- Joined
- Jun 11, 2004
- Messages
- 82
was looking through the boards stumbled upon this really great preventive idea figured it was worth reposting. Thanks Holly and NIXY.
Below is a copy of post.
Eeep I Hate blasted mites..
Holly we got those as well in my earlier colonies before I figured it out and kept everything as dry as I could.
I had them in the superworm box and the mealworm box. I ended up didtching the meal worms because the mites just went Nuts. But for the supers. I took the lid completly off the box, threw a screen on it and sat it out in the sun to evaporate as much moister in the subtrate as I could. And made a mite trap.
It's an idea I read about on the forums here but mercy help me if I remember who posted it, so I won;t take Any credit for it, whoever's it was, Thanks a Ton because it worked.
I took two film canisters. poked holes in them big enough for the mites to get in, slathered the insides with vasaline, threw a dead cricket and a hunk of potato and cucumber, lided them and set it on the substrate. (Later experiments show me that those cheep katsup/condiment cups like you get at Mc.D's and Wendy's ect work too, as long as they have a lid. Actualy easier to put holes in.) The mites go in, atracted to the rotting bait, get stuck int he vasaline and Die. Hehehe. Great mite trap.
I made sure the baby worms got plaenty of circulation, turning the substrate and leting the traps do the trick and I ended up with clean worm'etes.
Put your beetles in a new setup Holly so they can start reproducing more in a fresh setup. If they have mites. I found they can and do live through a dip into hot dishsoupy water and a hot rinse if your quick. and put a few mite traps in the new setup too. Change your fruits and vegies often and keep the ventilaion up.
Below is a copy of post.
Eeep I Hate blasted mites..
Holly we got those as well in my earlier colonies before I figured it out and kept everything as dry as I could.
I had them in the superworm box and the mealworm box. I ended up didtching the meal worms because the mites just went Nuts. But for the supers. I took the lid completly off the box, threw a screen on it and sat it out in the sun to evaporate as much moister in the subtrate as I could. And made a mite trap.
It's an idea I read about on the forums here but mercy help me if I remember who posted it, so I won;t take Any credit for it, whoever's it was, Thanks a Ton because it worked.
I took two film canisters. poked holes in them big enough for the mites to get in, slathered the insides with vasaline, threw a dead cricket and a hunk of potato and cucumber, lided them and set it on the substrate. (Later experiments show me that those cheep katsup/condiment cups like you get at Mc.D's and Wendy's ect work too, as long as they have a lid. Actualy easier to put holes in.) The mites go in, atracted to the rotting bait, get stuck int he vasaline and Die. Hehehe. Great mite trap.
I made sure the baby worms got plaenty of circulation, turning the substrate and leting the traps do the trick and I ended up with clean worm'etes.
Put your beetles in a new setup Holly so they can start reproducing more in a fresh setup. If they have mites. I found they can and do live through a dip into hot dishsoupy water and a hot rinse if your quick. and put a few mite traps in the new setup too. Change your fruits and vegies often and keep the ventilaion up.