Intruders: bugs and mold

[listen2justin]

so i went crazy and basically watered too much so that i didn't have dry time in between mists during the day for about a week to two weeks. I noticed mold starting to grow on the big piece of grape wood and as i was doing some cleaning to get rid of the mold tonight, i also found bugs crawling in and out of the cracks in the wood. They were tiny, light brown, beetle like minus the hard exoskeletons. I changed the schedule two days ago to have 4 and 5 hours in between misting sessions to let it dry out so hopefully that handles the mold problem. my questions are 1. is mold dangerous to have growing if they continue to grow? 2. should i be worried about those bugs harming my cham? he's a 5 month old panther BTW.

 

[xrowdac]

to be safe i guess get rid of the wood or clean it with vinegar coz some MOLDs can be harmful/toxic not sure wc species but better safe than sorry...as for the bugs..kiLL em;' all... Can you get a MACRO shots of these bugs & molds... i think once u re-program ur misting schedule all will be fine and will have room for dryin time...

 

[listen2justin]

to be safe i guess get rid of the wood or clean it with vinegar coz some MOLDs can be harmful/toxic not sure wc species but better safe than sorry...as for the bugs..kiLL em;' all... Can you get a MACRO shots of these bugs & molds... i think once u re-program ur misting schedule all will be fine and will have room for dryin time...

If I were to get rid of that wood, does that mean I have to get rid of EVERYTHING??? Wouldn't everything be contaminated? As for the pics, here are the best I could snap. Hope it helps.

EDIT: the bugs are in IMG_1461... you have to zoom in tho. :/

 

[xrowdac]

damn !!!! those are Aphids bugs.. fuck... take it out the DRIFT WOOD...bleach it with vinegar... and blowtorch those bugs... also clean ur cage for safety..
wash it...disinfect..etc... i hope ur panther is all good..

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Don't freak out.

Toss the wood. Water less.

It's just a piece of wood. Replace it.

 

[listen2justin]

damn !!!! those are Aphids bugs.. fuck... take it out the DRIFT WOOD...bleach it with vinegar... and blowtorch those bugs... also clean ur cage for safety..
wash it...disinfect..etc... i hope ur panther is all good..

He seems good. i looked up what those Aphids are and saw they're plant pests, but are you implying that they could be bad for my cham?

 

[listen2justin]

@xrowdac @OldChamKeeper i'll just get rid of that grape wood... I guess grapewood are notoriously problematic anyways so I'll find something else. I also have a piece of manzanita and ghost wood in the cage. As for other plants I have a ficus and an umbrella plant in there. Do I have the get rid of EVERYTHING??? I uploaded a pic of my entire cage. The infected piece of wood is the one on top.

 

[xrowdac]

nice tall cage ..i like it.... No. just get rid of that problematic wood..u will be okay..

 

[xrowdac]

He seems good. i looked up what those Aphids are and saw they're plant pests, but are you implying that they could be bad for my cham?

probably yes..if your cham swallows it..might cost u a lot...so safety first..

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Aphids are not a problem.

 

[listen2justin]

@xrowdac @OldChamKeeper thanks for the help! i'll be getting rid of that wood this weekend.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

They are not aphids. They are not harmful. They are small insects that feed on molds, bacterial films, and decaying organic matter. The mold is typical of many kinds of wood that are kept wet and is nothing to overreact to. You could boil the wood, or scour it with a sturdy scrub brush, under running water and be fine.
People are overly indulgent and nonsensical with their misting. In nature, unless it rains and doesn't usually rain everyday, you'll have higher humidity and fog condensing at night and water droplets will be left by morning. Having multiple, short sessions, every day is just confusing, overkill, and problematic. If humidity is the issue, a humidifier or fogger is better than constant misting. I'd mist, at most, 3 times a day for 5 mins at least, each time. 2x a day at 15 mins each is a good choice also. I prefer to mist for long periods (30+ mins), a couple to few times a week, and just give a brief session morning and night, the other days.

 

[AZChamFan]

They are not aphids. They are not harmful. They are small insects that feed on molds, bacterial films, and decaying organic matter. The mold is typical of many kinds of wood that are kept wet and is nothing to overreact to. You could boil the wood, or scour it with a sturdy scrub brush, under running water and be fine.
People are overly indulgent and nonsensical with their misting. In nature, unless it rains and doesn't usually rain everyday, you'll have higher humidity and fog condensing at night and water droplets will be left by morning. Having multiple, short sessions, every day is just confusing, overkill, and problematic. If humidity is the issue, a humidifier or fogger is better than constant misting. I'd mist, at most, 3 times a day for 5 mins at least, each time. 2x a day at 15 mins each is a good choice also. I prefer to mist for long periods (30+ mins), a couple to few times a week, and just give a brief session morning and night, the other days.

An excellent and intelligent reply!

 

[listen2justin]

They are not aphids. They are not harmful. They are small insects that feed on molds, bacterial films, and decaying organic matter. The mold is typical of many kinds of wood that are kept wet and is nothing to overreact to. You could boil the wood, or scour it with a sturdy scrub brush, under running water and be fine.
People are overly indulgent and nonsensical with their misting. In nature, unless it rains and doesn't usually rain everyday, you'll have higher humidity and fog condensing at night and water droplets will be left by morning. Having multiple, short sessions, every day is just confusing, overkill, and problematic. If humidity is the issue, a humidifier or fogger is better than constant misting. I'd mist, at most, 3 times a day for 5 mins at least, each time. 2x a day at 15 mins each is a good choice also. I prefer to mist for long periods (30+ mins), a couple to few times a week, and just give a brief session morning and night, the other days.

Thanks for the clarification. I would prefer to keep that piece up, but have replacements on deck. I will keep and eye on things.

As for the misting. I agree. I was speaking to someone at my local reptile shop prior to getting my cham and she even told me that people freak out about the humidity thing too much. Then i got my panther and started acting like an overprotective parent and started losing sense! Lol. Living in coastal Southern California our humidity levels don't get too low. I guess i got in my own head and worried myself and also i was more concerned to make sure i was providing ample opportunity to drink water. i like your suggestion of having long 30 min plus sessions a couple days and then brief sessions the other days. Thanks again @Extensionofgreen!!!

 

[xrowdac]

30 mins session... damn like a torrential rain pour, cant imagine how the chameleon will look like after 30mins.. lol..

 

[EveryGreen]

30 mins session... damn like a torrential rain pour, cant imagine how the chameleon will look like after 30mins.. lol..

Hahaha I'm imagining that... Probably staring at you like 'you just had to...'

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Rainstorms are what they get in nature and they last for hours or even days at a time, not 30 seconds on the hour or 3 mins 5 times a day. To them, our misting schedules are what causes them to question what the heck is going on. They are used to having a leisurely time to soak in the rain and drink, breath in the moist air, clean their eyes, and soak their shedding skins.

 

[Andee]

I really wish we had warmer weather when it was raining. I imagine the chameleons would enjoy it, except today... no creature should go outside today... cars are getting crushed by trees.