Mite removal theory - opinions please?

[GanjaTaz]

Although I am very dilligent about removing dead cricket parts, as most of us know if your Scorps burrow there is little you can do to get the parts underground in their hidey holes.

My Adult Female Emperor has about 13 or so Scorplings in her tank with her and has a large underground burrow that she dug in peat. I have about 5 to 10 Woodlice (Isopods) in that tank with her to help clean it out but it seems they have been lacking in there duties and some remains have evaded them.

I noticed last night that one of my Scorp tanks has those tiny white mites in, more concerning is that she has some of the little buggers on her. & I am guessing that her Scorplings will also have some on them.

So I find myself in the quandry of how to get them off them. I can change the substrate out (I have bought new substrate today to change it out) however it still leaves me with Scorpion and Scorplings with mites on them.

I was sitting thinking about this last night and had a bit of an idea so would like to run it past those here to see if it is viable or not.

I was thinking that if I removed the Scorpion from the tank and placed it in the fridge for a bit to lower it's body temperature so it goes docile I could then wash it without it doing it's nut in and trying to attack me (She's a grumpy sod at the best of times so this makes sense).

Then I can change out the tank substrate and place her back in after she has be de-mited and do the same with her Scorplings.

Views and opinions please?

Now I'm not sure of these are just the mites that are harmless and eat carrion or undesireable mites but either way I was still thinking this method could be a viable option for mite removal in general as I think the more options we have the better off we are.

 

[Bayushi]

what size tank are they in? I ask this cus from general experimentation i have found the ratio of isopods per every 10 gal should be around 30 or more..since i started using the 30 iso's per ten gal setup i have had no problems with mites.

personally i wouldn't do the fridge method with the scorp. it could possibley cause severe stress to the emp.

 

[Normski2020uk]

OK, firstly how old are the slings?, if there to young this may not work. However, put your scorp in a dry arid enviroment, sand or paper as sub, no moisture. Adults can tolerate this for quite some time, mites cant!!! they will die off, It does sound by the description that they are harmless carrion feeders, but will slings you cant be to carfull.
Alternatively, throw in a large number of predatory mites, they will sergicaly remove the mites from your scorps, and keep the poulation of nastys down.
If you change your sub out, steralize the new stuff and furniture before puting it all back in.

 

[dehaani]

I cool the scorp, then use a paintbrush dipped in olive oil or hemp oil and warm water to remove mites. It works quite effectively. Obviously substrate needs changing too. Mites don't seem to do too well in acidic peat substrates, compared with coconut fibre. I use an approx 50/50 mix.

 

[GanjaTaz]

The tank is 30x30x30 (CM).
The Scorplings are 2nd Instar.


& I would have thought that chilling the scorp would help with the stress levels as well it would be chilled so to speak, there fore relaxed because it was comatose.

The substrate is a Vermiculite layer above the gravel with a mesh above the vermiculite then 4 - 6 inches of peat.

 

[Andre2]

I cool the scorp, then use a paintbrush dipped in olive oil or hemp oil and warm water to remove mites. It works quite effectively. Obviously substrate needs changing too. Mites don't seem to do too well in acidic peat substrates, compared with coconut fibre. I use an approx 50/50 mix.

Obviously you cool the scorpion so it is easier to handle, but you should be carefull which species you cool. Imperators do not tolerate this f.e. and I think, in general you should not do this with tropical species.

My best tip to avoid mites is to use baby redrunners (Shellfordella tartara) to eat all the organic parts in your terrarium. It works even better than isopods in my opinion and they always leave the scorpions alone.

This method works very well for me, as long as you have the baby roaches, they are not always easy to breed...

 

[billopelma]

What leads you to believe they are a parasitic type? Are the mites scampering around on the scorp and really small, white and some what leggy? Or are they more stationary and mostly attached to joints and top of the head, are yellow/off white and look like grapes with little legs?
There are many types of mites and most are nothing more than a cleanup crew. The beneficial type are more likely to resemble the first ones mentioned here and the parasitic more like the second. The bad ones are usually not just randomly running around every where. I have also heard if you abruptly remove all the moisture, that normally non harmful mites can become dangerous as they will congegate in places like booklungs to try to stay hydrated.
If they are the bad ones, I've had some success with a toothbrush and just backing the scorp into a corner and scrubing. Most scorps are fairly tough and can take more physical abuse than you'd think, but the mites can't. In your case the baby's obviously complicate things though. Good luck.

Bill

 

[Dom]

My best tip to avoid mites is to use baby redrunners (Shellfordella tartara) to eat all the organic parts in your terrarium. It works even better than isopods in my opinion and they always leave the scorpions alone.

This method works very well for me, as long as you have the baby roaches, they are not always easy to breed...

Wow! If this works I'll be very happy. I brought in some isopods but they weren't breeding for me and I didn't want another species to deal with. I've got plenty of lateralis though so I'll give them a shot if the need arises.

As for the mites I've just put the scorps in a container with newspaper and let them dry out for a few days and then give them a water dish for a day and then keep them dry for several more days. Their original container should be washed and allowed to dry for a few days also. Use fresh substrate when they are put back into the tank. You are also trying to kill the eggs as well as the visible mites.
I used this method with my 2nd instar emps and it worked like a charm. I would only be concerned if I thought that a molt was imminent. Mine were pretty fat at the time but I took the chance anyway because the orangy mites were freaking me out a bit.
They had 2 types of mites. The white type that scavenges food and an orangy type that was actually living on them. I guess they got these ones from their wild-caught mother.

 

[kahoy]

psuedoscorpions = false scorpions
geomorphila = very long but very tiny centipede
steatoda = tiny spiders that eat anything small


they make out a good mite control as from my experience

psuedoscorpions can be found on the wild just look for a few dead logs with tunnels of web, they live there with the bug that makes the tunnel of silk. false scorps eat mites, and i wonder but they can also catch some little flies that lay eggs on the leftovers.

geomorphila are centipedes, very small but long, makes a good cleaner for leftovers and they also eat mites (if they are still small)

steatoda are small spiders, about 5mm legspan, i tossed some of these in my hetorometrus tank and they make their business.