Predatory mites on my millipedes?

meloddipedes

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 16, 2016
Messages
47
I've been trying to figure out what kind of mites I ended up with in my millipede enclosure and tonight noticed the mites on one of my Florida ivories.. does anyone know if these are harmful? All millipedes are still doing well. The one mite looks exactly like Hypoaspis miles, but I'm unsure. Screenshot_20170118-214638.png
 

Telsaro

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
37
Mites
Most mites do millipedes no harm. Mite that actively roam the surface of the substrate and avoid the millipedes should not cause concern. Mites that cluster on rotting food in the substrate can be removed with the food--and don't let the food rot in the first place! Replace food every other day. Mites that stay only on the millipede but move quickly are usually harmless. HOWEVER, mites that stay only on the millipede and are firmly attached, clustered especially on the legs, head, and joints of the millipede are debilitating and could be parasitic--the infected animals and enclosure should be quarantined to prevent the spread of mites to other enclosures. Parasitic mites are extremely rare in captivity, however. The most likely culprit for what seems to be parasitic is actually something generally called "grain mites." These mites thrive on excess amounts of uneaten food and can proliferate in great numbers. The best remedy is to replace the current substrate with a leaner substrate that the millipedes can still eat and then stop feeding them fruit and vegetables. This will cut the mites' food source and in a few months they should be gone. Alternatively, predatory mites such as Hypoaspis miles can be purchased online and introduced into the affected enclosure. These may feed on the "grain mites" and reduce population numbers. However, feeding must be drastically reduced as "grain mites" will return to thrive on uneaten food if it is not removed.

That's the info I found on mites. I hope it helps. From the description, these seem harmless, but keep an eye on the warning signs that they are parasitic. (Source: http://petmillipede.weebly.com/problems.html)
 

meloddipedes

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 16, 2016
Messages
47
Mites
Most mites do millipedes no harm. Mite that actively roam the surface of the substrate and avoid the millipedes should not cause concern. Mites that cluster on rotting food in the substrate can be removed with the food--and don't let the food rot in the first place! Replace food every other day. Mites that stay only on the millipede but move quickly are usually harmless. HOWEVER, mites that stay only on the millipede and are firmly attached, clustered especially on the legs, head, and joints of the millipede are debilitating and could be parasitic--the infected animals and enclosure should be quarantined to prevent the spread of mites to other enclosures. Parasitic mites are extremely rare in captivity, however. The most likely culprit for what seems to be parasitic is actually something generally called "grain mites." These mites thrive on excess amounts of uneaten food and can proliferate in great numbers. The best remedy is to replace the current substrate with a leaner substrate that the millipedes can still eat and then stop feeding them fruit and vegetables. This will cut the mites' food source and in a few months they should be gone. Alternatively, predatory mites such as Hypoaspis miles can be purchased online and introduced into the affected enclosure. These may feed on the "grain mites" and reduce population numbers. However, feeding must be drastically reduced as "grain mites" will return to thrive on uneaten food if it is not removed.

That's the info I found on mites. I hope it helps. From the description, these seem harmless, but keep an eye on the warning signs that they are parasitic. (Source: http://petmillipede.weebly.com/problems.html)
Thank you!
 
Top