Big problem

[Tyler S]

Well guys, I hate coming on here with problems but it seems that disaster has struck my millipede enclosure. One of my N. Americanus has died at the bottom layer of the substrate, so obviously I want to dig it out, but my C. Spinigerus has been underground as well hopefully molting. Should I wait for the Ivory to surface to start digging everything out and rehouse or should I just go for it carefully? I'm also having a mite and fungus gnat population boom, so it seems that things aren't going very well for my pedes this week. Does anyone have any suggestions on what my plan should be?

 

[SFA]

I wouldn’t dig of you don’t know where the Ivory is. Do you have springtails in your enclosure? They will outcompete the mites and fungus gnats and help control mold, they are really great.

 

[Tyler S]

I wouldn’t dig of you don’t know where the Ivory is. Do you have springtails in your enclosure? They will outcompete the mites and fungus gnats and help control mold, they are really great.

I don't at the moment, I missed out on ordering some when it was warm enough. I have been trying to start my own culture from a terrarium I built out of stuff from my backyard, but the reproduction has been going pretty slow.

 

[SFA]

I don't at the moment, I missed out on ordering some when it was warm enough. I have been trying to start my own culture from a terrarium I built out of stuff from my backyard, but the reproduction has been going pretty slow.

Gotcha. If you are interested in rehousing, you could try putting a little bit of cucumber in and seeing if all the millipedes will come out for that. Then if you have everyone accounted for you can just grab them out of there and rehouse. Otherwise I’d wait and try to get springtails in there. Fungus gnats at least won’t hurt anything, they’re just a nusiance really. The mites could become a problem though.

 

[Tyler S]

Gotcha. If you are interested in rehousing, you could try putting a little bit of cucumber in and seeing if all the millipedes will come out for that. Then if you have everyone accounted for you can just grab them out of there and rehouse. Otherwise I’d wait and try to get springtails in there. Fungus gnats at least won’t hurt anything, they’re just a nusiance really. The mites could become a problem though.

Alright, thank you. I'll give the cucumber a go, and if that doesn't work then i'll dump whatever amount of springtails I have so far in there.

 

[SFA]

Alright, thank you. I'll give the cucumber a go, and if that doesn't work then i'll dump whatever amount of springtails I have so far in there.

Sounds good! I usually only put like 20-30 in a new enclosure and they take over pretty quickly.