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Keeping Cool Keeping guinea pigs cool in a porch?

Thor and Moon

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Cavy Slave
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Hi! Ok so basically I have had my male ( I don't know if gender makes a difference ) pigs for a few months and recently there have been tiny bugs around my house and when my mom and I cleaned my guinea pigs cage ( I had not cleaned it in a while. Almost a month. I know that's bad and I'm going to start cleaning it weekly. Also there cage is not big enough and I'm going to make them a c&c cage. ) a bunch of those bugs came out of the cage. Ones it was cleaned I put brand new bedding ( kaytee clean and cozy ) and that was that. But the bugs still haven't gone away. They are all over the place and we can't even leave food on the counter because the bugs will get all over it. My mom went in my room today and saw that there were bugs all over part of the cage. Because of that she is blaming the bugs on the guinea pigs and is making them stay in our porch. My dad agreed to take them but cannot take them until Tuesday afternoon. Right now it is Sunday night. Is there anyway I can keep them cool in the mean time? I also have dogs that run around our yard because we have a big fenced in yard but they can't get to the guinea pigs but if my dogs start barking at them will that freak them out even more? I cleaned my cage last Sunday and I'm planning on cleaning it again tomorrow but because I cleaned the cage last Sunday I don't know why there are still bugs all over the cage... I haven't been spot cleaning can that be the problem? If it is helpful the highest temperature it will get tomorrow is around 88 degrees Fahrenheit but the cage is in the shade so it might be a little cooler. Literally any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
 

bpatters

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The problem isn't the guinea pigs, it's the food in the cage. You'll have to keep that cage absolutely clean, and you'll have to tackle the bug infestation around the cage and elsewhere in the house. Cleaning the cage isn't enough. You'll have to kill the bugs wherever they are.

If they're in a small cage, you're going to have to clean it more often than weekly -- spot cleaning every day, and complete cleaning at least every third day. Not only will you get bugs, but your pigs will develop bumblefoot from being on the dirty bedding, and that can be very hard to cure.

It sounds like you wanted a pet that didn't require much care. Guinea pigs aren't it. You may want to think about rehoming them to someone who doesn't mind taking care of them.

Eighty-eight is far too hot for guinea pigs -- they can easily die of heat stroke at anything above the low eighties.
 

ItsaZoo

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The little bugs are most likely fruit flies, which come in with fresh produce. They especially love bananas which are usually kept on the kitchen counter. They may also be fungus gnats which are attracted to house plants. Either way, the guinea pigs didn't cause the bugs so moving them to the porch won't solve the issue.

Wash all produce when it comes into your home, and store what you can in the refrigerator.

Make fruit fly traps by mixing apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish detergent. Pour into small bowls or jelly jars and set around the area. The flies are attracted to apple cider vinegar and will drown in the detergent. You can also use open wine bottles with a little wine and detergent mixed, or beer and detergent mixed.
 

Thor and Moon

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
May 23, 2019
Posts
24
Joined
May 23, 2019
Messages
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The problem isn't the guinea pigs, it's the food in the cage. You'll have to keep that cage absolutely clean, and you'll have to tackle the bug infestation around the cage and elsewhere in the house. Cleaning the cage isn't enough. You'll have to kill the bugs wherever they are.

If they're in a small cage, you're going to have to clean it more often than weekly -- spot cleaning every day, and complete cleaning at least every third day. Not only will you get bugs, but your pigs will develop bumblefoot from being on the dirty bedding, and that can be very hard to cure.

It sounds like you wanted a pet that didn't require much care. Guinea pigs aren't it. You may want to think about rehoming them to someone who doesn't mind taking care of them.

Eighty-eight is far too hot for guinea pigs -- they can easily die of heat stroke at anything above the low eighties.
Thanks for your help!
 

Thor and Moon

Active Member
Cavy Slave
Joined
May 23, 2019
Posts
24
Joined
May 23, 2019
Messages
24
The little bugs are most likely fruit flies, which come in with fresh produce. They especially love bananas which are usually kept on the kitchen counter. They may also be fungus gnats which are attracted to house plants. Either way, the guinea pigs didn't cause the bugs so moving them to the porch won't solve the issue.

Wash all produce when it comes into your home, and store what you can in the refrigerator.

Make fruit fly traps by mixing apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish detergent. Pour into small bowls or jelly jars and set around the area. The flies are attracted to apple cider vinegar and will drown in the detergent. You can also use open wine bottles with a little wine and detergent mixed, or beer and detergent mixed.

Thanks for all your help!
 
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