# Methods of Mite Control



## maxamillian

I don't know if this has been posted before but I thought that I would discuss mites.  The reason is because I have run into several Tarantula keepers and scorpion keepers who have lost their invert to a mite infestation.  

Mites are arachnids (they are members of the spider family...something like second cousins).  I think they are of the genus Dermatophagoides.  They can be seen by the naked eye and are about 280 microns (µm) in length.  The adult mite lifespan goes through 3 different larval stages and runs for about 3 months.  Females can lay up to 50 eggs.  Mites live anywhere the humidity is above 50%.  

Step 1:

Mites cannot drink water but must obtain it through the air, they need to absorb the liquid.  The first method to help keep mites away is to keep the soil/substrate in your Tarantulas cage moist but not drenched.  Too many Tarantula enthusiasts choose to water log their tarantula cages.  If you can squeeze water out of the soil then it is probably too wet.  If you can place the soil between the palm of your hands and squeeze it together and it still retains its shape then it is good.  A shallow water bowl is more important than a swampy cage.

Step 2:

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.  That means clean up after your tarantula.  If you feed it crickets, mealworms, or roaches remember to clean up any left overs (that also helps prevent mold from growing on any uneaten food).  My tarantulas usually will web up the remains of their food and toss it somewhere in the cage.  Your job is to find any bits and pieces and clean it right up.  If you are one of those types that feeds your Tarantula or Scorpion mice, I would recommend that you use Pinkies, not fuzzies or full grown mice.  Unless they are pinkies bits and pieces tend to be left behind.  I also recommend that you change your substrate every 6 months.

Step 3:

Keep the relative humidity in your home below 50%.  The tarantulas and scorpions will have a higher humidty level in their enclosures so do not worry about them.  Again, remember that a water bowl is very important.  If you live in an area where the humidity tends to stay very high you can purchase a de-humidifier to help lower the humidity level in your home.

Step 4:

What should you do if you get an infestation?  One method that I recommend is to put the tarantula on sand made up of calcium carbonate.  You can find that at the reptile section of the pet shop.  The mites will dry up and cannot successfully lay eggs in the calcium carbonate.  During this time do not feed the tarantula or scorpion.  Provide the tarantula with a water bowl and sit back.  This method will usually kill the infestation in about 1 to 2 months.

Besides placing the Tarantula on Calcium Carbonate there is a product produced by Zoo Med called "Zoo Med Mite Off".  Remember that the Mite Off will kill your tarantula.  DO NOT PUT IT on your T.  If you are willing to take the risk you can clean off the areas around the outside of your tarantulas enclosure with the Mite Off.  Clean the shelves, outside of the container, and anywhere else but your Tarantula.  In the event of an emergency, if you are willing to risk it, and remember that I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT, you can try putting the stuff on a cotton swab and just dabbing the Tarantula or Scorpion in the affected area.  AGAIN, RISKY, but sometimes you have nothing to lose.  

Another method people use is that they will add pill bugs, a.k.a "rolly polleys", to their enclosures.  The pill bugs will eat the bits and pieces that are left over and they are usually too small for the T to eat.  This helps to keep the mites away.

Besides rolly polleys you can use predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis).  They are sold at:

http://www.beneficialbugs.com

These predatory mites will not over run your cage and they will kill and eat the bad mites.  

Well, those were some of the ideas that I have for you guys and gals.  If I can think of more I'll post it later.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thanks 1 | Informative 1 | Helpful 1


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## Cirith Ungol

Another seemingly successfully working predatory mite is Hypaspis miles.

This thread gets my sticky vote.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Helpful 1


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## danread

Hi maxamillian,

Really good post   , there's just one or two things i don't agree with. I don't think its necessary to be fanatical about cleaning the tank, and i definitely don't think you need to change the substrate every 6 months. I've got a couple of tanks that havent been changed in 2 years, and there is still no sign of mites. I really think it all boils down to the fact that the humidity levels often don't shouldn't be anywhere near as high as people keep them, as long as you have fresh water available at all times, the humidity can drop quite low. By doing this, mites will rarely, if ever, become a problem.

Cheers,


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## Scythemantis

Do you think persimilis would wipe out the mites on a giant millipede? Yeah, some people say they're beneficial symbiotes, but I hear just as much that they're harmful parasites. Noone seems to know for sure...


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## Snipes

:clap: Very informative. I also give this thread my sticky vote. This will help a lot of people, and i learned a lot.


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## maxamillian

...I really think it all boils down to the fact that the humidity levels often don't shouldn't be anywhere near as high as people keep them, as long as you have fresh water available at all times, the humidity can drop quite low. By doing this, mites will rarely, if ever, become a problem.

Cheers,[/QUOTE]

Dan,

I agree with you that by having fresh water available at all times that it is more important than keeping the humidity high.  I tend to keep my substrate pretty dry and will once in a while let the water dish overflow into the substrate.  Besides the fear of mites, keeping the substrate too wet can lead to mold or fungus.


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## Scythemantis

You know, when you think about, a tarantula with a mite problem is like you having an infestation of bloodsucking gnomes.


