Mites :(

minirags

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 17, 2021
Messages
3
So I'm in a bit of a predicament. I just replaced the bedding in my G. pulchra slings terrarium, only about a week ago. Earlier tonight I caught him molting and while checking on him I also found a mite on the glass and now that I noticed that, I can see a large amount of mites. In my 10 years of owning various reptiles, spiders, etc. I've never gotten mites. The issue is it's been only half an hour since he finished molting and I'm not sure if it's the right choice to move him out right now or if that's too risky and I should wait. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Joined
Oct 10, 2019
Messages
424
Hi
Let it harden before doing anything.
Mites usually are not that major concern in most cases.I am surprised to hear you have a mite boom in G pulchra enclosure as they require moisture and staple food source to have population boom.
Regards Konstantin
 

minirags

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 17, 2021
Messages
3
Hi
Let it harden before doing anything.
Mites usually are not that major concern in most cases.I am surprised to hear you have a mite boom in G pulchra enclosure as they require moisture and staple food source to have population boom.
Regards Konstantin
Thank you for your reply! It surprised me too, I've been so careful because this has always been a fear of mine. I've been trying to figure out what I did wrong so it doesn't happen again lol.
 

Dry Desert

Arachnoprince
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Thank you for your reply! It surprised me too, I've been so careful because this has always been a fear of mine. I've been trying to figure out what I did wrong so it doesn't happen again lol.
If you have used cork bark for its enclosure, that has been used before, or even fresh Coco fibre, that could be the hosts. I like Coco fibre as much as I like crickets.
 

minirags

Arachnopeon
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Apr 17, 2021
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If you have used cork bark for its enclosure, that has been used before, or even fresh Coco fibre, that could be the hosts. I like Coco fibre as much as I like crickets.
Yeah, the new substrate is coconut fibre. I think this might be my end for it... Crickets ended a long long time ago for me lmao. I feel bad for not being more careful but I'll definitely grab some new bedding and hides all together. Luckily I never got around to putting that into my other enclosures and they all seem mite free. Thank you for your reply :)
 
Joined
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Hi
I do get them sometimes in my feeder tubs and some are transferred to some enclosures but although I have seen some here and there in the enclosures I have never had population explosions that concerned me.
Same goes for mould if is a little pick it out and dry the area no need to strees over it if is not a big infestation.
Regards Konstantin
 

Smotzer

ArachnoGod
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. I just replaced the bedding in my G. pulchra slings terrarium
Why did you replace the substrate? Do you do this regularly because 98% of the time there is zero need to replace substrate especially in a sling enclosure. Can you elaborate? And how do you know it was a mite? and at that not just a harmless grain mite?
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
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17,851
So I'm in a bit of a predicament. I just replaced the bedding in my G. pulchra slings terrarium, only about a week ago. Earlier tonight I caught him molting and while checking on him I also found a mite on the glass and now that I noticed that, I can see a large amount of mites. In my 10 years of owning various reptiles, spiders, etc. I've never gotten mites. The issue is it's been only half an hour since he finished molting and I'm not sure if it's the right choice to move him out right now or if that's too risky and I should wait. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
WAIT

and why replace substate???
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
808
So I'm in a bit of a predicament. I just replaced the bedding in my G. pulchra slings terrarium, only about a week ago. Earlier tonight I caught him molting and while checking on him I also found a mite on the glass and now that I noticed that, I can see a large amount of mites. In my 10 years of owning various reptiles, spiders, etc. I've never gotten mites. The issue is it's been only half an hour since he finished molting and I'm not sure if it's the right choice to move him out right now or if that's too risky and I should wait. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
The time to really worry is if your T is infested with mites directly on it. Also attaching themselves on the book lungs. Otherwise mites are harmless. The parasitic mites that are very bad are most of the times found on wild caught tarantulas.

Nonetheless there are solutions. First solution and the easiest is to transfer your T when it hardens up, (indicated by when it's fangs turn black from white) to a new enclosure.

