Mites on a sling, help please.

[Liquifin]

Based on what, exactly?

They're latched onto the tarantula. Predatory mites latch onto tarantulas, the typical average grain mite or humidity driven mite will not attach themselves to a spider to that extent. At most, the normal grain mite or other mite will hitch a ride or crawl around on a spider, but not latch on into place. It's just like how snake mites are in comparison.

 

[fcat]

We're not allowed to post any sort of negative or positive advertisements of online dealers anywhere but the Warnings/Inquiries subforum, which is probably why you got scolded before. But I'm pretty sure this case would fall very fairly under the "warning" label.

Mum has too much class but this is all I want to know since I saw the first post about these guys. I would NEVER want to risk ordering from this source.

 

[NMTs]

They're latched onto the tarantula. Predatory mites latch onto tarantulas, the typical average grain mite or humidity driven mite will not attach themselves to a spider to that extent. At most, the normal grain mite or other mite will hitch a ride or crawl around on a spider, but not latch on into place. It's just like how snake mites are in comparison.

You're saying that you can tell these mites are latched on from the few blurry pics that have been posted? Or because they haven't left yet to go to the bait? If it's the latter, they haven't left because they have no incentive to leave due to the amount of moisture in the enclosure. If it's the former, then your eyes are way better than mine... I think it's very unlikely that these mites are predatory, but I guess it's never out of the question - predatory mites on captive bred specimens are very uncommon, to say the least.

 

[l4nsky]

They're latched onto the tarantula. Predatory mites latch onto tarantulas, the typical average grain mite or humidity driven mite will not attach themselves to a spider to that extent. At most, the normal grain mite or other mite will hitch a ride or crawl around on a spider, but not latch on into place. It's just like how snake mites are in comparison.

Predatory mites EAT other mites and don't attach at all. You're thinking of parasitic mites, of which these aren't. These are grain mites that have become phoretic.

But what about those mites that attach themselves to your tarantula, often sitting at the base of the chelicerae? Those are parasites, right? – Wrong.

When mites come upon bad times – little food, drought, overpopulation – they’ll want to emigrate. Unfortunately mites aren’t built for walking (longer distances) so they go looking for a convenient ‘bus’, something that can carry them far away. In that case your tarantula comes in handy. The mites, now called phoretic (‘hitchhiker’) mites, climb on board and find a place with softer skin to attach themselves with their mouth parts. Prime real estate is the area around the chelicerae because that area actually has food service: every time the tarantula eats the mites get to clean up afterwards, or even during feeding, and get dinner, too. They are kind of… ewww… but still harmless. They just sit there, they don’t suck hemolymph or anything else from the tarantula.

https://arachnoboards.com/threads/all-you-need-to-know-about-mites.309211/

 

[Liquifin]

Predatory mites EAT other mites and don't attach at all. You're thinking of parasitic mites, of which these aren't. These are grain mites that have become phoretic.


https://arachnoboards.com/threads/all-you-need-to-know-about-mites.309211/

Yikes, that's what I mean. Parasitic mites. There we go.

 

[SpookySpooder]

https://arachnoboards.com/threads/all-you-need-to-know-about-mites.309211/

Yeah that's the thread I used.

Good luck Charliemum~

 

[Arachnophobphile]

Grain mites are a dull whitish or tan- whitish color.

With a mite infestation moving the T to another completely dry enclosure is recommended with a water dish. The mites eventually will be drawn to the water and drown.

Any type of mite embeds itself by biting into the exoskeleton of the tarantula making manual removal very difficult and dangerous to the T.

These do not look like grain mites nor do I believe they are predatory mites. Predatory mites eat smaller insects and such. I would not rule out that these are parasitic mites.

Tarantula Mites – Complete Care Guide (Remove Them Safely)

Seeing mites on your tarantula for the first time can be scary and they can concern even the most experienced tarantula keepers for different reasons. For the most part, these mites are friendly and relatively harmless. Thankfully, the majority of mites are not harmful to your tarantula and are...

spideradvice.com

 

[Tentacle Toast]

That’s really disgusting- the world needs to be on alert about the seller what a complete irresponsible unethical immoral “person”

Mum has too much class but this is all I want to know since I saw the first post about these guys. I would NEVER want to risk ordering from this source.

Absofutely make a warning thread about the vendor, NOW especially, when people are going to be "Black Friday" shopping for themselves & others. This one seller has the potential to affect thousands of spiders..

 

[jbooth]

Yeah the 10% puts it over the edge.. talk about insult to injury. And agreed, the normal mites I see can't even sit still long enough to hitch a ride, these are definitely parasitic.

 

[Charliemum]

I thought they must be parasitic they never move . I have had grain mites before from mealworms and the hitchhikers on Amaterasu my P irminia when she came, both were easy to get rid of, that's why when I got Opal I was so confident I could shift these mites no problems, but it's been 4 days and these mites have not moved , I tried the cucumber last night, mushroom the days before, I even tried wet oats and nothing no movement what so ever. They don't try and feed off her food when she eats either they don't move at all. They don't even jostle for position they just sit there getting fatter.
I have however come across some mites that could be Opals saviour, Hypoaspis miles they are called. From the research I have done so far they seem to be my best option, apparently they will eat the parasitic mites then live for upto 4 weeks in the sub then die off not touching Opal in the meantime. This particular sp is used for forid fly infestation but apparently will eat any parasitic mite too. They are not very expensive either only £11 for 2000 I can't find a smaller source so far. I was hoping someone on here would be able to tell me if they are what I want before I get them? I found several sp of predatory mites that are ment to work in such situations i just want to make sure i have the right ones.

