i have a rabbit and we keep its rabbit food inside an old, large popcorn container. recently, though, i discovered small brown tick-like "bugs" inside the container. i left it alone and did not feed it to my rabbit that day. the next day i opened it again and found less "bugs," but to my discovery i found small holes drilled into the pellets of the rabbit food. i'd like to know what kind of possible "bug" this is, if it's still safe for my rabbit to eat, and how to prevent future infestations.
2007-05-01 16:52:36 · 12 answers · asked by yuffleduffles 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
they are weevils. they drill holes into the food to lay eggs. you might also notice a substance sort of like old spidersweb if you leave them in the container for a few weeks.
dont feed it to your rabbit. throw out the food... get new stuff, put it in a clean air-tight container.
if you keep this popcorn container in your pantry with other food, you might want to check the other food as well and clean the pantry out. Weevils particularly like things like bird seed, oats or muesli and rice.
.
2007-05-01 16:59:44 · answer #1 · answered by raspberryswirrrl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bugs In Rabbit Food
2017-01-16 12:04:12 · answer #2 · answered by dorthy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
DO NOT FEED THIS FOOD TO YOUR RABBIT!!! The bugs are weevels (sp?) and they can get into people food too, throw out your rabbit food (feed it strawberries, carrots, etc but not lettuce if you can't go get fresh immediatly). Also I would buy a different container for your rabbit food, I suggest the metal trashcans from Home Depot, just line them with a clean garbage bag every once in a while. they are air tight and I have had no problem with weevels. I would also check your boxed goods for holes in the corners where weevels could have gotten into YOUR food.
2007-05-01 17:55:10 · answer #3 · answered by wiccanblackcat13 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think raspberry hit it on the money. It's most likely weevils. They get into corn and other seeds and drill holes into in to lay eggs in the seeds. I'd recommend throwing the feed out. You may want to check if you have any other seed such as bird feed or corn next to it your rabbit feed that they could have come from. I haven't ever had them in any batches of my rabbit pellets. If they are originating from the feed itself, then I'd suggest getting feed from a different feed company. Two feed companies that I'd recommend for rabbits are Heinolds or Purina.
If it is going to take you a while to go through the feed I recommend putting your feed in a closable container. My dad and I go through feed pretty quickly, so we don't run quite as much risk as some other people do. I'd recommend not having over a month's supply of rabbit feed on hand, especially during summer if you store the feed outside. If you keep it too long, the feed can go stale and also in warm weather it can start molding. If it molds you may not really be even able to see the mold because there is such a very slight amount, but that can cause your rabbit to get diahrrea if not careful.
2007-05-02 00:06:51 · answer #4 · answered by devilishblueyes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As others have said throw it out. I have had those problems as well. I buy in bulk and therefore have a lot of food that has the potential to spoil.
I use the storage containers that you can get in k-mart or target. The ones that are like tubs. I then put a cut to size garbage bag in the storage bin and put electrical tape around the outside edge to seal in closed(I found that without the garbage bag bugs still get in)
You may also want to freeze the food after you buy it to kill off any bugs.
What I like about the storage containers is that they come in so many sizes, so I have a small one for the rats and degus, a large one for the rabbit and ferrets and a super large one for the dogs.
2007-05-01 18:56:47 · answer #5 · answered by Prodigy556 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read the answer "get rid of the rabbit", that was funny. Now you see the difference between people food and pet food. Pet food is not as sanitary, not as regulated or inspected for cleanliness as people food. Do not ever eat dog food unless you have made it yourself and you know the conditions. Since active bugs are involved (or were), discard the food and buy fresh. Buy smaller amounts so the food doesn't get old. Clean/sanitize the container. Be careful a bug doesn't get trapped inside the pet food and create a family (keep the lid on tight).
2007-05-01 17:00:57 · answer #6 · answered by Marty M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It may or may not be harmful. But if it were me i would throw away that food and buy a new supply of the food just to be on the safe side. These bugs may cause some illness months later as they can live and breed within host animals and give them really bad diseases. I would also advise you to consult a vet. One of my rabbit died of some kind of infection caused by these bugs.
2016-03-18 22:17:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a rabbit too, and if I found bugs in her food, I sure as hell wouldn't feed it to her. Throw it out and get some fresh food.
2007-05-01 16:55:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yup first empty the container
watch it throughly inside and out
put another food in it and don't kepp it for a whole day sitting down.
2007-05-01 17:49:24 · answer #9 · answered by Tee$$$$$$ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
throw it out and get new food...wash the container...
2007-05-01 16:54:38 · answer #10 · answered by Chrys 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