Aagh!! Parasites?!?

[RedSidedSPR]

I was feeding my garter yesterday when I saw this little, light-brown-with-dark-horizontal-stripes- bug crawling (surprisingly fast) across his basking rock. I killed it and started looking for more. Found another, and what I think was a third, but couldn't catch it.
NOT COOL!! What was it, how do I get rid them, and keep them from coming back? I'm cleaning his tank TODAY.
Everything in his tank is store-bought/fake. Nothing from outdoors. I've had him for almost a year now, and haven't ever seen any other living thing in there other than his food.
The bug was light brown (tan), with horizontal stipes, round, tick-sized, and fast. NOT flat. Hump-backed. My first thought was: Mite, but everything I've read says theyre really small. I can't find anything online.
All I know is I DONT WANT THEM IN THERE!

[guidofatherof5]

Moving fast doesn't sound like a mite.
You might try this. Take a white, wet paper towel. Hold your snakes with the towel and let them crawl through it. Wraping it around them as they crawl.
If you have mites you'll see small black moving dots. Try to smash and smear them on the paper towel. Mites leave a blood stain. Red to almost black in color.
Check the water dish for dead mites.
Have your snakes been soaking much?
The best product I've ever seen is Provent-A-Mite.
Pro-Products | Provent-a-Mite

[RedSidedSPR]

Thanks.
Ok, first When I said 'fast' I meant, faster than I expected. Not slow, but not fast either.
He hasn't been soaking any more than usuall. Hardly ever.
And like I said, It's bigger than I mite. Mites are tiny right? Sometimes microscopic?
They're about the size of a tick. NOT BLACK. Light brown with dark stripes. I'm pretty sure they aren't mites... Otherwise I'd do like you say ASAP, But I really don't think they're mites.
Nothing on the snake yet...as far as I can tell..

[drache]

I wouldn't say microscopic - they're definitely visible to the bare eye
ticks come in different sizes, but I think even the small ones are slightly bigger than mites

[guidofatherof5]

An adult mite gorged with blood is no bigger than a sharpened pencil dot on paper.
They are slow moving. Newborn mites can't be seen with the naked eye.
Mites don't have stripes. Not sure what you've got there. May be harmless, may not.
I don't allow any bugs in with my snakes.
Provent-A-Mite will get rid of all insects.
Do you have any wood in the enclosure. Maybe a branch or log?

[RedSidedSPR]

Than it's NOT a mite. Mine is much bigger than your description. Big enough to see detail.
I DO have a big chunk of "mopani wood", but it's store-bought, and was soaked in hot water and soap for hours (why not? better safe than sorry) before putting it in the cage.
Where can I find Prevent-A-Mite? Would Petsmart have it? I hate those chain pet stores but it's the ONLY local pet store I have. That's where I got the wood.
I don't know what it is, but like you, I don't want any bugs in there..
I've been looking for some picture of somthing that looks like what I saw, but no luck.
It looks like some kinda bug that bites. One of those bugs you wouldn't want on you.

[RedSidedSPR]

The only bug I can find that looks anything like it, is the Bed Bug. But I really didnt get a good look at the ones I found, just killed 'em, so I'm not jumping to conclusions. I dont think it's the same thing I have, but I thought I'd mention it.

[guidofatherof5]

I buy my Provent-A-Mite direct from the company. Think it's on sale right now.
Not sure if it's sold anywhere else.
Great product just follow the direction closely.
In its liquid form it is toxic and will kill reptiles. Once dried it's safe, much safer.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

It sure doesn't sound like a parasite! The only external parasites of snakes that i know of are mites and ticks. Ticks do not scurry about the cage... could you catch one and take a picture of it? It's probably just something that got into the cage, or came in the wood. Even soaking the wood does not always kill bugs inside of it. Don't be too worried, you would much rather have some random bugs than mites! Mites are the biggest pain in the neck EVER.

[Mommy2many]

Bake your wood in the oven for a few hours. That'll kill anything leftover from the soaking.

Picture of buggy would be helpfull.