As for the seller karma is a b**ch. I hope he gets everything he has coming for him !

 

[SpookySpooder]

It's quite difficult to identify most mites without a good look.

I'm glad you managed to find a generalist to do the job. Please keep us updated on the process and definitely try to document it... as I don't think there is much info like that on the board.

 

[Charliemum]

It's quite difficult to identify most mites without a good look.

I'm glad you managed to find a generalist to do the job. Please keep us updated on the process and definitely try to document it... as I don't think there is much info like that on the board.

That's a good idea I will make her a thread to track her progress, thank you . these Hypoaspis miles will do the job. I will be ordering some soon as I know they are definitely not going to hurt Opal, everything on Google says they are fine but I don't trust Google, I trust ab though so hoping someone on here can confirm they are the right predatory mites.

 

[Charliemum]

Update.

After talking with l4nsky, I took a breath and controlled my panic. I stopped drying her out and put the mushroom back in . l4nsky had suggested they may have clung to her due to her previous enclosure being to dry in the first place and once she ate and there was ample food why move again. So I haven't fed her since she came I have kept her enclosure as this sp likes and today when I put the mushroom back in a bunch of the mites jumped ship and went to the mushroom. I could literally see them dropping off her as I took pics to track her progress.

Climbing off her leg.

2 dropping off her abdomen.

1 on its way to the mushroom 1 on it already not 60 seconds after I put it in.

Today vs the day I got her, the difference in the amount of those things on her face is amazing .
Thank you so much everyone for your help and especially to @l4nsky for making me breath and explaining why they weren't leaving her.

 

[Wolf135]

That substrate isnt helping, looks way too wet and its not coco fiber or soil

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

This is fabulous news @Charliemum !

 

[Charliemum]

That substrate isnt helping, looks way too wet and its not coco fiber or soil

It's coco fiber n top soil mix with sphagnum moss on top and the moss has been dampened to get the mites off her they don't like dryness and won't come off her if it's too dry and I am trying to get them to move to the mushroom that's in there with the spider. Once they have all moved off her she will be rehoused and there won't be so much moisture. My friend explained they got on her in the first place because her previous owner kept her in a dry viv and because I tried to dry out again once I got her they refused to move , soon as I took his advice dampened the moss and put some mushroom in the mites jumped off in droves . At the rate they are coming off I will be able to put her in a new viv by next week. So don't worry Opal won't be in the vile long

This is fabulous news @Charliemum !

Thank you I couldn't be prouder of her ! Can't wait to see her little face without those things hanging off her. You know she's going to be so beautiful. seen your panama pic yesterday stunning little one hopefully my little one will look as good as your little lava lady

 

[SpookySpooder]

Interesting. Is there an explanation for why the mushroom didn't work the first 3 days? Was there a paper or article that was exchanged or you read?

Congratulations on getting your mites off!

 

[Charliemum]

Interesting. Is there an explanation for why the mushroom didn't work the first 3 days? Was there a paper or article that was exchanged or you read?

Congratulations on getting your mites off!

Thank you
l4nsky had the thought that they had climbed on her in the first place because the seller hadn't kept up humidity. Seen as round her mouth is moist they climbed on her and attached, and as she eats and they got food, they had no reason to move again. So I stopped giving her food and rewet the moss so they could travel and placed the mushroom again and they started dropping off. There was no paper or anything just a great friend's logic
I can only assume because I fed her within 24 hours of her being here they had food so weren't shifting, then even though I wasn't feeding her after that the viv had dried out so they stayed where they were, again why travel to new moisture through dry and risk desiccation when they can wait in the moisture on the t knowing the t will eventually move or eat. Once there was no food for a few days and I wet the moss down they were able to come off her and look for something better ie mushroom just like l4nsky had explained to me in the pm.
Parasitic mites are huge and often red so he was convinced they were just grain mites having a party. I trust l4nsky he has never steered me wrong. I actually pmed him to ask about the Hypoaspis miles (their name has changed now but no idea what it was to) as he has used them before. He could tell I was at my wits end and got me to breath and explained what I explained above. Really was just common sense I didn't see through my panic.

To me these are not just pets they are my baby's, I know they can't love me back (before anyone says it) but that doesn't stop me from loving them, they bring sanity to my world and the thought of loosing even one hurts. Hence my panic.
But it's OK they are coming off slowly the ones from her leg joints are almost gone and some of the ones off her face too, I am hopeful within 2 weeks she will be mite free. She's already more mobile and seems to be webbing , I also caught her trying to clean them off herself for the first time yesterday, I am taking all of this as good signs

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

Can't wait to see her little face without those things hanging off her. You know she's going to be so beautiful. seen your panama pic yesterday stunning little one hopefully my little one will look as good as your little lava lady

I have no doubt she will. They are great little Ts (in my limited experience)!
Also, 3 cheers for the logic of @l4nsky !

 

[Charliemum]

I have no doubt she will. They are great little Ts (in my limited experience)!
Also, 3 cheers for the logic of @l4nsky !

Definitely he deserves it 100% .
She seems really inquisitive like my chilensis, and ty can't wait to see her 100% better