# mites and bedding?



## BluesBrothers (Aug 22, 2010)

carefresh often has mites in it i am know hearing, is this true?
do i really want to freeze it overnight.
right now im using the last of a bag of 'oxbow orchard grass' that came with my rescue rats, they dont eat it but its in the pan for them to run around in. is THIS an ok product? the oxbow site says so without giving many specifics.
tomorrow im off to petco to buy a LARGE amount of bedding and dont know what to get. im also putting a separate material but dont know what yet, in the litter box, along with a few rocks to keep the boys from trying to burrow under the litter pan AND because at least one of them seems to like peeing on rocks.
please add you thoughts adn advice as i finish up in creating this first rat home i've made in many years.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Yes, paper and wood beddings like Carefresh tend to carry mites and lice and other nasties that can transfer to your rats. I've had to deal with lice in a batch of aspen chips before and it was no fun : If you have a big enough freezer (like a deep freezer for meat and such) just toss the bag in for a day or two and it should be fine. I personally wouldn't use the hay/grass bedding because if your rats decide to eat it, it's not got any nutritional value, so it will fill them up but do nothing for them, so they could potentially get sick long term from eating it. It tends to be kind of dusty/irritating too. Makes me sneezy lol, can't imagine how it makes the sensitive rats feel having their noses in it all day


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

It's best if you can freeze it for 2 days (48 hours) as this will truly kill the nasty stowaways.


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

Yep, I freeze my carefresh.
I don't use aspen, I think I am allergic. Either that or I really really hate it xD


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## BluesBrothers (Aug 22, 2010)

well, im confused! this oxbow orchard grass seems GREAT for bedding to me. it's been in there three days, all i smell is a nice light scent of sweet hay, there is NO dust, they dont eat it, its not messy.....
so far i'd say this is the best thing i've tried.
they can push it around a little but not too much, to cover their stashes of food, etc and it looks good too, light green dried grass.
if they arent going to eat it, or much of it( i havent seen them eating it yet) why not use it?
after the first day its kindof tamped down and doesnt move around a lot, im loving it.


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## CareFRESH (Jul 26, 2010)

I've never personally heard of CareFRESH carrying mites. The only way I can see that happening is if the packaging was compromised. However, freezing the bedding would eliminate any possibility of any nasty critters entering your cage.

CareFRESH really is a great option as it's made from virgin reclaimed cellulose and is all natural, biodegradable and flushable in small quantities. The patented CareFRESH formula is free from dust and contaminants like pine or cedar oils, so it is safe for your small pet.


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