Help identifying small bugs in cage

[Monykutzu]

I found these small bugs whilst cleaning my pigs cage today, my piggies are inside piggies and they haven't spent any time outside in the past two months. Does anyone know what they are, maybe mites..? They're not moving, seem dead and they are big-ish, bigger than a flea...

 

[Claire W]

I'm not sure what they are, I doubt they're mites as mites can't be seen with the naked eye but I would deep clean the cage and throw away the hay in case they have come in with the hay

 

[LollyJJ]

Or are they some sort of prickly seed head? Can't see how many legs they might have! Looks like a lot of they are some sort of insect

 

[Wiebke]

I found these small bugs whilst cleaning my pigs cage today, my piggies are inside piggies and they haven't spent any time outside in the past two months. Does anyone know what they are, maybe mites..? They're not moving, seem dead and they are big-ish, bigger than a flea...

Hi

Please deep clean your cage; that should take care of it. It is just a nest of some kind of little bugs that are neither species specific or harmful to your piggies. Bugs may be attracted to hay areas and lay their eggs; if the cage is left uncleaned long enough, then it is not all that uncommon to have the odd outbreak when the eggs hatch.

The two guinea pig specific mites are so small that they can't be seen and guinea pig lice are small pale things crawling on the body. All have to be on the body to survive and are passed on by direct contact.
Here is more information on guinea pig specific parasites: New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites

 

[Monykutzu]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I cleaned the cage now and changed the bedding. The pigs seem ok and I couldn't find anything on/in their fur. At a closer inspection they might be seed heads, they are hard, black and with yellow fluff. I can't manage to break them so I doubt they are insects. I will keep a close eye on the pigs to see if I need to take them into the vets.