Mites From Store Bought Potting Soil

[Pixxie]

Recently I bought organic potting soil from a gardening store that would have been used in my millipedes' and H. lividum's enclosures. Typically I'd buy coconut fiber but at the time the pet store was closed. I prepared a new enclosure for my Thai Rainbows and was about to transfer them when I saw little off-white dots crawling out from the soil. Yes, mites, and lots of them. I looked in the bag that the soil came in and sure enough, it was loaded with mites too.
I don't know if its common knowledge that there can be mites in soil bought from gardening supply stores and I'm just one of a few people who didn't know, but I thought it was strange that when I searched for threads about this, nothing came up for this topic. So I wanted to post this as a warning to others who don't know.
If you buy substrate from gardening supply stores it could have mites in it. If for some reason you have to get soil from a gardening store, be sure to check it by moving the soil while shining a flashlight on it before you use it. I use peat moss from this same store but have not seen any mites in it, or in the cages that I use it in (and yes, I checked), I think peat moss is too dry for them to live in. Regardless, after this, I'm going to check the peat moss every time I buy it just in case.
I don't know if the mites were there because of the store or the brand but heres the brand for anyone who might want to know:
Garden Safe, the one that says All Purpose Potting Mix, Natural Organic

But seriously, why aren't there threads about this? Is it just so commonly known that people don't feel the need to talk about it? Are there only a few people that buy sub from gardening stores? Is this just something that normally goes unnoticed? Is it something else?

 

[AbraxasComplex]

You will find mites in plants, hitching rides on crickets, and coming in from outside. No matter what, mites can and will occur in your tank whether you introduce them or they find other ways to access it.

With an organic potting soil there is a huge amount of decaying plant material, a prime nutritional for many species of mites including some predatory. There is a big chance the mites you saw were Hypoaspis miles or some other predatory mite since many garden stores, or at least the nurseries they get their plants from, release predatory mites to keep various pests under control.


There is no cause for alarm either way. You can simply choose to bake the soil or let it dry out if you are worried about mites.

 

[macj1983]

Would the mites be that bad for the T? If they keep away other mites that might be more harmful?

 

[AbraxasComplex]

Predatory mites are fantastic additions to any terrarium that can sustain them. They keep populations of various pests like fungus gnats or grain mites to a bare minimum and in many cases wipe them out completely (until more get introduced). They will not harm your larger inverts.

 

[GForce14063]

That is why I microwave all substrate for atleast 5 minutes. It helps eliminate all forms of flora and fauna that might be living in the substrate.

 

[macj1983]

Predatory mites are fantastic additions to any terrarium that can sustain them. They keep populations of various pests like fungus gnats or grain mites to a bare minimum and in many cases wipe them out completely (until more get introduced). They will not harm your larger inverts.

Sweet cool info

 

[Pixxie]

You will find mites in plants, hitching rides on crickets, and coming in from outside. No matter what, mites can and will occur in your tank whether you introduce them or they find other ways to access it.

With an organic potting soil there is a huge amount of decaying plant material, a prime nutritional for many species of mites including some predatory. There is a big chance the mites you saw were Hypoaspis miles or some other predatory mite since many garden stores, or at least the nurseries they get their plants from, release predatory mites to keep various pests under control.


There is no cause for alarm either way. You can simply choose to bake the soil or let it dry out if you are worried about mites.

Thanks for the info on what kind of mites they might be. I already got rid of the soil and bought coconut fiber the next day. I don't want to risk introducing a harmful mite to my inverts' cages. But interesting stuff, thanks.