What's Bugging Me?

BUGS!! I feel like there are SO MANY bugs right now! The ladybugs/Asian beetles are EVERYWHERE. Flies--so many flies! I smacked and flushed eight in one elimination effort in the laundry room alone. Fruit flies--endless amounts of fruit flies. Pirate bugs--those stinkers bite! And speaking of stinkers--stink bugs! I've never seen so many stink bugs inside and outside the house, ever! Spiders--spiders are supposed to be helping with these pests. We have spiders--HUGE spiders, daddy longlegs, the little ones that drop down from the ceiling where we walk into the garage. We could bug bomb the house, but now we have all these little furry critters that can't be in the fumes. But worst bug situation of all . . . our poor little hedgie has a major mite infestation :(

I noticed on the last cage cleaning day that his skin looked . . . clumpy, dirty, dusty? I started researching dry skin online and discovered--mites. Apparently, wood chip bedding is often infested with mites, especially the kind that is stored outdoors. Now you tell me. He got a bad batch and he is COVERED in mites.

Exotic pet vet visits are not cheap, though we can take him to our normal Chauncey vet. With saving for Gabby's upcoming leap into orthodontia, hedgie vet care is not really in the budget. My first thought, "Release him to the wild." Okay, that's not very nice. My second . . . start researching home treatments.

For the past couple days, Caelan and I have been bathing Radagast in a mixture of canola oil infused with essential oils (thieves, purification, and lavender). The idea is the oil smothers the mites and starts to moisten and heal his skin. He's lost soooooo many quills, poor guy. The mites are just nibbling them off of him :( I'm literally itching thinking about it (although only people with very sensitive skin can/will react to this type of mite--which is why Caelan and I are taking care of him :)

We think we've managed to smother most of the living batch of buggies. Of course, they also lay eggs. So today, we washed Radagast with Mane and Tail to get the oil off, then we'll wait a day or so to see if anything hatches, then repeat the oil. This is until Buck is able to get a prescription from his pharmacy (it's nice having a vet in the family who can call in things you know you need without having to do a formal office visit). However, hedgehog mite medicine is not something they normally keep "on hand" at the pharmacy--I can't imagine why? :) So, it will be today or maybe early next week before we can get it.

As you can see, we also relocated him back to his original cage with puppy potty pads instead of woodchips, while his big enclosure soaks in vinegar on the lawn outside. We're hoping that the same infestation doesn't affect the guinea pigs or the hamster who also share this fodder.

But on a good note--we haven't seen a tick in MONTHS!! :)