My scorps are dying off for some reason. 3 have died recently (just lying dead). I give them food and make sure there is a minimum of 2-3 cricks running around at all times. Most of the living ones appear to be fine, but this big one is unresponsive. He obviously backs off when you try to touch him, but his tail is straightened and he is slow. I noticed that there are mites in the tank. There are a bunch on each scorpion, little gray dots moving around individually. Are these bad mites or good mites (predatory ones)? If bad, how do I get rid of them?
Scorpions dying off?
- Thread starter Slon
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What kind of Scorpions do you have?
Emperors....
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first step: if you are housing them communally, house them individually.
I have never had a mite problem, but those sound like bad mites (if i recall, "good" mites are usually found on millipedes and are dark reddish in color). Sorry I dont have any advice on how to remove them, but a use the search function and you will find tons of threads on it.
Remove the mites, but first address the overall conditions. Do you have them under a heatlamp? If so you are likely baking them. Do they have access to water? They should. I would recommend isolating them. Misting them down really well and then keeping them at room temperature.
I have never had a mite problem, but those sound like bad mites (if i recall, "good" mites are usually found on millipedes and are dark reddish in color). Sorry I dont have any advice on how to remove them, but a use the search function and you will find tons of threads on it.
Remove the mites, but first address the overall conditions. Do you have them under a heatlamp? If so you are likely baking them. Do they have access to water? They should. I would recommend isolating them. Misting them down really well and then keeping them at room temperature.
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Mites in TKG
This is from the revised version of The Tarantula Keepers Guide. copyright 1998,2009 Published by Barrons. I would recommend this book to scorpion keepers as well since some of it obviously applies. Starting page. 222
"There are literally thousands of different kinds of mites"
"Mites of many different kinds are living right in our homes without our knowledge or consent. They also live on and in our pets, the vegetables that we eat, the grass and soil in our flower beds and yards, on the birds that visit the bird feeder in the backyard, and even on us. Any breeze can carry mites or mite eggs for several feet, miles, or across continents."
P.223
"Most of these mites are normal commensals with the crickets that we feed to our pets (West, 1995), and we reseed the tarantulas' cages every time we feed them. When conditions are correct in the tarantula's cage, the mites multiply uncontrollably. They can be suppressed, though seldom eliminated, with a thorough cage cleaning, stricter sanitation, and better husbandry practices."
"A common misconception by enthusiasts is that if the cage is kept clean, mites will have little or no food on which to live, and the tarantula keeper need never fear an infestation. This is blatantly wrong, and will only serve to lull the keeper into a sense of false security."
more to come in a sec..
This is from the revised version of The Tarantula Keepers Guide. copyright 1998,2009 Published by Barrons. I would recommend this book to scorpion keepers as well since some of it obviously applies. Starting page. 222
"There are literally thousands of different kinds of mites"
"Mites of many different kinds are living right in our homes without our knowledge or consent. They also live on and in our pets, the vegetables that we eat, the grass and soil in our flower beds and yards, on the birds that visit the bird feeder in the backyard, and even on us. Any breeze can carry mites or mite eggs for several feet, miles, or across continents."
P.223
"Most of these mites are normal commensals with the crickets that we feed to our pets (West, 1995), and we reseed the tarantulas' cages every time we feed them. When conditions are correct in the tarantula's cage, the mites multiply uncontrollably. They can be suppressed, though seldom eliminated, with a thorough cage cleaning, stricter sanitation, and better husbandry practices."
"A common misconception by enthusiasts is that if the cage is kept clean, mites will have little or no food on which to live, and the tarantula keeper need never fear an infestation. This is blatantly wrong, and will only serve to lull the keeper into a sense of false security."
more to come in a sec..
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Continued
Please see last post for book copyright, The Tarantula Keepers Guide, Barrons
p. 225
"Set up a small cage with only a layer of fresh substrate, escape-proof cover, and the water dish, nothing else. Move the tarantula into this secondary cage while cleaning the original cage. Do nothing to (block)(sic) ventilation or (block)(sic) the drying out of the substrate. Thoroughly clean the original cage with bleach water (following the instructions on page 181), then set it up with only a thin layer of substrate and a water dish (exactly as in the secondary cage, above). Don't forget to clean the cover, which will also likely be infested. Again, do nothing to (block)(sic) ventilation or (block)(sic) the drying of the substrate. After 2 days move ythe tarantula from the secondary cage back to the cleaned, original cage. Repeat this process as many times as neccessary to eliminate the mites."
"The working principle here is that the mites will move around somewhat every night, and that in their travels a large percentage of them will leave the tarantula and become lost in the substrate. When you remove the tarantula and clean the cage, you also remove and discard those mites. After a string of such changes the mite population in both cages and on the tarantula will eventually drop to nearly nothing. This should happen especially quickly because you are doing nothing to (block)(sic) ventilation or to increase the humidity in the tarantula's cage. The mites will desiccate and die in large numbers."
Good luck, and really, even scorpion owners should have a Tarantula Keepers Guide. For now, that's the best scorpion medicine book that most of us have available that doesn't require a down payment! Peace, Ryan
Please see last post for book copyright, The Tarantula Keepers Guide, Barrons
p. 225
"Set up a small cage with only a layer of fresh substrate, escape-proof cover, and the water dish, nothing else. Move the tarantula into this secondary cage while cleaning the original cage. Do nothing to (block)(sic) ventilation or (block)(sic) the drying out of the substrate. Thoroughly clean the original cage with bleach water (following the instructions on page 181), then set it up with only a thin layer of substrate and a water dish (exactly as in the secondary cage, above). Don't forget to clean the cover, which will also likely be infested. Again, do nothing to (block)(sic) ventilation or (block)(sic) the drying of the substrate. After 2 days move ythe tarantula from the secondary cage back to the cleaned, original cage. Repeat this process as many times as neccessary to eliminate the mites."