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## Randolph XX()

i've tried H.miles, and the result is significant
i contacted Don Elliot, who has been refered in Tarantulas Keepers Guide, the Bioecnomic in Sidney, B.C.
he gave me a free 1 litre H.miles, i just chalk them in my hisser colonies and my new L.parahybana set up with leaf litters
after a week or two, nothing left, even a single spring tail
i changed the substrate of the parahybana enclosure, just make sure there won't be any, but not the hissers'
since then, i don't see any mites around
so the best predatory mites might be the H.miles


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## Digby Rigby

*Predatory Mites*

Hello,

Predatory mites can be used to control mites but they will not eliminate them completely.  The predatory mites usually die off before all the mites are gone.  One reason is that they have slightly different requirements than the evil mites do.  Like using ladybugs to control aphids as you know they wont get rid of them just keep the numbers down.  You want to get rid of mites not just keep them in check.  People who have used pill bugs (isopods) have reported to me that the mites are eliminated completely over time.  In summation predatory predatory mites will not totally eradicate the mite problem and will need to be replenished regularly to maintain a semblance of control.  Pillbugs will eliminate them over time completely.

DigbyRigby@exoticfeeders.com


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## Jmadson13

very handy info and good to see a distributor of benificial mites too


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## Dark Raptor

You can also check this site:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/~schultz/mites07.html


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## jadormdrache

what are isopods/pill bugs and where can you get them? and would it be harmful if you put them in a millworm colony.


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## Snipes

yes, where would we get these pillbugs? i believe i have seen them around so tomorrow i will try to get some in the woods. I will take a pic of them. Does any1 have any idea how to culture them (in order to get 1 or 2 generations to reduce or eliminate the amount of possible pesticides or poisons in them). If i can get them and you dont have any in your area jadormdrache, i will look into sending u some.


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## Bigboy

I've been keeping a culture of pillbugs going for around 7months now and they reproduce nonstop.  I just put some soil into a tupperware container put in some dead wood and keep it moist.  Occasionally I'll put in a peice of lettuce that went bad in the fridge but that is it.  If you live in the US you can find them by going outside and looking under a rock or piece of wood.  They're the bugs that look like little grayish pills.  They'll roll into a ball if you pick em up.


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## Scythemantis

Can't isopods be found pretty much everywhere in the world?


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## jadormdrache

*o!*

rolly-pollies! must have different names all over the country.


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## Snipes

so is this going to be a sticky or what?


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## ilovebugs

well, I can easily get them around my house, but for those of you who don't know where to find them. I found this earlier:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=46530


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## fiveohatch

i've put rolly pollys in with my emp a few times and he eats them (they just dissapear).  i've changed the substrate and looked for them and can't find them. all i've got to do is lift up this one log at my buddies house and there are usually 30+ of them under it. 

i don't even bother with them anymore though. the only place i'll find mites in my tank is a few around the water bowl. they don't seem to be a problem so i don't worry. 

i'm not sure if they're the good or bad kind of mites though. they kind of whitish. 


btw, how many crickets "hatch" when a female lays eggs. i found one pinhead in the waterbowl the other day. my tank is usually pretty dry (50% or so) and i found a couple of crickets laying eggs after i misted. it's the only one i've seen so i'm just sort of curious.


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## John J Starr Jr

*Isopods*

So,

I have seen many pictures of several different species of these animals.

I can easily find Armadillidium vulgare (Pill bug) in my area. Yes, it looks a bit like like an armadillo with a rounded shell like armor. In fact if I spend the time I could find several hundred of them in my yard.

Would this species be just as adequate to any of the other available isopod species to remove those tiny pinhead white mites from a roach colony?

Thanks for any and all input!

John J Starr Jr
.


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## RVS

I'm still mixed on how I feel about isopods.
I've heard reports of them feeding on molting tarantulas and millipedes.


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## John J Starr Jr

*Isopods*

Here is a link to some pictures of this very common species...

http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/i.../Armadillidium_vulgare/more_still_images.html

Sooo, many people have aked me the question... Would this animal be satisfactiry in getting rid of the little tiny pinhead white mites that infest roach colonies or even other insects??? Is it true or not and if true how well do they work???



			
				RVS said:
			
		

> I'm still mixed on how I feel about isopods.
> I've heard reports of them feeding on molting tarantulas and millipedes.


I had not heard that. Has anybody else heard this to be true of the Isopods???

Thanks,


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## Thoth

The isopods do not eat the mites, most species of terrestrial isopods eat decaying organic matter. So what they do is help keep the the tank clean to prevent a mite infestation from starting. They could possible also reduce or eliminate a current infestation by out competing them for food, starving them.

If you want something that will eat the mites, as mentioned before there are species of predatory mites or what you could use, with less efficacy are ladybug (Hippodamia convergens).


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## RVS

John J Starr Jr said:
			
		

> Here is a link to some pictures of this very common species...
> 
> http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/i.../Armadillidium_vulgare/more_still_images.html
> 
> Sooo, many people have aked me the question... Would this animal be satisfactiry in getting rid of the little tiny pinhead white mites that infest roach colonies or even other insects??? Is it true or not and if true how well do they work???
> 
> 
> 
> I had not heard that. Has anybody else heard this to be true of the Isopods???
> 
> Thanks,



There are some reports of it here on the boards:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=59311&highlight=isopods

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=55979&highlight=pill+bugs+yellow

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=62154&highlight=isopods

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=61463&highlight=isopods+juveniles


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## Azzure

anybody have experience using calcium carbonate? can i just mix it with cocopeat? if so, what is thre ratio?


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## Arthroverts

@Azzure, you should start your own thread so that you can get answers to your question instead of having it buried in a 14 year old thread.

Thanks,

Arthroverts


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## Bob Lee

Azzure said:


> anybody have experience using calcium carbonate? can i just mix it with cocopeat? if so, what is thre ratio?


This thread is a decade old


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