HELP!! Parasites!

[Palespider]

I have been noticing large white mites in my 4" T. blondi cage for the past month or so. The wierd thing was she has been fasting for an upcoming molt and hasn't been eating, so they aren't attracted to the food since I changed the substrate anyway to be sure. They seem to be coming from her!

I put her in a ICU to observe her and see if removing the substrate would be a factor. I checked on her tonight and they were back underneath her on the wet papertowel! They are very fat in proportion to their heads and there is a brown dirt like stuff around them. Possibly their eggs? I threw them out and took a look at her underneath and it looks like one of her pendipalps is about half way eaten through at the joint. Are they eating my girl!?

I expecting she's about to molt, but not sure when. Will she be okay if she molts? Is it possible these things are eating her away inside as well? Has anyone had something like this?

Poor girl. It's breaking my heart to think of her dying Or this happening to any of my other T's!

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Jim B.

 

[Palespider]

Okay, looks like I panicked. I double checked the pendipalp and it looks like it's not eaten away at all, but has chalky white stuff at the joint. There is none around the mouthparts or rear that I can see.

And I saw some brownish dried up liquid in the ICU by the water dish that I'm thinking is either T blood or maybe discolored fecal?

I am really worried.

Jim B.

 

[Cooper]

I am new to this, but I feel your pain. I usually stray away from these posts but I had to offer my condolences. I hope she puls through for you!

 

[Joy]

I think if it were me, I'd keep her in the ICU and change the paper towels every time I saw mites on them. You might try the decoy system along with this--put a split dead cricket in with her every evening, then change the paper towel and throw away the cricket the next morning. Supposedly the mites will be drawn to the food and away from the spider. I'd also physically remove any mites I saw on her with a Q-tip or similar.

The downside of this treatment is that blondi usually resent being moved, and you will obviously have to move her often if you attempt this. Also, it really isn't optimum to keep moving a spider who's in a pre-molt condition. If it were me, I think I would consider the mites a greater risk at this point than the moving, but there definitely is a risk either way, so you may feel differently. Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do.

Joy

 

[Buspirone]

I'd try predatory mites, especially for a larger, defensive and expensive species like a T. blondi.

 

[Code Monkey]

Re: predatory mites - keep in mind an order of hypoaspis mites will run you about $40 shipped for even the smallest quantity you can order. Like all things, there is always the balancing of expenses versus potential payoffs. (i.e. The ICU is free even if it's not as likely to eliminate the mites).

There is also the question of whether the mites are a primary or secondary infestation (you mention strange colored liquids).

Mites are by and large free living and scavengers, but a badly infected arthropod on its last legs is dead as far as scavenger mites are concerned and they will happily swarm and feed on such a critter. If these are just scavenger mites, then clearing them up will not necessarily save the T.

OTOH, if you have a sizeable T collection and you suspect the mites are a primary infestation, then the $40 to not only treat the blondi but to also prophylactically treat your other T tanks could be a bargain of a huge magnitude.

 

[Palespider]

So, if she molts is there a chance they'll stay on the exuvium?

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Palespider
So, if she molts is there a chance they'll stay on the exuvium?

Sure, and there's also a chance that all the oxygen molecules within my room are going to bounce themselves into one particular corner and I'll asphyxiate in a freak occurence

That is to say that there's a chance it will happen, but the bigger chance is that they will move over to the very tender and juicy newly moulted T in the time between when she first moults and the time you can safely get her out of the container she moulted in.

 

[Palespider]

Well, I'm not sure what to do. I don't have the money for the predatory mites and the TKG says swabbing is a waste of time. I would actually give it a try as I'm desperate, but she won't let me touch her.

I guess all I can do is keep her in the ICU and keep changing out the papertowel. I have read of
a couple cases where molting got them off. I'll just hope it works for mine.

Jim B.

 

[Palespider]

Originally posted by Code Monkey
Re: predatory mites - keep in mind an order of hypoaspis mites will run you about $40 shipped for even the smallest quantity you can order. Like all things, there is always the balancing of expenses versus potential payoffs. (i.e. The ICU is free even if it's not as likely to eliminate the mites).

There is also the question of whether the mites are a primary or secondary infestation (you mention strange colored liquids).

Mites are by and large free living and scavengers, but a badly infected arthropod on its last legs is dead as far as scavenger mites are concerned and they will happily swarm and feed on such a critter. If these are just scavenger mites, then clearing them up will not necessarily save the T.

OTOH, if you have a sizeable T collection and you suspect the mites are a primary infestation, then the $40 to not only treat the blondi but to also prophylactically treat your other T tanks could be a bargain of a huge magnitude.

And I saw some poop from her last night and it looked fine. She moves and runs just like normal, so I would be far from saying she is on her last leg.

I'm thinking that maybe the surface of the substrate became too dry for the mites and she was being still enough being in pre-molt that they decided to hitch a ride.

Jim B.