What are these things?!

[MissSkittles]

I’m in the middle of the sad job of dismantling Jack’s enclosure and am in the process of removing the substrate. I’m trying to save some of the isopods, so am looking carefully and going slowish. Well, I’ve found things I never put in there and I have no idea what they are. All are very tiny and are in the deeper layers. If it helps any, I have found a few house spiders lurking in the soil. The clean up crew that I intentionally put in are giant canyon isopods and springtails. About 3-4 months ago I tossed maybe a dozen or so pupating bsfl in the soil for Jack to enjoy some flying treats.
These are embedded in a firm clod of soil. Looks like eggs, but of what?

What looks like miniature earthworms. But this is the biggest one I’ve found. Also, added bonus is the dirty whitish oval thing is not perlite. I squeezed several to check and they give a tiny wet pop. Real perlite is coarse and does not do that.

Just an extra pic of the tiny worms to fuel some nightmares.

 

[MissSkittles]

Well, whatever all those things are, they are now spread out in the back yard filling the pits the dog dug. Even though I found none of those things in Hammlet’s substrate when I dismantled his enclosure, I think I’m going to dump my girls’ substrates and keep them on bare floor again. Mystery bugs are not welcome in the house.

 

[kinyonga]

I would have kept some of the white things and tried to grow them (outside, likely).

 

[MissSkittles]

I would have kept some of the white things and tried to grow them (outside, likely).

I had briefly considered it, but

 

[Sonny13]

Well, whatever all those things are, they are now spread out in the back yard filling the pits the dog dug. Even though I found none of those things in Hammlet’s substrate when I dismantled his enclosure, I think I’m going to dump my girls’ substrates and keep them on bare floor again. Mystery bugs are not welcome in the house.

I think this is a natural proces of the “bio-active” cyclus. In the substrate, cork, bark, leaf litter, everywhere are small invaders. They all got their part in balancing. I would keep the girls as they’re, I’m still 300% content with the bioactive setup. My chams love it and unless someone outside their enclosure or free range, I haven’t cleaned poop for over a year. I just love that naturalistic approach and not to forget that lovely smell

 

[MissSkittles]

I think this is a natural proces of the “bio-active” cyclus. In the substrate, cork, bark, leaf litter, everywhere are small invaders. They all got their part in balancing. I would keep the girls as they’re, I’m still 300% content with the bioactive setup. My chams love it and unless someone outside their enclosure or free range, I haven’t cleaned poop for over a year. I just love that naturalistic approach and not to forget that lovely smell

I just don’t like finding these strange things and the tiny worms are freaky. Having so many empty enclosures now () I thought I’d give my girls double wides like my boys had. That will require redoing everything, so at the least I can check their substrates for invaders and go from there. I move slowly, so plenty of time to figure it all out.

 

[Sonny13]

I just don’t like finding these strange things and the tiny worms are freaky. Having so many empty enclosures now () I thought I’d give my girls double wides like my boys had. That will require redoing everything, so at the least I can check their substrates for invaders and go from there. I move slowly, so plenty of time to figure it all out.

Those small worms are also beneficial, I’m finding them constantly in the draining bin. Sounds like a great plan for your girls

 

[JacksJill]

Thanks for the nightmare fuel. I just re-potted some plants in a few cages yesterday and found what I'm going to call earthworms in the pots. I'm fairly sure that the compost from the nursery can contain the worms and then they do what the do even in tiny pots mounted on the sides of the cage.

 

[MissSkittles]

The soil I removed was extremely rich, so everything in there was doing a very good job. Maybe the little worms will colonize my yard and give that soil some much needed life.

 

[dinomom]

I’m in the middle of the sad job of dismantling Jack’s enclosure and am in the process of removing the substrate. I’m trying to save some of the isopods, so am looking carefully and going slowish. Well, I’ve found things I never put in there and I have no idea what they are. All are very tiny and are in the deeper layers. If it helps any, I have found a few house spiders lurking in the soil. The clean up crew that I intentionally put in are giant canyon isopods and springtails. About 3-4 months ago I tossed maybe a dozen or so pupating bsfl in the soil for Jack to enjoy some flying treats.
These are embedded in a firm clod of soil. Looks like eggs, but of what?
View attachment 338766

What looks like miniature earthworms. But this is the biggest one I’ve found. Also, added bonus is the dirty whitish oval thing is not perlite. I squeezed several to check and they give a tiny wet pop. Real perlite is coarse and does not do that.
View attachment 338767

Just an extra pic of the tiny worms to fuel some nightmares.
View attachment 338768

The white things look like some sort of pupae, a lot like those of ants.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I have these weird little worms that come out of the bottom of the bots I have my money tree and umbrella trees in when I water them. They end up in the drainage tray of my chams enclosure. I squish them when I find them because I don’t know what they are. They look kind of white and their skin is hard like mealworms. They will Coil up when disturbed.