Need solution for white bugs invasion (cirons)

Shlagman

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 13, 2021
Messages
2
Hello.

I am new to this forum although I have some experience with my tarantulas.
A few weeks ago I noticed the appearance of small white animals, cirons, a real colony, when I left my cockroach breeding with food, water, as well as high humidity and little ventilation. .

After this sudden stress, I decided to turn to clean, my whole room was invaded.
Since then, thinking I got rid of it for good.
I notice them in the terrariums of my tarantulas, in smaller quantities but I border on paranoia to think that they could come back so quickly.
Is there a solution to significantly avoid them?
I hesitate, to the extreme, to stop my breeding because of these because it takes me a monster time and ruins my morale to clean everything in addition to the real household that I do (vacuum cleaner and mop with bleach x2, once a week in the whole house.)

cordially
 

viper69

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2006
Messages
17,851
This is why I don’t raise insects, it’s never worth it for me.

These are pain to get rid of IME.

All it takes is moisture, T poop and they can explode in number then irritating Ts
 

Scorpiobsession

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 1, 2021
Messages
301
Need better ID of these bugs.
The OP said they're cirons, AKA flour mites, Acarus siro.
OP, are you positive on the ID? If not you could send some in to an entomologist and they could identify them. That might change the best way to proceed with removing them.
 

Albireo Wulfbooper

Arachnoprince
Joined
Aug 1, 2019
Messages
1,606
Unfortunately if they are in fact flour mites you'll never completely be rid of them - they're just a fact of life. Keep all food (yours and any you keep for pets) in airtight containers, keep everything as clean and dry as possible, and make sure to remove any dead insects and insect parts immediately. This will keep the numbers manageable. You can also add springtails to your enclosures to help outcompete the mites.

However, it should be pointed out that these mites are not harmful to your animals as long as their numbers are kept in control, and no home in the world is free of them :)
 

Matts inverts

Arachnoangel
Joined
Jan 17, 2021
Messages
866
I got rid of them. Unfortunately, you will have to clean all the tubs, bake and freeze all the substrate, and wipe all the shelves or whatever you are keeping the animals on daily. I got them in my mealworm farm and I’m still having trouble from breeding them. Look on how to get rid of them on YouTube. If you have any grains that is not in a fridge, I would toss it because they will infest everything if they can. Also, try to dry out the tanks that can be dry because they need a bit of humidity to live.
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,044
I got rid of them. Unfortunately, you will have to clean all the tubs, bake and freeze all the substrate, and wipe all the shelves or whatever you are keeping the animals on daily.
That sums it up. Out in the world of rice farming, eradication is utterly impossible. They are an inevitable fact of life. Even if someone managed to clear them out of a home the rice harvesters blow them far and wide all over the country. But they are harmless except for being a major nuisance that requires life in quarantine. Assume they will invade any food source they like that isn't sealed away in the fridge or hermetically sealed containers.

Also, try to dry out the tanks that can be dry because they need a bit of humidity to live.
Unfortunately this isn't the case much of the time. Dried nuts and seeds contain enough moisture for them to thrive in hermetically sealed containers. Had a sealed jar of rolled oats set aside for months. When inspected about half of the jar full was webbed chowder.
 
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