Dynastes mite help!!

[billrogers]

At the end of August I caught 9 D. grantii, but I didn't even think to check for mites. I now have a major problem because I have only gotten eggs from one of my four females, and I figure this must be due to the mites. I just noticed them this last week, but several beetles have it really bad. How can I get rid of them? It is literally impossible for me to scrape all the mites off, I tried that with one of my males for about 20 mins last night but it didn't help at all. There are just too many. I think I remember hearing that you can keep the beetles in dry conditions for a day or two and that will help kill off the mites, but I can't remember for sure. Please help!!

 

[Ratmosphere]

I use a kids paint brush to brush mites off and then squash them. It worked very well for me in the past.

 

[Ranitomeya]

Many beetles have their own egg-eating mites that hop off the female at the time of oviposition. There are usually many hiding under the elytra, so there's not much chance you can get rid of them completely. The only thing you could possibly do is try keep your culture free so that they're no longer present in the future generations. Keeping your beetles dry probably won't work since only the ones on the outside have a chance of dessicating, but the ones under the elytra will remain safe from dessication. Keep in mind that there are probably a lot of mites in the substrate the beetles were in, so you'll have to treat the substrate eventually.

 

[Hisserdude]

Yeah, I've heard that D.grantii in particular often come in with egg eating mites, sorry to hear that man. Hope you can get rid of them, and hope your remaining eggs hatch!

 

[chanda]

Yikes! I went to Payson a couple weeks after you did and brought back about a half dozen females and several males. I've probably got mites in with mine, too! I'll have to check! (I don't even know if I have any eggs yet - I put them in big Sterilite tubs of dirt/mulch and they've been spending most of their time buried. Guess I'll have to go in and sift for eggs -and check for mites.)

 

[billrogers]

Yeah. I will probably only keep a few beetles alive now. I was planned by on mounting then when they died but now that most of my females aren't laying eggs I will probably only keep the one laying female and my most mpressive male (he only had s few mites). Man this this stinks. There is really no way to get around them is there.