Mites

[Bloodletting]

I started a thread on cricket breeding, found some answers on my own. got some help from wade but I want to start here to ask some additional questions.

In my cricket tank, I have lots and lots of teeny tiny white mites. So tiny, they are hard to see but since they are piled on one another you can see them.

Wade suggested Hypoaspis sp ( a mite ) that eats the other mites. I read about them and seems pretty good. Will they kill the pinheads, will they eat the cricket eggs?

Why do I have mites?? do they come form fruit and vegetables or dead crickets. Can I ever combat them completely? Do they hurt anything?

Please, help if you can. Should I start a new cricket tank. I will do whatever I need to do. I have kept the tank pretty clean. How did I get them and why??

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Wade]

The mites are proably grain mites, common pests of stored grain products. They are common in may invert cages, and in small numbers they're probably harmless. When they numbers get really big, however, they can cause problems, like clogging the insects spiracles.

The best defense against mites is dryness, but since you're trying to hatch pinheads, you need moisture. One solution is to keep the adults in a dry cage and provide a shallow dish of moist soil for the crickets to lay eggs in. After it's been with the adults for a few days, it can be transferred to annother container for hatching (usually in 2-3 weeks). Pinheads usually do best with a little more moisture than the bigger ones, but once they reach 1/4" they should do well in a dry cage (with a water source, like sliced potatoes, apples, or water dish with gravel to prevent drowning). If you want to keep the whole colony together, Hypoaspis may be the way to go, or you could compromise and only keep a small section moist (for egg laying).

Wade

 

[Bloodletting]

Wade,

Thank you, that was very helpful and informative. I will try drying out the soil a bit and removing the top layer. That's where mos of the mites seem to be. After that, I will try again, keeping one area moist and the rest relatively dry.

I will also try the other mite idea, as long as you feel it is safe for the pinheads and the cricket eggs.

Thanks,

Scott

 

[Bloodletting]

Wade,

Thank you, that was very helpful and informative. I will try drying out the soil a bit and removing the top layer. That's where mos of the mites seem to be. After that, I will try again, keeping one area moist and the rest relatively dry.

I will also try the other mite idea, as long as you feel it is safe for the pinheads and the cricket eggs.

Thanks,

Scott