$%^#$%* Mites!

[nocturnalpulsem]

Ok, I got mites again. This time, invading my superworms first (still in the container I bought them in, but not the same substrate) and spreading into my emps tank! Luckily, there were only a few that ventured that far, and I think I got them all out. I then lined the top edges of my tanks with vasoline incase any more of the little buggers try to get back in there.

*screams in frustration*

Ok, I think I'm ok now...

N.

 

[Diao]

Do you know what the source is? I only had a problem when I used potting soil for my arachnids (not a good idea, by the way).

 

[chuck]

i hate crickets. theyre like the Hodini (sp?) of the bugs. i find dead crickets in my room all the time, luckly i never find a trail of mites to them. maybe you have a dead feeder outside the tank somewhere?

 

[nocturnalpulsem]

Crickets had nothing to do with it, actually. I did get a mite infestation in 2 tanks about a month ago from them, but I haven't had any cricks at all since. My scorps have been getting a diet of superworms, mealworms, and the papas/beetles that come from both.

Since I use worms a lot, I usually have some on hand. This time I had given the supers some oatmeal as substrate, rather than putting them in the same container (full of bone dry peat) as the other worms. When I opened the container of super worms last night, I found the entire substrate replaced with mites. It was horrifying and disgusting.

I do know where they came from, though, and it's my own damn fault...

I made a post a while back about the advantages of inpaling worms on little wooden skewers they sell for grilling. Apparently, the mites were attracted to the worm guts on the desk, and inside the container...

There were only a few that made it into the tank with the scorps. Would it be possible to starve them out? There's no more remains in the tank for them to eat, and we all know how they like to drown in the water dish...would that work? I could put the scorps in a "feeding tank" so there's nothing for the mites to eat. Will the mites die or leave if there's nothing?

N.

 

[skinheaddave]

If you've removed the scorps, the better bet is to dry them out. Try to get the enclosure bone dry and they will quickly subside. That being said, if you use peat and you let it dry out you will have a time trying to rehumidify it.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[nocturnalpulsem]

Originally posted by skinheaddave
If you've removed the scorps, the better bet is to dry them out. Try to get the enclosure bone dry and they will quickly subside. That being said, if you use peat and you let it dry out you will have a time trying to rehumidify it.

Cheers,
Dave

Well, as a matter of fact, it is peat. Another problem is that the peat is pretty much saturated. I haven't added water to the rocks in weeks and it's still damp on top. So drying it out would be more than a chore.

So is the concensus that you cannot starve mites to death? Like I said, there aren't many that actually made it into the tank. There's no dead ones in the water, and the few I did spot totaled to less than 5...

N.

 

[skinheaddave]

You can starve them to death, but there may be a lot more food than you recognize. Also, they may lay eggs. The lazy thing to do would be to wait, see if it sorts itself and then risk having another infestation later if eggs hatch. The much more difficult, but safer thing to do would be to take out everything and start again. If it were me, I'd be inclined to be lazy first and then do it the hard way if the lazy way proved problematic.

Cheers,
Dave