You can buy Eco Earth loose/dry in a bag, use that. Water dish and do not overflow it. Small porcelain dish, buried halfway in substrate for feeders, (use dubia roaches).

If your T is infested by the time for transfer be aware that it will take months not days to get rid of the mites. You also want the new enclosure to not only be dry but also more ventilated than the previous one. Air holes on the side and top. You want more airflow.

I also highly recommend isolating this T from the rest of your collection if you have more.

Most importantly take a deep breathe and logically study what went wrong to lead to mites. Don't beat yourself up but learn from this.

I am going through the same thing and what I laid out for you has worked for me. You must do everything you can to protect your tarantula.

I went back and analyzed where I made a mistake that I overlooked and made my corrections.

To clean and rid the previous enclosure and things inside for use again follow this.

1. Mix 1 part water and 1 part bleach. Rinse, scrub, wash and wash enclosure, corkbark and whatever else.
2. Properly dry everything and let corkback dry outside in direct sunlight for 30 minutes.
3. Put everything in the freezer for 24 hours, (I recommend double-downing and leave it all in there for 2 full days).

Again this has worked for me. Also there is some good post from the past on arachnoboards on mites. Use the search feature at the top and you will find them.

I wish the best and hope everything works out for you and your T 🙂
 

RoachCoach

Arachnodemon
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Messages
703
The time to really worry is if your T is infested with mites directly on it. Also attaching themselves on the book lungs. Otherwise mites are harmless. The parasitic mites that are very bad are most of the times found on wild caught tarantulas.

Nonetheless there are solutions. First solution and the easiest is to transfer your T when it hardens up, (indicated by when it's fangs turn black from white) to a new enclosure.

You can buy Eco Earth loose/dry in a bag, use that. Water dish and do not overflow it. Small porcelain dish, buried halfway in substrate for feeders, (use dubia roaches).

If your T is infested by the time for transfer be aware that it will take months not days to get rid of the mites. You also want the new enclosure to not only be dry but also more ventilated than the previous one. Air holes on the side and top. You want more airflow.

I also highly recommend isolating this T from the rest of your collection if you have more.

Most importantly take a deep breathe and logically study what went wrong to lead to mites. Don't beat yourself up but learn from this.

I am going through the same thing and what I laid out for you has worked for me. You must do everything you can to protect your tarantula.

I went back and analyzed where I made a mistake that I overlooked and made my corrections.

To clean and rid the previous enclosure and things inside for use again follow this.

1. Mix 1 part water and 1 part bleach. Rinse, scrub, wash and wash enclosure, corkbark and whatever else.
2. Properly dry everything and let corkback dry outside in direct sunlight for 30 minutes.
3. Put everything in the freezer for 24 hours, (I recommend double-downing and leave it all in there for 2 full days).

Again this has worked for me. Also there is some good post from the past on arachnoboards on mites. Use the search feature at the top and you will find them.

I wish the best and hope everything works out for you and your T 🙂
OP didn't mention the color of mites, or what their bellies looked like. They could just be symbiotic mites from a feeder bug. But ya, getting rid of mites is mainly just removing moisture. Mites are pretty much land crabs. They die super fast or form a cyst to survive the drought. The numbers will drop with low moisture though. The longer the better. Not tons of mites that are predatory to tarantulas though.
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
808
OP didn't mention the color of mites, or what their bellies looked like. They could just be symbiotic mites from a feeder bug. But ya, getting rid of mites is mainly just removing moisture. Mites are pretty much land crabs. They die super fast or form a cyst to survive the drought. The numbers will drop with low moisture though. The longer the better. Not tons of mites that are predatory to tarantulas though.
Yes moisture is bad it is what will keep mites multiplying.

Mites are actually arachnids. They are kind of the next step up in evolution.

No OP didn't mention color but I'm willing to bet either white or tannish as those are the most common. Either way mites infesting directly on the T will overstress it dramatically which can lead to dire results.

