Pests in water dish... Help please

[Moltar]

Something is living in my G rosea's waterdish. There are these very tiny worms or something swimming in the water. Also something floating on the surface nearby them that could be tiny mites or something? Please check out the pics and tell me what you think.

First is a wide shot of the dish.
Second is a closeup crop of the buggers in question. The little wormlike items are squirming around in the water.

I've heard nematodes were much longer almost like hairs. Perhaps these are larval mites? I'm dumping the water now and then checking my other T's waterdishes for the same stuff.

Thanks guys for helping.:worship:

 

[Talkenlate04]

They almost look like baby crickets. But those pics are to blurry for me to be able to tell.
What is that in your water dish? If that is a sponge you can take it out and just keep water in the dish.

 

[Moltar]

If that is a sponge you can take it out and just keep water in the dish.

Nah it's a little rock. I'll take another pic before i dump the water at higher res. They're definitely a larval stage or something similar... little worms. Do crix hatch out as larvae?

 

[Talkenlate04]

No they crickets hatch out as miny versions of the adults.

Well since they are in the water dish just change the water and keep your eye out for more. If they keep migrating to the water dish and no where else just keep changing the water. If it goes on long enough, more then a week, you might want to change the substrate.

 

[P. Novak]

They look like they could be springtails. I find them in my waterdish every once in awhile. I'm pretty sure they are harmless.

 

[Moltar]

I guess they are crix after all

Took another pic and i can clearly see their tiny little antennae. The pic is cropped and blown waaay up cuz these things are so tiny. The diff between 8megapix (this one) and 3 megapix (the above pics) is remarkable.

Thanks for your help Talken.

 

[P. Novak]

Those aren't baby crickets, nope, those are springtails...

http://ag.arizona.edu/urbanipm/insects/images/springtails_2.jpg

 

[Moltar]

They look like they could be springtails. I find them in my waterdish every once in awhile. I'm pretty sure they are harmless.

How would springtails get introduced to my T's cages? Would they naturally piggyback on crix? I've never used any wild insects for feeders, only pet store crickets and one superworm about a month ago for this girl.

 

[P. Novak]

How would springtails get introduced to my T's cages? Would they naturally piggyback on crix? I've never used any wild insects for feeders, only pet store crickets and one superworm about a month ago for this girl.

Yeah I have no idea, I find them in my waterdish every so often as well even if I don't feed WC prey or anything like that. What kind of substrate are you using?

 

[Moltar]

Yeah I have no idea, I find them in my waterdish every so often. What kind of substrate are you using?

Peat sterilized in a microwave with a splash of horticultural vermiculite.

I don't know what springtails look like. Do they resemble the 3rd pic i posted? The buggers shown in the pic have cricketlike dimensions but i didn't think they'd be so tiny. Compare the 1st pic to the 3rd for an idea of their size.

 

[P. Novak]

Peat sterilized in a microwave with a splash of horticultural vermiculite.

I don't know what springtails look like. Do they resemble the 3rd pic i posted? The buggers shown in the pic have cricketlike dimensions but i didn't think they'd be so tiny. Compare the 1st pic to the 3rd for an idea of their size.

Hm I use peat as well, steralized for about 30min @ 375-400F in the oven. I still find some. Maybe it's the substrate or store bought crickets? Who knows.

They resemble the pics you took, look at the link I posted as well. The size and figure match springtails perfectly. Of course I'm pretty sure they grow a bit larger, and the things we are seeing are just babies? I could be wrong on that one.

Any springtail experts here?!

 

[dianedfisher]

Not expert but...

Springtails are beneficial and are added to many terrariums along with sow bugs (isopods or roly polys). They act as scavengers to consume organic waste. The springtails need a very moist environment and will die once the moisture is eliminated. Di

 

[Talkenlate04]

I always wondered that myself. Where in the heck are they coming from. Once and a while I have a population explosion in a few water dishes. They dont seem to cause any trouble at all.

Just like fruit flys, have you ever noticed that even in the dead of winter if you have really ripe/ starting to spoil fruit, they just come out of nowhere? Mystery's of life I guess.

 

[Moltar]

I just looked at the link Novak (didn't see it the first time) and yep, they sure look just like what i have. Since tehy're beneficial i guess i'll encourage the moist area under the waterdish instead of letting it dry completely out before replacing the dish as was my plan. I'd like them to pop up in my MM C. fasciatum's tank. He is such a slob! I think he deliberately poops in places a q-tip won't reach.

 

[P. Novak]

I just looked at the link Novak (didn't see it the first time) and yep, they sure look just like what i have. Since tehy're beneficial i guess i'll encourage the moist area under the waterdish instead of letting it dry completely out before replacing the dish as was my plan. I'd like them to pop up in my MM C. fasciatum's tank. He is such a slob! I think he deliberately poops in places a q-tip won't reach.

Yeah I thought you might have missed it, cause they looked exactly like your "pests". Ha, you know what's funny is my MM C.fasciatum is a slob too. I think it's in their natural:} Anyways good luck and glad I can help.

Thanks dianedfisher for letting me know that they are beneficial, looks like I'll have to let some stay in my tanks. Do you have any idea where they are from?

 

[demode]

They come naturally from substrate and plants you have at home.

 

[Hedorah99]

They come naturally from substrate and plants you have at home.

Yea, what Demode said. They are all of the place and probably travel in search of environments to live in. A T habitat is usually perfect for them. I have had these guys in huge numbers in some scorpion and centipede tanks with no problems.

 

[dianedfisher]

Springtails

You can usually find them in bog pond perimeters. I actually purchased them for introduction into my pygmy chameleon habitat that was set-up in mid winter when I couldn't find any at home. I would say they came in with crickets, but they could have been in the potting media of any live plants or unsterilized organic soil that may have been introduced into your tank. Many people introduce them into larger, damper habitats. Poison dart frog owners use them in PD set-ups. They are available for purchase at several terrarium supply houses, such as blackjungle.com and terrariumconcepts.com and many of the fruit flie breeders sell them with isopods and flour beetles. Di

 

[Moltar]

Thanks Diane. I'll have to poke around and see if i can find something like springtails or pillbugs that are more tolerant of dry conditions. I like the idea of of having benificial fauna in my T's tanks. Since i keep mostly dryer condition terrestrials, i'm not sure if it's really necessary but i imagine it couldn't hurt.

 

[dianedfisher]

Isopods

I think the isopods can tolerate drier conditions. They like to hang out under rotting logs, boards, between and under stones, etc. I go out about once a month and gather them for my "pig" pen. Di