How to Keep Bugs out of an Iguana's Cage

As with most pets, an iguana will not be as content in a cage as it would be in the wild. However, by giving your iguana adequate space and air circulation, you can create conditions similar to what it would be like to live in a tree, where iguanas naturally live. You'll also want to keep the cage in the 80's (Fahrenheit) during the day and the 70's at night, as iguanas are cold-blooded. Because bugs will irritate your iguana, it's important to keep its cage bug-free.

Things You'll Need

  • 1/2 cup bleach
  • 1 gallon of water
  • Baby oil
  • Spider poison
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pick up any uneaten food that your iguana ignores for more than a day. Bugs will gather around the leftover food and, even after it's gone, will expect more to show up.

    • 2

      Take everything out of the cage if your iguana shows mites. Symptoms include shedding, damaged scales, scratching or tiny bugs near skin folds, armpits and eyelids. Wash everything that isn't made of wood with a solution of 1/2 cup of bleach in a gallon of water, soaking all items for at least 10 minutes. Put any wooden items into an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two hours. Wash the cage with bleach water, and then rub baby oil on the iguana; this will cause the mites to asphyxiate. Keep treating the iguana each day for five days.

    • 3

      Keep spider poison handy in case black widows show up in your iguana's cage. Black widows enjoy the same heat and humidity that iguanas do, and black widows' bites are poisonous for iguanas as well as people.