There's still alot that is not known about mites and every species of mites.

No I'm not a mite expert lol. I did alot of reading, alot.....when I got mites.

They are the darnest things to get rid of and takes a long time. Springtales are great to keeping an enclosure clean.

Mites latch on to a T for transportation around the enclosure. I watched these stupid little things for quite some time when my T got them. I know how it got them and now I know how to avoid them.

I hate mites so much that feeders I've had for an extended period of time I rinse off good under the faucet before feeding to my T's. It's my new phobia.....mitephobia, if that's a thing.
 

RoachCoach

Arachnodemon
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Messages
703
They are the darnest things to get rid of and takes a long time. Springtales are great to keeping an enclosure clean.
Springtails won't outcompete mites in a Tarantula enclosure. If you add A. Diapernius to your feeder bin they will eat mite eggs on site. They can't go in a T enclosure though.
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
808
Springtails won't outcompete mites in a Tarantula enclosure. If you add A. Diapernius to your feeder bin they will eat mite eggs on site. They can't go in a T enclosure though.
That's good info thanks. I'm going to try to find some for sale online.

Springtales help before there is ever any mites. If you have mites already then no.

The problem I had was with my C. versicolor. It's web cocoon entrance was at the top facing upwards on the corkbark. I would lay a superworm after crushing it's head on the top of the corkbark by it's web entrance.

I suspect the superworms fell or the T grabbed them but didn't eat them. The dead superworms just laid inside near the bottom of the web cocoon. It never expelled them out of it's web cocoon. That or they came in on an insect feeder.

Mites are usually always present. They can float with a gust of air, have some in the substrate, ride in on an insect feeder. Not removing an uneaten feeder is not just a risk of bacteria spreading but mite attraction as well.
 

SaRose

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 27, 2020
Messages
15
Yes moisture is bad it is what will keep mites multiplying.

Mites are actually arachnids. They are kind of the next step up in evolution.

No OP didn't mention color but I'm willing to bet either white or tannish as those are the most common. Either way mites infesting directly on the T will overstress it dramatically which can lead to dire results.

There's still alot that is not known about mites and every species of mites.

No I'm not a mite expert lol. I did alot of reading, alot.....when I got mites.

They are the darnest things to get rid of and takes a long time. Springtales are great to keeping an enclosure clean.

Mites latch on to a T for transportation around the enclosure. I watched these stupid little things for quite some time when my T got them. I know how it got them and now I know how to avoid them.

I hate mites so much that feeders I've had for an extended period of time I rinse off good under the faucet before feeding to my T's. It's my new phobia.....mitephobia, if that's a thing.
Hmmm....I might start rinsing off my feeders under the faucet too lmao!
 

Arachnophobphile

Arachnoangel
Active Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2018
Messages
808
Hmmm....I might start rinsing off my feeders under the faucet too lmao!
LoL...it wouldn't do any good. Mites bite in on whatever creature they are on. Think of it as secure transportation.

I've done it when I first had mites out of my phobia.
 

sasker

Arachnoprince
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
1,091
Another tip to gradually reduce the numbers: keep your terrarium dry and replace the water in the water bowl daily. In a dry enclosure, the mites congregate on the only available water source. You will see them floating on the water surface. They haven't drowned, they are too light to break the water surface. replacing the water in the water dish and rinsing it with hot water will drastically reduce their numbers. Also, always clean out uneaten prey. Or wait a little for the little bugs to get on the uneaten feeder and remove the feeder with mites and all.

Another thing: you mentioned that this concerns a G. pulchra sling, and that you could see the mites on the glass. Just how big is this terrarium? Could you send a picture?

It sounds to me as if your sling is in a terrarium that is way too big for it. Small slings require small enclosures. This way they are easy to monitor and easy to maintain. I can't imagine having a mite explosion in a pill bottle ;)
 
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