Mites?

[Malevolus]

I've heard about the dangers of mites and what they can do to your critters. I thought I saw something weird crawling on the substrate at first, so, I lifted the hood ont eh aquarium that my Emp is in and took a closer look. What I saw turned out to be a baby cricket, no big deal. Upon closer inspection, on other parts of the substrate, there were these little, light tan dots roaming all over. They're about half the size of a period in your normal sized book print.

They weren't crawling over the cricket, but rather seemed to be ignoring it. They also seem to be on the drier side of the enclosure, as I've only seen a few on in the water dish, which just has some moist substrate in it currently. Also, they don't appear to have bothered my emp at all. None are in/around his hide, nor on him. Nor does there appear to be any foreign substances on him.

Should I get him out and temporarily house him while I redo his enclosure before it's too late? Or are they some other kind of harmless insect that's decided to be roomies with him?

 

[EricFavez]

It sounds alot like these lil bugs ive seen before. Ive only seen them on dead prey items. they seem to eat dead and rotting prey. They never got on or harmed any of my animals...i wouldnt worry about them harming your scorps but i would make sure i always take out dead crickets and do a good cleaning and rehouse and you should be fine.

Later Eric

 

[Galapoheros]

I'm going to take a guess and say they might be good predatory mites. Sounds like what I have in my cages. They were getting on dead organic stuff in my cages too. I sent a pic to Biocotrol and they said they looked like hypoaspis mites, which are good to have if that's what they are. They took care of the "bad mite" problem I was having. They would walk on my pedes, stop where a bad mite was anchored and eat it. I used to try to get rid of them before I found this site and got more info. But I'm just guessing about your mites.

 

[Malevolus]

I'm hoping they are the good mites. I removed part of the top of his hide to take a better look at him. There were a few that crawled off the side of his hide, and onto him. They moved around on him for a few seconds before they got back onto the wall of the hide and just kept walking.

Another thing I noticed, which may help, a few weeks ago, I added a new play to his enclosure(he seems to leave the live ones alone, but bulldozes the fake ones.) well, a few of the leaves closer to the substrate have brown dots all over them. Not eggs, not more mites, just tiny dead spots polka-dotting the leaf.

The plant with the dead spots is over on the side where the mites seem to be congregating. The plant on the other side, closer to the water dish, is in perfect condition, and looks much like it did then I got it, close to a year ago.