holiday and bites

Question
hi,i have an 8 week old hamster-"hammie",we have only had him a couple of days and as cute as he is,he always bites which is painful and because of this i can not let my 9 year old daughter anywhere near him because as soon as anyone goes near the cage he is there showing his teeth although he did let me stroke his back this morning while he was in his cage,i have not got him out yet because of the bites.he has a big cage with a wheel,sliding tube and a house on a second level.is there a reason why he is biting like this-he came from a pet shop and what can i do to help stop it?
also we have been asked to go away for a weekend in a couple of weeks,we will be gone 2 days,will hammie be ok on his own if i give him plenty of food and water or is it best to let someone look after him.
many thanks
lucy

Answer
Young hamsters who have not been socialized always bite, I have never encountered a baby ham (8 weeks is very young) that  wasn't upset by a hand in their cage. You have to be very patient, and begin hand taming your hamster. You can start with garden gloves, but to me this slows the process. My hamsters have had a preference for fingers, so I close my hand in a fist and let them sniff that instead. Offer your ham treats from your hand daily, like sunflower seeds or fresh fruit and veggies. You must show your ham that your hand will bring him good things, and not harm. My newest hamster still loves nibbling fingers, but doesn't mind being picked up, and doesn't bite in defense. It could take a few weeks before your hamster starts to warm up to you. Here is a page I give a lot of new owners
http://www.hammysworld.com/index.php?p=handling

As for the vacation, 2 days will be fine with a full bottle of water and a full bowl of food. Get your ham some extra large chew treats, like vitakraft raviolos, and stick maybe 2 in there, my hamsters usually took 2 days to complete 1 of them. If your hamster shows signs of trying to escape (I don't know what type of cage you have) it might be good to have someone just make sure the hamster hasn't escaped. A female a long time ago got out when I went on vacation, I came home to a hole in the lid and a missing hamster. Your hamster may be a bit milder and won't try to escape when your not around to look.