Mites In My House!?

[LisaBelfast]

Recently I got a dog and with it being allot warmer flies have started to come into my house more.

I didnt really think nothing of it untill i squished one and saw all these little orange things run of the back of it and they were hard to kill, I have found out that these are mites.

I have 5 guinea pigs, 3 boys in an extra large dog cage with straw and sawdust and a girl in another enclosure and a boy in another enclosure.

I noticed an awful lot of baby flies like really really small ones around my window sill.

I cleaned my whole hosue yesterday and bleached everywhere but I'm so nervous with these mites I feel so itchy and paranoid.



Firstly what is the best way to get rid of these mites and flies that is safe for my guinea pigs and dog? I read that the ultrasound appliances will affect the guinea pigs so that is a no go...( would also like a product to spray on my beds and furniture)
And would any of you have a website where i can get spoton or something like it for my guinea pigs?

Another thing could it be the type of straw or hay I'm using?

So confused lost and feeling icky....

Hope you can help.

 

[Sian25]

Hi, sorry I have no advice regarding the mites as I've never seen or heard of them on flies before.

You say your pigs are kept in an xl dog cage- are you sure they can't get their head through and stuck between the bars of the dog cage? I only ask as I've heard a lot of bad stories about guinea pigs getting their heads stuck in things and I have an xl dog cage (I do home boarding and the council stipulate that we must have a cage in a spare room should one of the dogs become ill with a contagious illness).. Anyway looking at my crate, I'd be worried that they would get their head stuck. Also you say they have straw and sawdust, but guinea pigs need unlimited amounts of fresh hay each day, not straw. Sorry to sound picky!

 

[Adelle]

Hi!

Please dont buy any over the counter mite treatments. This may just be a general fly issue, but having your piggies checked at the vet (as well as your dog) would be best, where they will provide suitable spot on should they find anything. I will tag @helen105281 for more info on the mites.

Guinea pigs dont need straw and shouldnt be eating it. If you bed on sawdust, that alone will be fine. Please make sure you have unlimited timothy or meadow hay available as guinea pigs need access to this 24/7.

As @Sian25 mentioned, dog cages arent really suitable for long term living arrangements for your piggies due to the size of the gaps between bars. Guinea pigs dont need the height of a cage, but moreso the length of ground space.

Cage Size Guide

What are your other piggies housed in?

Hopefully you get to the bottom of the fly issue soon, this warmer weather can be a nightmare! X

 

[LisaBelfast]

Hi, sorry I have no advice regarding the mites as I've never seen or heard of them on flies before.

You say your pigs are kept in an xl dog cage- are you sure they can't get their head through and stuck between the bars of the dog cage? I only ask as I've heard a lot of bad stories about guinea pigs getting their heads stuck in things and I have an xl dog cage (I do home boarding and the council stipulate that we must have a cage in a spare room should one of the dogs become ill with a contagious illness).. Anyway looking at my crate, I'd be worried that they would get their head stuck. Also you say they have straw and sawdust, but guinea pigs need unlimited amounts of fresh hay each day, not straw. Sorry to sound picky!

No the spaces inbetween are small enough i will upload a picture for you if you like they like it far better than their other cage. And yeah I forgot to mention timothy hay as i know that didnt contain mites as its burgess so i didnt think to mention it sorry

 

[LisaBelfast]

Hi!

Please dont buy any over the counter mite treatments. This may just be a general fly issue, but having your piggies checked at the vet (as well as your dog) would be best, where they will provide suitable spot on should they find anything. I will tag @helen105281 for more info on the mites.

Guinea pigs dont need straw and shouldnt be eating it. If you bed on sawdust, that alone will be fine. Please make sure you have unlimited timothy or meadow hay available as guinea pigs need access to this 24/7.

As @Sian25 mentioned, dog cages arent really suitable for long term living arrangements for your piggies due to the size of the gaps between bars. Guinea pigs dont need the height of a cage, but moreso the length of ground space.

Cage Size Guide

What are your other piggies housed in?

