Mites?

[MOreptiles]

Yesterday there was mites in my leopard gecko's water bowl and on the outside of it so I washed the water bowl out and today there was more in it. Where are they coming from? And are they harmful to my leopard gecko?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[acpart]

What substrate are you using? What do you feed your gecko? If you feed your gecko crickets, it may be pinhead crickets you're seeing. If you're using a bioactive substrate (like coco fiber) it may be springtails, which are part of the cleanup crew, and they are probably going for the water bowl because the enclosure is probably drier than they prefer. If you're seeing them crawling around at the top of the enclosure where the lid rests, it's probably grain mites (which are not the kind of mites that infest a lizard's body) but that would be unusual unless you have some kind of grain in the enclosure. It's probably not mites that infest a lizard and probably OK for your gecko.

Aliza

Aliza

 

[MOreptiles]

I am using some sort of kitchen cabinet liner. I have no loose substrate or grain in her enclosure. But they look like grain mites, they are tiny and tan colored. I am feeding her Dubia roaches and mealworms. Is there anything I can do to make them go away? I cleaned out her enclosure, But they keep coming back.

 

[MOreptiles]

I am using some sort of kitchen cabinet liner. I have no loose substrate or grain in her enclosure. But they look like grain mites, they are tiny and tan colored. I am feeding her Dubia roaches and mealworms. Is there anything I can do to make them go away? I cleaned out her enclosure, But they keep coming back.

 

[acpart]

Below is my article about how I got rid of grain mites. I know this sounds really weird, but if you can put the gecko in a temporary home, temporarily empty your freezer and put the enclosure in there you'll kill the mites. Alternatively, you could wash it in very hot water:
How I Got Rid of Grain Mites - Gecko Time - Gecko Time

Aliza