly they are being caused by damp, you say they are coming from behind the skirting, maybe the house has a damp problem? Try to catch some of these different bugs in a jar & then take them to your nearest Environmental Health dept, they will be able to identify them for you.
I would be very wary of using anything chemical whilst the pigs are still in your house, & if you do go down that route, I would throw even the pen out in case some of the chemical drifts into it. Piggies are very sensitive to stuff like that & the chemicals used have nerve agents in so they would suffer a horrible death. The house would need to be aired & no pigs inside for weeks & weeks
If they are booklice they are very hard to get rid off, & they are not a sign of bad hygiene at all, every home probably has some at some point.
http://www.scambs.gov.uk/environment/pestsandnuisance/insectpests/booklice.htm
Possibly they are being caused by damp, you say they are coming from behind the skirting, maybe the house has a damp problem? Try to catch some of these different bugs in a jar & then take them to your nearest Environmental Health dept, they will be able to identify them for you.
I would be very wary of using anything chemical whilst the pigs are still in your house, & if you do go down that route, I would throw even the pen out in case some of the chemical drifts into it. Piggies are very sensitive to stuff like that & the chemicals used have nerve agents in so they would suffer a horrible death. The house would need to be aired & no pigs inside for weeks & weeks
If they are booklice they are very hard to get rid off, & they are not a sign of bad hygiene at all, every home probably has some at some point.
Niki
Senior Guinea Pig
Exactly. "How the set-up was described" NOT as it is & I am definitely saying it wasn't unhygenic.
Who is perfect?
Why should you keep quiet? This is a forum where folk are supposed to share their knowledge & help others but his doesn't mean you have to judge or be rude.
There are folk out there who have wonderful reputations & on face value their pigs look to be kept in wonderful conditions but look a little closer & it is quite the opposite & yes i am speaking, yet again, from personal experience.
Niki
Senior Guinea Pig
Why find the consideration of using chemicals disturbing? If the pest control people come in they too may use chemicals, it doesn't mean the pigs are going to be in the room when/if they are used.
Could you clarify that the hay, bedding paper etc that's asking for problems by laying undisturbed is soiled hay, bedding, paper etc.
Thought i'd ask as i too, may have misunderstood.
pelicano
Adult Guinea Pig
I have used the Bob Martin anti mite spray before, not inside the cage, but around the room, whilst the piggies are being cleaned out, so they aren't in the room at the time.
pelicano
Adult Guinea Pig
@ pelicano – I remember getting some half eaten wheetabix out of a tupperware box when I was younger that was months or years out of date (nothing unusual in my mother’s house) and non one had touched it in months, as soon as I disturbed it the whole thing started moving and was swamped with little lice things all running around over the top of it.Now does that mean their eggs are in wheetabix and every day people are eating tinsy winsy lice eggs?
It must do, mustn't it? What a hideous thought.
>>> I've often found nasty little tiny mites in flour, so we must have been eating them before they hatched out. Yuk.
pelicano
Adult Guinea Pig
Grr... ran out of edit time.
Was just going to say, I wouldn't personally worry about getting specialist stuff - they are teeny tiny things, so easily killed. I don't like using the Bob Martin stuff inside the cage (despite the fact that it is supposedly safe), but it has to be better than a non pet-safe one.
- Status