Samantha enjoys mite-free, safe bedding and food. Creepy Crawlies

Hopefully you are one of the lucky people who has never brought home mites or other pests in the food or bedding that you buy for your gerbils. There are many people, however, who have brought such critters home in their pet supplies. Although it's really very rare to get a bad batch of bedding or food, it does happen, and there are precautions you can take to keep your gerbils safe.

Several types of bedding, all of which may occasionally carry mites. Freezing bedding removes the risk of mites. The Helpful Freezer

There are a variety of bedding types that are safe for gerbils. Pictured from left to right: aspen, corncob, Carefresh, and Carefresh Ultra. Any of these can carry pests, although such cases are rare. Make sure the bedding is in an airtight bag so that the bedding doesn't become moist. Freeze it for at least 72 hours. A full week is best and safest, though. After the bedding thaws, you may use it for your gerbils' tanks.

If you buy food by the pound from bins at your local pet store, you increase the chance of carrying home bugs. However, you generally save money and buy the same food that comes in the expensive, fancy packaging. If you freeze the food in an airtight bag for a week, it should be safe. Although prepackaged, sealed bags are less likely to have pests, it is not unheard of. Freeze all food before placing it in your tanks.

Thanks go to. . .

Thanks to Warren Mann for providing this week's tip! We can no longer find his gerbil site online, but we still appreciate that he emailed us with this tip.

We're happy to run any good gerbil ideas, warnings, or tips on the Twin Squeaks Gerbils Web site. If you have a great idea for a gerbil tip, please email us.