Hopefully you get to the bottom of the fly issue soon, this warmer weather can be a nightmare! X

Ive heard over the counters are okay? going by the review on here take a look
And yea my partner brought home a HUGE bag of straw when sent out for piggy supplies... i didnt know they couldnt eat it i was just using it for bedding untill it ran out. the other two pigs in the separate enclosures have sawdust only

And I added another level with my last open run dog cage. I used an old canvas and attached it with cable ties in places the piggies couldnt reach and attached a round tunnel so they could get up, it worked pretty well actually i think ive a photo somewhere of the old set up... ill upload them for you

 

[LisaBelfast]

In the bottom cage i added another layer with a long canvas


Below is the same shape of canvas with the tubing

And below is the dog cage/run i have ( the black guinea pig (Damien) is only in the small cage to go in and see his friends. He lives in another one of the larger cages with his girlfriend, i didn't want to put her in as it would cause upset between all the boys and they already didn't get on with damien lol. Sadly Damien passed away on the 4th of May I got him cremated and he home with me in an urn <3

 

[Wiebke]

Recently I got a dog and with it being allot warmer flies have started to come into my house more.

I didnt really think nothing of it untill i squished one and saw all these little orange things run of the back of it and they were hard to kill, I have found out that these are mites.

I have 5 guinea pigs, 3 boys in an extra large dog cage with straw and sawdust and a girl in another enclosure and a boy in another enclosure.

I noticed an awful lot of baby flies like really really small ones around my window sill.

I cleaned my whole hosue yesterday and bleached everywhere but I'm so nervous with these mites I feel so itchy and paranoid.

Firstly what is the best way to get rid of these mites and flies that is safe for my guinea pigs and dog? I read that the ultrasound appliances will affect the guinea pigs so that is a no go...( would also like a product to spray on my beds and furniture)
And would any of you have a website where i can get spoton or something like it for my guinea pigs?

Another thing could it be the type of straw or hay I'm using?

So confused lost and feeling icky....

Hope you can help.

Hi! Please be aware that guinea pigs can't catch any parasites (mites, lice or fleas) from other species; they cannot survive on a different species.

Please remove any quinea pigs from a room that you are treating and air the room well before you bring them back. Make doubly sure that any insecticide is safe for small animals first and foremost; some of the large animal ones can be poisonous to guinea pigs. If in doubt, ring your vet clinic and ask them for a safe brand.

It depends on how you source your hay. If it comes from a chain pet shop and is a common brand, then it is a lot less likely that you get any parasites, as the hay is being pretreated.

 

[LisaBelfast]

Hi! Please be aware that guinea pigs can't catch any parasites (mites, lice or fleas) from other species; they cannot survive on a different species.

Please remove any quinea pigs from a room that you are treating and air the room well before you bring them back. Make doubly sure that any insecticide is safe for small animals first and foremost; some of the large animal ones can be poisonous to guinea pigs. If in doubt, ring your vet clinic and ask them for a safe brand.

It depends on how you source your hay. If it comes from a chain pet shop and is a common brand, then it is a lot less likely that you get any parasites, as the hay is being pretreated.

Oh i didnt know that. I treated my dog the other day anyway just to make sure as shes only a pup.

And yeah i have a back garden they can sit in while i use whatever i end up getting. I haven't allot of carpet in my home its mostly tile and wooden flooring. Would i need to do it in these rooms?

And yea the hay was from b and m bargains. My partner got it for me... i wont be using it again. But i definately know they are coming in on the flies... if i can i will try get video of it it is so strange, i kill the fly and then all the wee things run of it and take some pressure to kill! they just keep getting back up again lol

 

[Maddy]

Eeeew insects of any sort really freak me right out
Good luck in getting rid of the little sods

 

[Adelle]

@Wiebke has provided good advice on the mite front. Xeno is normally prescribed by vets but there are different strengths, and only a vet could advise on which one- if they found anything needing treated.

Sorry to hear you lost your little one, its never easy.

The open plan set up looks great, but maybe add some lining like a fleece with puppy pads underneath instead of just laminate- any wees on this will end up on piggies skin on coat as it isnt absorbent obviously.

Did u have a read through the size guide recomendations for cages? The top one looks too small, even just for one piggy xx