# anyone seen powder in their viv before???



## carter2011 (Feb 4, 2011)

It in my snake viv, but relevant for lizards too, anyone seen powder in their viv before underneath wood, as in something burrowing in the wood? 

these beetle things seem to be the only explanation , I think I did see something like this when I mite treated the wood a long time ago 

I have had a little mite looking thing in my snakes water, and not sure if it a baby powderpost beetle or what but i have big pile of powder under a branch and no sign of any mites other than a tiny insect in the water ,sorry the pic wont upload

anyone had any experience with these in their wood, or seen a pile of powder underneath some wood? 

powderpost beetle - Google Search


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## Tombo46 (Aug 5, 2010)

I have it but only in my cork bark in my Tegu's viv. Whether or not it's these guys I don't know!


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## swede (Aug 7, 2011)

Now that sounds like you have got some sort of woodworm.

Pretty nasty stuff (for your house that is) if that is what it is, but there are probably a number of pests it could be, so not neccessarily woodworm.

Powderpost beetles are one form of woodworm...

Basically if it is woodworm, and you get it in the rest of the house they will go through the joints in etc....

Personally, i would throw out the all the attacked branches, just to be on the safe side.


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## wilko92 (Aug 29, 2011)

meal worms do this too and then they turn into a beetle my cork in my leos viv have alot of meal worm holes in it


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## nads (Apr 21, 2010)

carter2011 said:


> It in my snake viv, but relevant for lizards too, anyone seen powder in their viv before underneath wood, as in something burrowing in the wood?
> 
> these beetle things seem to be the only explanation , I think I did see something like this when I mite treated the wood a long time ago
> 
> ...


 I have too,its from some wood i have in one of my chameleon viv's.I took it all out this wk-end & washed it in hot water in the bath,some of those bugs came out:gasp: not sure if i.ve got rid of them or not,i was'nt going to put any treatment on it...I bought the wood from a reptile shop,its not like i collected it from outside...I'm hoping the chameleon won't be troubled by these "mini beasts"?Hoping i,ve killed them with the hot shower i gave them.
Vicky


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## swede (Aug 7, 2011)

Pretty easy to tell the difference whether it is due to mealworms or woodworms.

Woodworm holes are just a millimeter or so, so tiny holes.

But as I said, i am sure there are loads of different woodboring beetles so doesnt have to be the type that attack houses.... just could be...


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## Tombo46 (Aug 5, 2010)

In my case I think it's most likely morio worm beetles.


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## swede (Aug 7, 2011)

Yeah, zophobas morio worms seems to love cork, i keep finding them in my cork sheets all the time. I always think of it as a bit of a surprise meal for my skinks when the worms do come out


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## bigd_1 (May 31, 2011)

meal worms do this too


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## carter2011 (Feb 4, 2011)

cheers all

a while ago i put the branches in boiling water,and used callingtons, and a beetle like thing was dying on one,thought job done, so put branches back and now this ,so ive binned the wood 

i was just alarmed by the little bug in my water bowl, MUCH smaller than the beetle thing i saw,but even that was real small

potentially I may have snake mites and the beetle things, but the wood binned and there is no sign at all of any snake mites, so will keep an eye on everything 

point being , they survived being put in a bucket of boiling water and callington sprayed ,crazy! 

I think id prefer to use some fake wood branches ,if there is something like that!

weird thing is there is no sign of damage to any of the viv,it was just this branch thing 

cheers all, least its something that a few have experienced too


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