I'm very embarrassed to say

[Lyndsay]

Hrm, looks like Jenn and I had the same hunch, I checked over all 27 of my plants in the room, and didn't bring up anything. I went over the contents of the cage, and I think it might have just been the one worm.

Voodoo, I buy my shavings from Zellers, it sells for about $12 a bag. It's a quite large bag. I keep at least one or two extra in my laundry room. I still want to suspect the hay though. I keep that in my garage because my mom reacts to the grass particles in it.

So what is an over all suggestion?

I kinda want to leave the cage dirty, and put some sort of sugar type thing in the centre to see if it collects any other oddities.

As for the hay, I used to buy that from the lady, where I rode. This year though her alfalfa content was too high, so I had to switch, she recomended a cow farmer down the road from her, and the hay looks like good quality, smells really nice, and such, but it has been the only change to the cage besides the weather outside.

 

[Bellebelle]

Thats not a meal worm, I cant remember the name but like Voodoo said it does come from a beetle. My Mum is madly obsessed with beetles and she had pics of those a while ago, i "think" the beetle ate wood, maybe eggs were laid in the shavings?

Emma

 

[VoodooJoint]

I still want to suspect the hay though. I keep that in my garage because my mom reacts to the grass particles in it.

The hay is as likely a suspect. Especially if you get it from a farm.

Still, I see no problems. The beetle larvea won't hurt the GPs and just keep an eye out for mushrooms. You can help keep them at bay by making sure to clean out the damp areas often.

 

[Lyndsay]

Just about anything could be a possibility, it could have even crawled under my screen and the cage would have been right there so it would have crawled right in. I think that tomorrow I'll do a little remodel of my room, and move the cage to the other side of the room.

 

[Lyndsay]

Thanks guys, it makes me feel alot better that I didn't get fingers pointed at me for bad care. I will make sure to check the wet spots every morning and night.

I am still having the boys wormed on friday, if I can get them in, just as a piece of mind.

Thanks for your help and suggestions everyone, if you have more, don't hesitate to add them, I have a few options open to me, but I can't change them if I don't know what they are.

 

[PiggieMom]

https://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/Entomology/identify01-e.htm

Scroll down to nearly the bottom of the page to the meal worm section. That's what it looks like to me.

 

[HowietheGreat]

Aack. I would be upset too. See, you were a good piggie owner and were right on top the problem.

 

[katiecavyNC]

I agree that it looks like a beetle larvae, or some other insect larvae. I raise meal worms and they look very similar, but are not as pointy. MealWorms aren't really worms, they are beetle larvae. Pine trees are notorious for harboring various beetle species. After consulting my Pink Panther magic decoder spy kit, I'm voting for the pine shaving theory...

 

[Lyndsay]

PiggieMom, I think your most deffinatly right, ack there are bugs living in my room... *grabs swatter* I'm am sooo grossed out now. Well, I think that more than a remodel will be done tomorrow. Maybe an entire room rip apart, and clean. Yup, I'll let you guys know how it all goes.

 

[katiecavyNC]

If it makes you feel any better...here's a pic of my meal worms. As I mentioned before, they are NOT worms, but actually beetle larvae. The wormy looking ones are the larval stage (baby = catepillar in butterflies). The one to the far left that looks whitish and somewhat curled up is the pupa (think chrysalis in butterflies) The critter that obviously looks like a black beetle is the adult. These guys eat wood fiber and also grain, hence the name 'meal' worm. their favorite is stale miniwheats and oatmeal. It's cool to watch their life cycle, and when I'm bored for entertainment and tired of the kids asking what's for dinner, I threaten the kids that we're going to have roasted mealworms. OK, so I am not THAT strange...really...I promise...

Oh, and no mealworms were actually harmed in the filming of this motion-less picture.

 

[PiggieMom]

If I may ask Katie, what do you do with the meal worms? Do you have a lizard or something?

 

[katiecavyNC]

Well, we used to. The kids had always wanted a lizard. I'm not thrilled about that idea, SO, last summer we caught one in the yard (an anole). I figured with the attention span of 4 kids less than 10 yrs old, it wouldn't be long before it was 'mom's anole. Meaning I could gently return it unharmed to the wild from whence it came - my back yard, that is.

Anyway, we got mealworms and crickets for the anole. The anole is long gone back to the yard but the mealworms started breeding in the anole cage. I can't stand to see anything suffer, and have no idea what to do with them, so I just keep feeding them and watching them. I am facinated by the way the bury stuff. Anyway, if anyone knows a humane way to get rid of a bunch of black beetles, I'd love to hear about it... LOL. Otherwise I guess I'll just keep watching them.

Tonight was the first time I'd ever been tempted to take a picture of them though. And it has been a learning experience! I should add, thankfully they don't fly and don't climb, so they are very secure and happy in their 10gal aquarium with the metal wire lid and heat light. Well, as happy as I can tell that beetles should be... I think... :melodrama

 

[PiggieMom]

Well you are a kinder woman than I. I don't know if I could keep the bugs. Of course I'm scared of them. The only thing I could think of doing with them is give them to somone who has a lizard, but it wouldn't really be a "humane" way of getting rid of them.

Um, sorry. Thread hyjack over.

 

[Lyndsay]

Would it be inhumane to release them into the wild? I mean well they would die off naturally, or maybe they would thrive. Ok, I take that back, they might take over another species.

But yes that is deffinatly what was in my cage.

 

[katiecavyNC]

I didn't want to let them (the beetles) go because I'm not sure if they are a native species here or not. I'm such a softy for any animals - I have to scoop up spiders and other bugs that find their way inside rather than smash them.

 

[HowietheGreat]

Good for you for not releasing them into the wild without consideration for natural predators and the dangers of reproducing!!! I would thank you ten times if I could!

 

[Lillie]

I can't stand to see anything suffer, and have no idea what to do with them, so I just keep feeding them and watching them.

they are oat beatles- they do perfectly well in the wild (if not better) so if you want you can let them go, or if you realy like watching them, you can kepp 'em i guess




ps. i know this becaus A) i live in the middle of the woods in a brick house and i have to deal with them finding ways into the brick and B) i have a leopard gecko (im realy not lieing when i say i have a little bit of everything!) that eats them

 

[C&K]

Sorry to hear of your problems lately. I agree that the hay or shavings are responsible for your visitors. By the looks of the worm, you don't need to worry about "worming" your pigs, those types of worms are different, piggy parasites actually.

As for the window, this time of year you should not have to worry about drafts, however you may want to move the cage come fall.

 

[janetangel]

A meal worm is exactly what I thought, it looks just like the ones our geckos eat. I hope it all works out for you. I only use the fleece so I have no idea about shavings.
Glad you noticed it before the piggies got to it.

 

[C&K]

I missed half the posts when I first posted. These shavings from Zellars would not be Hartz by any chance? They are natorious for selling tainted product. It could very easily be just a bad bag, as I am sure they source all over the place. I have heard of mulch transporting nasties, so I see no reason why shavings could not.

As for the hay, cattle hay is often not suitible, as farmers often don't store it properly. Do you know how this hay was stored? Was it left outside? If it smells good, that is at least a positive step...

I can understand your mothers allergies being a problem. It would take some work, but what about getting a bunch of paper bags and a rubber maid container? Portion the hay into bags, and fold the tops over, and store in a container, lid off so it can breath, in the house. This should help cut down on the allergies I would think by containing the haydust? But also get it out of the garage?