What are these bugs on my toadlets?

[gulfcoasttoad]

I brought some eggs in from my pond to the house. They hatched, I fed them, and they morphed. I fed the toadlets fruit flies and tiny, tiny mealworms.

Three weeks have gone by and I wasn't seeing them hooping around the viv much (40 gallon long; 70% land, 30% water). I lifted up a rock and lo and behold, they are under there looking pathetic. Little white, minuscule bugs are crawling all over them. They look like lice.

What are they? What do I do about them?

[Mentat]

From your description sounds like mites. Take out your toads and place them in a solution of 10% unflavored Pedialyte (found at drugstore baby section) and 90% 80F dechlorinated water to their chin. Let them be until it cools or around 20 minutes. The Pedialyte will perk up the toadlets and the solution will drown mites in toads. After bath, you can drain solution and let toads be on unprinted damp paper towels while you sterilize enclosure.

Throw substrate and anything that can't be sterilized away. Plastic decor can be rinsed and submerged in boiling water for 10 minutes. Rocks, etc. can be baked at 250F for 1 hour. The enclosure can be cleaned with hot water and sprayed with anti-mite reptile product (do not spray frog or bath) like this one: Amazon.com: DeFlea Reptile Mite Spray, 8-Ounce: Pet Supplies . Mites can travel, so also spray the furniture you keep enclosure on, lights, etc. and wash your hands to kill any on you .

Then set-up enclosure as hospital with damp paper towels as substrate (change daily) until toadlets regain weight and strength. Once that happens, and there is no re-infestation sign; can go back to shredded coco substrate and normal decor. Good luck !

[AlanLynch]

I had the same things in my American Toads cage! They made me so mad! I finally got a 20 gallon for my toad with new dirt and put my toad in it. Apparently dryness kills the mites. It worked for me, haven't seen them in a while!

[gulfcoasttoad]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will give them a try. Where did these mites come from? I have two cats, and no other pets.