Millipede Help: Grey fungus?

[NiGHTS]

A few days ago, I noticed that a few of my Puerto Rican Millipedes has some sort of light greyish "stuff" on their front legs and around the head parts. Since they have black legs, it was really easy to spot. At first, I suspected that it was mites, but on closer inspection, it appears to be some sort of dustlike substance that really sticks to the exoskeleton.

I've been swabbing down the infected pedes with a wet q-tip daily, and it seems to be helping somewhat...but there's still a bunch of the stuff on their heads. I've also quaranteened the pedes from the others, to prevent possibly spreading whatever the stuff is. Could it be a fungus or something? Anyone have any clues as to what this is, and what to do about it?

 

[Crunchie]

If it is fungus or moult I would try to lower the humidity. Not sure about swabbing it, I've heard that the fungus can weaken the exoskeleton and swabbing makes that worse but to be honest I'd probably have tried the swabbing as well. If it's helping then I'd say keep doing that and lower humidity slightly :8o

 

[NiGHTS]

Thanks Crunchie. I had a nagging suspicion that it was humidity related. I noticed that one of the infected pedes keeps climbing up to the lid of the cage; so I was assuming that the substrate might be too moist. I've replaced the covered screen lids with open ones...so hopefully that will help. I'm just hoping that this is something that the pedes can molt through. :8o

On the bright side, I just found a bunch of babies buried in the substrate of the cage that I pulled the infected pedes from. I'm not sure what type they are...but my best guess is Texas/Desert Millipedes - they've been especially randy lately