Freaking out over millipede mites!

[Milton]

I read that mites are beneficial to giant millipedes, but yesterday I went to purchase new substrate and the person at the exotic pet store freaked me out.

He said I need to put my milli in a little warm water to remove all the mites....he gave me mite killer, and warned me that they could transfer to humans.

Can someone please clarify.
Thank You!

 

[Charliemum]

I read that mites are beneficial to giant millipedes, but yesterday I went to purchase new substrate and the person at the exotic pet store freaked me out.

He said I need to put my milli in a little warm water to remove all the mites....he gave me mite killer, and warned me that they could transfer to humans.

Can someone please clarify.
Thank You!

Don't listen to pet stores they often have no idea what they are talking about and are often misinformed.
I have never heard of anyone putting there millipedes in warm water or any chemical solution.
Pictures would help so the mites can be identified, but I have a feeling your talking about detritus mites (grain mites) .
The only way I have ever gotten rid of these it has been off tarantulas but I used mushroom, the mites love it and will come off your mil to go and eat the mushroom, keep changing the mushroom everyday the mite woll be removed with it and once they are all off move your mil to a clean viv with new stuff and hopefully you won't get another infestation. I have NEVER heard of them infesting humans petstores will tell you any old rubbish to get you to buy stuff lol.

You are partially right though, detritus mites live in all sub as part of the cleanup crew, this is the end of their main breeding season so people tend to get mite blooms in their vivs, but if you put springtails in your setups they will help to keep the mite population down , they eat the same food and with springtails being the bigger of the 2 they tend to outcompeat the mites keeping them at minimum lvls, but they are not harmful to your mil they just don't look nice and when their are loads and not enough food they will climb on your mil in hope it takes them to a more suitable area as they would in the wild. They can be irritating to your mil though if their numbers get to great to better to try and reduce them .

I repeat again though I deal with tarantulas not mils so I can't promise it will work the same for you as it did for me but I can at least assure you not to wash your mil and that the mites won't hurt you if they are what I suspect but again a picture would help if you can get one

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I’d return the stuff and follow what post 2 says. Mites aren’t deadly, chemicals are .

 

[Brewser]

Might wanna get rida them Mites chemical free

 

[TheraMygale]

I second @Charliemum in anything she says.

however, id like to see pictures of your issue. For my own education.

 

[The Snark]

mite killer

Say what? For yourself I presume? Pet stores sell permethrin now? Never use on or around exoskeletal animals.

 

[Milton]

Don't listen to pet stores they often have no idea what they are talking about and are often misinformed.
I have never heard of anyone putting there millipedes in warm water or any chemical solution.
Pictures would help so the mites can be identified, but I have a feeling your talking about detritus mites (grain mites) .
The only way I have ever gotten rid of these it has been off tarantulas but I used mushroom, the mites love it and will come off your mil to go and eat the mushroom, keep changing the mushroom everyday the mite woll be removed with it and once they are all off move your mil to a clean viv with new stuff and hopefully you won't get another infestation. I have NEVER heard of them infesting humans petstores will tell you any old rubbish to get you to buy stuff lol.

You are partially right though, detritus mites live in all sub as part of the cleanup crew, this is the end of their main breeding season so people tend to get mite blooms in their vivs, but if you put springtails in your setups they will help to keep the mite population down , they eat the same food and with springtails being the bigger of the 2 they tend to outcompeat the mites keeping them at minimum lvls, but they are not harmful to your mil they just don't look nice and when their are loads and not enough food they will climb on your mil in hope it takes them to a more suitable area as they would in the wild. They can be irritating to your mil though if their numbers get to great to better to try and reduce them .

I repeat again though I deal with tarantulas not mils so I can't promise it will work the same for you as it did for me but I can at least assure you not to wash your mil and that the mites won't hurt you if they are what I suspect but again a picture would help if you can get one

Thank you...I tried snapping a pic, but of course I can't see any today. Maybe the mushroom trick worked.

Here's a pic of Milton

 

[Milton]

Say what? For yourself I presume? Pet stores sell permethrin now? Never use on or around exoskeletal animals.

This is what the gave me....I DID NOT USE IT!!!

 

[Charliemum]

This is what the gave me....I DID NOT USE IT!!!

That might say reptile safe but it's probably not mil safe. Mils are so delicate when it comes to chemicals definitely don't use it.

Your mil looks fine as I said before they probably only climbed on because they had run out of food and because they could smell the mushroom they left again things really love the stuff

Just keep an eye out add springtails and you should be OK

 

[Milton]

Don't listen to pet stores they often have no idea what they are talking about and are often misinformed.
I have never heard of anyone putting there millipedes in warm water or any chemical solution.
Pictures would help so the mites can be identified, but I have a feeling your talking about detritus mites (grain mites) .
The only way I have ever gotten rid of these it has been off tarantulas but I used mushroom, the mites love it and will come off your mil to go and eat the mushroom, keep changing the mushroom everyday the mite woll be removed with it and once they are all off move your mil to a clean viv with new stuff and hopefully you won't get another infestation. I have NEVER heard of them infesting humans petstores will tell you any old rubbish to get you to buy stuff lol.

You are partially right though, detritus mites live in all sub as part of the cleanup crew, this is the end of their main breeding season so people tend to get mite blooms in their vivs, but if you put springtails in your setups they will help to keep the mite population down , they eat the same food and with springtails being the bigger of the 2 they tend to outcompeat the mites keeping them at minimum lvls, but they are not harmful to your mil they just don't look nice and when their are loads and not enough food they will climb on your mil in hope it takes them to a more suitable area as they would in the wild. They can be irritating to your mil though if their numbers get to great to better to try and reduce them .

I repeat again though I deal with tarantulas not mils so I can't promise it will work the same for you as it did for me but I can at least assure you not to wash your mil and that the mites won't hurt you if they are what I suspect but again a picture would help if you can get one

View attachment 20241002_210825_99.mp4

 

[Milton]

I was able to catch some pics

 

[Charliemum]

I was able to catch some pics

That doesn't look like a grain mite ... this isn't something I have delt with before . @NMTs @viper69 @l4nsky have yous ever seen a red mite before? I am at a loss.

 

[l4nsky]

That looks like a phorid fly. Good call on not using the medication they gave you. Using an invertebrate killing pesticide on an invertebrate will never turn out okay. IMHO, that employee needs a gentle education on why that was the worst advice possible given the situation.

 

[NMTs]

That looks like a phorid fly.

Agreed, mites don't move like that.

Good call on not using the medication they gave you. Using an invertebrate killing pesticide on an invertebrate will never turn out okay. IMHO, that employee needs a gentle education on why that was the worst advice possible given the situation.

Sounds like they also need an education on the differences between reptiles and inverebrates...

 

[Charliemum]

Thanks lads , never had those flys so had no idea what I was looking at, so thought it was best to call the big guns in