Automatic Litterbox Central

Attention. Please note that you may discover some unwanted unpleasantries with this cat litter and probably SweatScoop as well. Both being a grain byproduct, it attracts grain millers/moths that may be lurking in an old bag that has sat too long in the wrong place. I recently purchased 2 bags of WBCL, threw the sales receipt away (hey, who is going to return cat litter if you have cats), and started getting plagued with these nasty little things. Before this, the house did not have these destructive pests and now I will be fighting them for a long time to come. Just a word of warning. Make sure your stuff is ok before throwing your receipt away. Being a comparatively expensive cat litter, stock might not move quickly. This could convert me to scoopable clay litters despite the fact I loathe them from a cat health standpoint.

I hadn't thought of this. What I do for weavils in other products is freeze the product. It might be worth trying if you have room. Those things don't like the cold.

cas

Cas - I assume we are talking about the same pest. The larva spin webby stuff and the adults emerge as a very small miller. It seems to me some time ago, when I raised birds and bought a lot of birdseed, I did freeze it. It also seems to me that if these things were already in the seed, freezing didn't kill them completely. But it has been some time ago and my memory's not what it use to be. The idea just occurred to me that nuking the litter could be a possiblilty. It might take a while, but it probably would kill the critters.

Try nuking - I think that would work - just not for too long our you'll cook the stuff.

I mean weavils - they are small white bugs that come in grain products. I don't know what they turn into - it might not be the same bug.

I nuked about half a cup of the litter for about 2 minutes. It didn't seem to hurt the litter any but if there were any bug larva in it, it probably put a hurt on them. Maybe we are onto something here.

Bugs?!? Oh my gosh, I hadn't thought of that. I just switched to WBCL and have really liked it so far. Having experienced swarming termites and a huge flea infestation (brought on by a visit to a cat resue - and my daughter's rolling around on the floor with the kitties), I am positive that I don't want to deal with thousands of tiny little critters running/flying around my house again.

I think my husband might just think I've gone off the deep end if I start nuking the cat litter. Are there any other ways to avoid this? Can you tell if you've got larva in your litter? (That sounds like the name of a song..."I've got larva in my litter and I like it that way...") Or maybe I can just nuke the stuff while he's at work.

Oh, bugs.... yuck, yuck, yuck!

Don't panic just yet. Early this year I decided to switch to WBCL. I live in Georgia and have not had a problem with bugs in the litter. Occasionally some flying bugs get into the house and were attracted to the waste drawer which is not sealed. Since the drawer is emptied frequently, no problems developed. I did purchase an airtight pet food container at Petsmart to store the litter and as a prcaution against pests. It has wheels so I don't have to lift the heavy litter when I top off their boxes. I purchase from my local Petsmart and have never received a bad batch. I also purchased a few bags online and did not have problems. Make sure that when you go shopping the bag has not been punctured and I also reccomend the airtight storage container. I have found that I use much less WBCL than the clumping clay litters and the airtight container keeps moisture from being absorbed in the meantime.

I bought about 10 open bags of WBCL at a local cat/feed store that advertized animal food. My bargain consisted of mostly full but open bags taped shut for $5 each. What a mess and no bargain! I had those little worms throughout the entire 20 gal trash can! I am still try to get rid of them! Fortunately, I caught on quickly and dumped the stuff. Now I only buy from pet stores that have a limited supply on the floor. I have never had a problem with those bags in 2 yrs of purchasing. I am leaving my trash can outside for the winter...just to be sure! Agrrrr...stupid move on my part to try for a bargain on this stuff!

There is nothing magic about microwaves - they just heat things up similar to any other heat source such as a conventional stove. That said, it might be that microwaving litter will kill pests...

Yeh, I think the reason one would use a microwave in this case is because you can do it in two minutes as opposed to 20. While this isn't magic, anything that saves time for people like me (work-from-home mom with a busy four-year-old daughter and two very entertaining kitties), is as close to magic as I'll get. I think I'll just inspect the bags carefully and store them in air-tight containers. Nuking the stuff is too much like cooking for my taste.

mskitty666 wrote:Don't panic just yet. Early this year I decided to switch to WBCL. I live in Georgia and have not had a problem with bugs in the litter. Occasionally some flying bugs get into the house and were attracted to the waste drawer which is not sealed. Since the drawer is emptied frequently, no problems developed. I did purchase an airtight pet food container at Petsmart to store the litter and as a prcaution against pests. It has wheels so I don't have to lift the heavy litter when I top off their boxes. I purchase from my local Petsmart and have never received a bad batch. I also purchased a few bags online and did not have problems. Make sure that when you go shopping the bag has not been punctured and I also reccomend the airtight storage container. I have found that I use much less WBCL than the clumping clay litters and the airtight container keeps moisture from being absorbed in the meantime.

Thanks mskitty, I used to live in Georgia, too. I forgot to mention my sugar ant infestation from that state. Oh yes. I'm from Memphis, originally, so termites, weavils, and pests of all forms are pretty common to me. Out in the Pacific NW, our pests tend to be much bigger (bears, coyotes, bob cats, cougars) and much more beautiful! I will definitely heed your advice as I really do love WBCL.

Okay. I'm a relatively new cat owner and I bought three bags of WBCL. They aren't big bags or anything.. 7 pounds. One is open and in the litter box, and the other two are sealed. How long does it take for these little buggies to infest? I hate bugs.. especially wormlike ones, so I'm really worried! Thanks.

Caitlin

Hi - I have been hunting feed stores for 'MG Chicken Layer Granules' to replace WBCL. Does anyone know the brand name and/or exact product name? I need to find in locally in Syracuse NY.

Thanks

'MG Chicken Layer Granules'

I have never heard of this? Sounds interesting. I have been using WBCL for over 3 years and love it. The only time I changed was to switch to the "multiple" cat formula. Never had a problem with bugs. I keep the extra litter in a tightly sealed container. Also, I don't buy bags that have been taped or have holes. I love it and so do the cats!

We recently got a new kitten and I brought home a big bag of TWBCL.

My wife, who went to pick up the kitten brought home a bag of the Tidy Cat the breeder was using. We decided to wean the cat into the TWBCL.

I had opened the TWBCL bag and put it on the floor in the kitchen and walked into the dining room and my kitten started pawing at the bag VERY curious. My wife noticed this and we went to see what she was so interested in.

She hadn't been in the house more than 20 minutes and she had already started earning her keep. There in the bottom of a BRAND NEW BAG of TWBCL (without any holes mind you) was a MOUSE! Alive and well (for the time being).

I'm staying away from the natural litters.

By the way, my kitten kicks major behind!