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Tiny Bugs In Cage

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Lizzy776

Lizzy776

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, I'm freaking out as I'm cleaning out the cage and have seen a few tiny black bugs on the newspaper, underneath a towel and then fleece layer. I do a full clean once a week and change the trays of sawdust most days. Most ewes go in the trays but there are wet patches on the newspaper when I change everything weekly.

The guinea pigs themselves don't appear to be itchy and they look in good health.

What are the bugs? I feel awful!

Thanks.
 
Things do get in their cages & , from what you are saying , it doesn't sound like you need to worry.

Has anyone else got any views?
 
Hi

It is hard to say without seeing one of them. Have you got rid of them all now? Or can you put one in a jar to keep as a specimen for the moment.

Can you post a picture for us to have a look or if you know what they look like see if you can find anything on google that will tell you what they are.

If the piggies seem fine then I would just clean out the cage and spray with the normal cage cleaner you use to clean and disinfect the cage.

Just keep a watch on the cage and the piggies and see if anything else happens.

It could very well be if you are using newspaper that perhaps there were some of the bugs in there and they have just multiplied.

Don't worry these things happen to all of us at some point.
 
Check your piggies fur, especially around the rump, to see if you can see any lice. It could be that these bugs are not the sort that will infest guineas. I would use a cage insecticide spray to get rid of these little beasties and take it from there. If you suspect your pigs are affected, see your vet for a diagnosis. Different lice/mites need different treatments and using the wrong one may even make the problem worse.
 
Hi, thank you very much for your comments. I gave the cage a really good clean with a pet cleaning spray and changed all the bedding and haven't seen anything since and no evidence of them on the guinea pigs.

I couldn't really describe them any more than tiny black dots scurrying about! There was only about 5 or 6 I think.

I will keep my eye out but hopefully we've seen the back of them.

Thanks again for the comments and reassurance.
 
do you see little flying black dots near the cage?
could be fruit flys. get them in australia a lot
 
My friend had a problem with small black bugs and they appeared to come off the hay. I would recommend checking your hay.
 
Thanks I will check the hay if I see them again.

I didn't see them flying but they did look like those- I know the ones you mean because we had them on a coriander plant once!

I'm being extra vigilant!
 
I seem to get very, very small black flies in a couple of the hutches but they bother me more than the girls ! I just squash them and make sure I give the corners an extra good clean.
 
I had these before too! About a year-2 ago. I had NO idea what they were. They were utterly TINY. Like super tiny and winter got rid of them as I couldn't seem to. They never returned. Still have no clue what they were. They didn't bother the guinea pigs at all.
 
I found a teeny tiny bug the other week... really makes you paranoid.. its hard to check the hay unless you place it all out on white paper.. i detest crawlies !
 
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