Does my iguana have mites????

Question

so i was watching my iguana today and i noticed small little bugs waling around on her. there are not a lot only like 3 that i could see but some were red and some were black. i built the cage myself out of 2x4's and chicken wire coated with rubber over the metal. none of the things i put in my cage were from outside and the bedding is just simple news paper. i need help what are they and what can i do to get rid of them?

Answer 1

well if it is mites it is a bit more complacted than just putting things in the freezer. Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks unfortunately, every time you visit a pet store, reptile expo, herp society meeting, or interact with an infested herp you risk bringing them home. The most common type of ectoparasitic mite to infest snakes and lizards is the the snake mite. Though quite small, these black, red or gray dot-sized pests can be seen moving around on the reptile skin or under their scales. Mites are hard to kill you have to kill them in the cage and on the reptile. Remove and dispose of all the substrate in the reptile's enclosure  (bag it in a plastic garbage bag and get it out of the building). Vacuum the inside of the enclosure thoroughly, especially in the angles of the walls. take the time to thoroughly disinfect glass tanks by swabbing them down with 1/2 cup bleach per gallon of water, let the solution sit for ten minutes, then thoroughly rinse out the bleach residue. If you have wooden cage furnishings such as branches, caves, or rocks, bake them in the oven, set at 200-250º F , for 2-3 hours. check on them during this time to make sure they do not start to scorch or burn. Rocks may be boiled, completely submerged, for 20-30 minutes. Wash all bowls with the bleach-water solution, rinse well and let air dry.Disconnect all light fixtures and wipe them down with a damp cloth to remove any adventuresome mites and their f***s. Ok now put a cat flea collar out of the inner envelope in which it was packed onto a piece of foil laid on the floor of the enclosure. Close the tank and seal it up as air-tight as possible to keep the toxic pesticide fumes inside the tank where they are needed. Cover large, screened areas and ventilation panels or holes with waste paper or plastic, taping it in place. Tape over the seams and any gaps between the doors and tank. (Masking tape works well for all of this taping as it seals tightly but will come off easily and not leave a tacky residue.) Leave in place for three hours, longer for large enclosures.When the time is up, unseal the tank, disposing of all the paper and tape into a plastic bag for immediate disposal into the trash. Push the strip or collar back into its original packaging, place it in a ziplock-type bag, then store it in a safe place. Leave the tank open and air it out for several hours.

        Now for the reptile Place the lizard in a warm (80-85º F, shoulder-deep bath of diluted Betadine (povidone-iodine): add enough Betadine to water to make it the color of medium tea. Pour the bath water over the lizard, being careful around the eyes. Use a cotton-tipped swab to apply the dilute Betadine around the eyes and nose. If the lizard has a spiked dorsal crest, check between all of the spikes to see if any mites remain lodged in there. Let the lizard soak again in a fresh, warm water, or rinse it off and keep it in a warm place until the tank is done.