How common are mites?

[Elyse]

Hello arachnid enthusiasts,

I've begun to research about tarantulas and I was surprised to find out that they can have mite problems??

How common are mites and how much of a problem can they be? :unhappy:

I know with fish, there are SO MANY things that could trouble them, especially if you use feeder fish....is it just as tricky keeping tarantulas?

peace,
Elyse

 

[DannyH]

As long as you keep the cage clean and free of dead feeder insects, mites probably won't be an issue. I've kept tarantulas for a few years and I have yet to see a mite. Tarantulas are not tricky at all to keep, so long as you know what you're doing.

 

[spiderengineer]

alot of factor goes into getting mites, most mites are harmless and are more eyesore than anything. usually they hitched a ride on a cricket or other feeders and if certain condition are met like humidity and left over from un eaten prey, then that lets them reproduce. the trully bad mites are the ones that latch on like ticks. so if they are everywhere but on your T then they are harmless. their is antidotal evedence that if the mites are allowed to get out of control, then they could become a problem with your T. ways to get rid of mites is to let the tank dry out, doing better at cleaning leftovers and then you should be fine.

 

[Hobo]

They are very common, IME, though nowhere near as deadly as most make them out to be.
Keep your tanks dry and/or relatively clean, and they should never be a "problem".

 

[Arachtion]

They are very common, IME, though nowhere near as deadly as most make them out to be.
Keep your tanks dry and/or relatively clean, and they should never be a "problem".

Same sentiment exactly, if you keep them fairly clean and not too moist it never really should escalate to a problem