Straw itch mites?

[Shelley anne]

Hi, I am not sure if I have put this in the correct section because my piggies are healthy as and look great but I have a concern about my hay and will change it as soon as possible to ensure my piggies are kept safe and healthy.

I have notice very small dark moving insects, only in the guinea pig room on my white furniture. They are as small as if you had made a dot with a ball point pen and they move around quickly. Also I am itchy as hell and I have what looks to me like flea bites all over my legs, forearm and a few on my stomach. I had to get some antihistan for it from the chemist. I thought it was my cats or dogs so gave flea treatments to our work cat, my 2 cats and my 2 dogs but still I am getting these bites. My husband does not get these bites.

I am a very clean person by the way and the piggies are cleaned out twice daily so I am surprised that I have these little insects in my house.
Any one familiar with this, what can it be? will changing my hay stop the problem and will my guinea pigs start to become infected? The hay I have looks dry and clean and my piggies like it as much as any other they have had. They don't look itchy or unhealthy at all. They are looking great.

Can anyone help, what is this?

 

[Bill & Ted]

Are they ants, although being very small like that it’s unlikely. They may have come from hay but if you can’t see them in the hay then might not be. Can you vacuum them up and dispose of the bag. There are some products that kills/deters insects that contain pyrethrum It’s made from Chrysanthemums
Whilst keeping away from piggies you could try a product that contains it. You can buy it in powder Form or spray, move the piggies to a different room and see if it works. It’s safer than chemicals, although I would still be quite cautious around animals.
Pyrethrum refers to several flowers in the genus Chrysanthemum. The name is most commonly used to refer to Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium and Chrysanthemum coccineum. Pyrethrum are a natural insect repellant and are grown in vegetable gardens and landscapes to keep insects away from other plants.

 

[Shelley anne]

Smaller than ants. I can wipe them up or vacum them but they return. my concern is mainly the piggies and if it will affect them, because its sure affecting me. (Scratch scratch) I cant get more hay until Monday probably but the piggies are looking good.
I guess my main reason I want to know what they are is so I can know if there is a chance it can affect them. So far it doesn't seem to be.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, I am not sure if I have put this in the correct section because my piggies are healthy as and look great but I have a concern about my hay and will change it as soon as possible to ensure my piggies are kept safe and healthy.

I have notice very small dark moving insects, only in the guinea pig room on my white furniture. They are as small as if you had made a dot with a ball point pen and they move around quickly. Also I am itchy as hell and I have what looks to me like flea bites all over my legs, forearm and a few on my stomach. I had to get some antihistan for it from the chemist. I thought it was my cats or dogs so gave flea treatments to our work cat, my 2 cats and my 2 dogs but still I am getting these bites. My husband does not get these bites.

I am a very clean person by the way and the piggies are cleaned out twice daily so I am surprised that I have these little insects in my house.
Any one familiar with this, what can it be? will changing my hay stop the problem and will my guinea pigs start to become infected? The hay I have looks dry and clean and my piggies like it as much as any other they have had. They don't look itchy or unhealthy at all. They are looking great.

Can anyone help, what is this?

Hi!

It can be some kind of bug that has come with the hay or through the window. it can happen irrespective to your level of care, especially over the summer months. They are however not a guinea pig specific parasite, so getting rid of the hay and a deep clean should hopefully take care of the problem.

Guinea pigs can have pale crawling lice and two varieties of invisible mites, hay mites which fix their tiny (but crucially not moving) egg cases typically to hair at the bum end and only affect the rest of the body in a stronger infestation and more serious mange mites which burrow their eggs into the increasingly inflamed skin. Rabbit fur mites can jump species if rabbits are present; again they fix their larger but not moving egg cases to hair.
New piggy problems: URI - ringworm - skin parasites
Guinea Lynx :: Parasites