Little black bugs found whilst cleaning out the buns, Help!!!

:? Could any one tell me what they might be, i found them in the bedroom area they only thing in there was newspaper and hay.


Could they have come from the hay?

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

Anna xx

I know mites can be transferred on hay, but the only ones I've ever encountered were on a hamster's water bottle, and were very tiny white things. I don't know about black bugs, but I'd clean and disinfect it all and be tempted to throw away the bag of hay just to be safe. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will come along soon

Hay mites are microscopic so you wouldn't see them with the naked eye. They are possibly the harmless book lice which feeds on the hay mite. They are tricky to get rid of i'm afraid but pose NO threat to your rabbits The best way to eliminate them is to clean the hutch and then if possible put it out overnight when the temp drops below freezing (keep buns inside if they are inside now). They will have come from the hay most likely - storage of hay in a LOW humidity environment (inside rather than out) or bagging it and freezing it and then drying it in your airing cupboard kills them. They are a bit clever though and hide in cracks in the wood etc so best to clean everything and then try and freeze everything if poss :wave: