Bug Found in hay

[Fanch]

I way taking some hay from a grabage bag beside my guinea pigs and when I shook it, this bug came out of the hay. It looks sorta like a flea, but Im not sure. Ive heard that bugs can come in the hay. What usually infests hay?
I get my hay from a farm. I always take a flake from the bale, and take it apart and leave it on a table for about 6-10 hours to get any unwanted bugs out. The I put the flake in a grabage bag and into the hay racks as needed. What should I do? Should I just ignore this?

[spoonyspork]

Do you know where the hay comes from? I'm pretty sure blister beetles aren't in Canada, but if the hay comes from the states, and contains alfalfa, it can contain them. They are HIGHLY toxic (even one husk can be fatal to a horse, if memory serves), and the reason I don't feed any of my animals alfalfa.

I had a scare a few months back after one of my guinea pigs died suddenly and I found an odd beetle in their Oxbow hay, but nothing I can find indicates blister beetles can also be found in timothy. My SO threw away the mostly empty bag not knowing I was saving the bug in it. I was scared away from Oxbow for a while, but both my old and new pig refused both the sunseed and kaytee hay, so I switched back. Spoiled piggies :P

I think I've seen someone mention fleas/lice/mites may also be found in hay? I've also heard that horses have been known to get lice from infested hay.

There's probably more... hay is grown and usually kept outside... all kinds of critters can be in it, I'm sure. Heck, I found a compass (the kind for measuring maps/drawing circles) bent up in a bale once, and this was from the reputed 'best hay in the New York/Tri-state area'. Just always be sure to check it before you feed

[cookie_gal]

Apparantly you can get something in hay, can't for the life of me remember if it was mites or lice but my vet said not to worry about them. But it's hay 'mites' not guinea pig 'mites'. Remember things are species specific.

[Fanch]

Thank you both for the info.

[littlebear]

According to GuineaPig Cages (main site) hay does not harbor mites,

"Also, sometimes there is discussion about the possibility of getting mites or other "bugs" or parasites from hay. Hay does NOT harbor mites. Mites need a living host to survive."

But there is always a possibility that bugs can find a way into your hay, so if you are storing it outside I would not recomend doing that.

[piggiebun]

Spoony I noticed that too, the beetle bug. When we first started to feed Oxbow three years ago, we found these little black beetle bugs everywhere. We attributed it to the summer months and us being near trees. Well to our horror the darn things just keep showing up every once and awhile. *ponders* Could they be coming from the hay?