I just hate mites

50centipede

Internecivus raptus
Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
84

Not because they do any harm to my little pets, but mainly because they crawl walls so easily. IMO that's the biggest difference between mites and springtails.
The thought of them spreading to other enclosures or my eyes/nostrils just gives me creeps.
 
Last edited:

Greasylake

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jul 23, 2017
Messages
1,324
I like spraying them off of things with compressed air. It's pretty fun to blast them into the sink off of a lid or something that's crawling with them. Otherwise I feel your pain. I think what I hate most about them is the fact that they can just appear out of nowhere. One day you have no mites, the next day you have a container that's crawling with them.
 

SonsofArachne

Arachnoangel
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
961
Speaking as the Mites' official representative, they asked me to relay this message - "We're not overly fond of you either:meh:" ;)
 

Ratmosphere

Arachnoking
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
2,294
Hahaha. I remember brushing mites off my beetle grubs with a kids paint brush. Then after they were off and crawling, pummeled them with the hard end of the brush. So much joy in mite deaths.
 

Greasylake

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jul 23, 2017
Messages
1,324
Then after they were off and crawling, pummeled them with the hard end of the brush. So much joy in mite deaths.
Alcohol wipes do the job pretty well too. I don't think the mites do too well covered in disinfectant.

I've been trying to find a practical use for mites though. I don't have anything small enough to eat them, and I don't really want to use them as a clean up crew. Maybe someone else has some ideas?
 

Schledog

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Messages
112
I’m pretty sure there is a predatory mite that feeds on other mites so if I were you guys I’d try to acquire some, mass breed them, then sell them. As for me, I’m staying away from that because I just can’t deal mites I hate them (except those bright red velvet mites that I find in the woods, those are just too cute:p)
 

Schledog

Arachnosquire
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Messages
112
Ken the Bug Guy actually offered them for sale on his site for awhile.
Huh, that’s sort of funny. If I wanted to in the spring I could just go out for an hour and come back with plenty but I guess some people don’t live in the woods/don’t know that the mites are living right outside their door.
 

Hisserdude

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Messages
2,453
Welcome to the club LOL! What you have look like predatory mites though, which, while they can be a bit annoying to some inverts by crawling over them, do more good than harm in lower numbers because they keep grain mites away...
 
Top