I am a bit annoyed at finding mites in some of my T enclosures and need some help with a few questions I have. 1) Do they pose any risk to my Ts? 2) How do you rid rid of them? I thought that as long as the humidity was low and dry substrate you would be okay. However my B. Smithi enclosure is bone dry and there is no water dish because she fills it with dirt if I add one but tonight I found some in my P. Regalis and look in my B. Smithi enclosure and some a couple not many. 3) Is it impossible not to have any?
Mites help please!
- Thread starter bravesfan
- Start date
Mites can spread but only if you provide them with food. That might be the T itself for some species of mites or some leftovers of a meal. At least 80% it starts with leftovers.
Better maintenance and isopods and springtails is the most common and valid way.
Btw they can walk and explore the surrounding. So that's way you can see them with your smithi too. Assuming no rotten leftover is there.
Better maintenance and isopods and springtails is the most common and valid way.
Btw they can walk and explore the surrounding. So that's way you can see them with your smithi too. Assuming no rotten leftover is there.
Brachypelmo
Arachnopeon
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- Feb 4, 2010
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What substrate are you using? did you steralize substrate before using some substrates from petstores come with all kinds of mites. I always make sure to bake or at least microwave substrates before use. Also make sure to remove all dead cricket fairly quickly.
I use the brick ecoearth for substrate. As for leftovers there are never leftovers and I have never found a bolus either so not sure where they are coming from. In the Smithi case I only saw a few. I read somewhere earlier today that it is impossible to be 100% free of mites that it is more about controlling the amount of them.
freedumbdclxvi
Arachnoprince
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What do you mean you've never found a bolus? I am doubtful that your T's have never had leftovers, considering the enzymes tend to not break everything down to a liquid state...
Unless they bury it I have not found a bolus in my Smithi enclosure.
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Just keep in mind, it's almost impossible to have a few mites. For all intents and purposes they are born pregnant.
845BigRed
Arachnosquire
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- May 8, 2013
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If your using superworms I just switched to them to give my T's some variety, there is left overs. They are small and usually compacted with substrate but they are there.
As far as mites, you can order predatory mites that eat other mites. You can order isopods (no guarantee your T won't eat them). Pretty sure ken the bug guy has isopods if your looking for someone reputable and online.
Search around this forum there was a recent post with someone who has a BAD mite problem. Theres a technique using vaseline and a Q tip to carefully remove the mites. The video is on youtube and it was posted in that topic.
As far as mites, you can order predatory mites that eat other mites. You can order isopods (no guarantee your T won't eat them). Pretty sure ken the bug guy has isopods if your looking for someone reputable and online.
Search around this forum there was a recent post with someone who has a BAD mite problem. Theres a technique using vaseline and a Q tip to carefully remove the mites. The video is on youtube and it was posted in that topic.
I just fed her a super last night and checked this morning under the dirt everywhere and I didnt find anything leftover. I truly don't know where they are coming from and if I can't figure out they are coming from I dont know how to treat them.
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Most mite species cant feed off of the actual t so it should be just an anoyance. However if you have reptiles or small animals in the same room or even house as your ts you're gonna have a bad time. The best mites are no mites. Their populations can explode very much like fleas. And much like fleas if you see a few you usually have A LOT.
Adegger
Arachnopeon
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- Jun 13, 2013
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correct me if im wrong guys.
most predatormites only kill the mites they eat
as far as i know the "ORIUS" (AKA pirate bug) is one of the few bugs that kills all mites , even if there not hungry.they also kill all the eggs
after all mites are killed they eventually eat eachother
as mentioned above, you need too find out where the mites came from
ORIUS bugs are used too protect (illigal) crops
here in the Netherlands you can buy them online
good luck
most predatormites only kill the mites they eat
as far as i know the "ORIUS" (AKA pirate bug) is one of the few bugs that kills all mites , even if there not hungry.they also kill all the eggs
after all mites are killed they eventually eat eachother
as mentioned above, you need too find out where the mites came from
ORIUS bugs are used too protect (illigal) crops
here in the Netherlands you can buy them online
good luck
Last edited:
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- Apr 19, 2012
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Are you positive they're not springtails? And drying out enclosures help. I have some mites, but they are rarely spotted. I see more springtails than mites. I don't really do anything about it.
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