"The working principle here is that the mites will move around somewhat every night, and that in their travels a large percentage of them will leave the tarantula and become lost in the substrate. When you remove the tarantula and clean the cage, you also remove and discard those mites. After a string of such changes the mite population in both cages and on the tarantula will eventually drop to nearly nothing. This should happen especially quickly because you are doing nothing to (block)(sic) ventilation or to increase the humidity in the tarantula's cage. The mites will desiccate and die in large numbers."
Good luck, and really, even scorpion owners should have a Tarantula Keepers Guide. For now, that's the best scorpion medicine book that most of us have available that doesn't require a down payment! Peace, Ryan
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Predatory Mites
Another option would be predatory mites. Try any local ag offices/extensions for info. Ask around for Hypoaspis miles. This is from
http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/hypoaspis.html
Fungus Gnat Control and Thrips Control
Hypoaspis mites are shipped as adults, packed in a medium of
bran, vermiculite and peat for easy dispersal. If not released immediately,
keep them for 2-3 weeks maximum at 45-55 degrees F.
Hypoaspis miles
This tiny (0.5 mm) light-brown mite naturally inhabits the top 1/2" layer of soil where fungus gnats, as well as springtails and thrips pupae dwell. The female Hypoaspis mites lay their eggs in the soil, which hatch in 1-2 days, and the nymphs and adults feed on the soil-dwelling pests. Populations of Hypoaspis include both sexes, but the males are much smaller and rarely seen.
Each Hypoaspis mite will consume 1-5 prey or eggs per day. They survive by feeding on algae and/or plant debris when insects aren't available. Their entire life cycle is 7-11 days.
Hypoaspis are used primarily for control of fungus gnat larvae, but they also feed on western flower thrips pupae.
Hypoaspis can also be effective at ridding pet tarantulas, lizards and snakes of pest mites. Moisten area before introducing Hypoaspis. Introduce a few tablespoons of substrate with hypoaspis per habitat every day, as needed. Pest mites should dissappear within 48 hours. Continue introducing Hypoaspis until container is empty. Lighter dosages serve as a preventative, higher dosages as a curative.
Another option would be predatory mites. Try any local ag offices/extensions for info. Ask around for Hypoaspis miles. This is from
http://www.biconet.com/biocontrol/hypoaspis.html
Fungus Gnat Control and Thrips Control
Hypoaspis mites are shipped as adults, packed in a medium of
bran, vermiculite and peat for easy dispersal. If not released immediately,
keep them for 2-3 weeks maximum at 45-55 degrees F.
Hypoaspis miles
This tiny (0.5 mm) light-brown mite naturally inhabits the top 1/2" layer of soil where fungus gnats, as well as springtails and thrips pupae dwell. The female Hypoaspis mites lay their eggs in the soil, which hatch in 1-2 days, and the nymphs and adults feed on the soil-dwelling pests. Populations of Hypoaspis include both sexes, but the males are much smaller and rarely seen.
Each Hypoaspis mite will consume 1-5 prey or eggs per day. They survive by feeding on algae and/or plant debris when insects aren't available. Their entire life cycle is 7-11 days.
Hypoaspis are used primarily for control of fungus gnat larvae, but they also feed on western flower thrips pupae.
Hypoaspis can also be effective at ridding pet tarantulas, lizards and snakes of pest mites. Moisten area before introducing Hypoaspis. Introduce a few tablespoons of substrate with hypoaspis per habitat every day, as needed. Pest mites should dissappear within 48 hours. Continue introducing Hypoaspis until container is empty. Lighter dosages serve as a preventative, higher dosages as a curative.
They have a heating mat on the side. The temperature is probably a bit above 70 (temp in the house), but since they're not congregating around the mat, I doubt they are cold. They have a water bowl and are mister down. I also don't really have enough small cages and space to isolate them as there are many.
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go to walmart or a grocery and get some cheap Gladware containers like this:
it could just be that one is sick or something, but it will be easier to kill off the mites if they are isolated like that rather than all together.
how long have you had these?
But the mites are ON the scorpions. How could I possibly take them off?go to walmart or a grocery and get some cheap Gladware containers like this:
it could just be that one is sick or something, but it will be easier to kill off the mites if they are isolated like that rather than all together.
how long have you had these?
i know zoo med makes a "mite off" spray that is used on reptiles and such. .ive never really paid TOO much attention to it to see if it can be used on arachnids.... but check it out, Im pretty sure petco sells it or just go to a local pet store and see what they tell you.
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This is the Recommendation of TKG
I am not going to quote chapter after chapter, however, after rereading the parts about mites, for Tarantulas there seem to be two solutions, predatory mites and the method mention below. The only other ways they say may be worth a try is rubbing them under running room temp. water, or brushing with paintbrush. But these can only be done with really calm T's. I doubt many scorps would take well to body rub/shower. I could be wrong though, that is just a guess. I'm not trying it anyway. Oh, and the paintbrush thing, while helpful, will never even reach all the areas they have mites. Those containers he showed, the glad ones. Get them, follow the directions below. Someone else may have other ideas. But that would get your scorp out of the infested container. It's a start at very least. Good luck.
P.S. Those mites can feed off tiny particles of food. a cricket toe is a lot of food when you're that small. point is, they are not just on the T if they are there. They will be in the substrate, on the hide, in the water dish. Removing scorp will help. Peace, Ryan
I am not going to quote chapter after chapter, however, after rereading the parts about mites, for Tarantulas there seem to be two solutions, predatory mites and the method mention below. The only other ways they say may be worth a try is rubbing them under running room temp. water, or brushing with paintbrush. But these can only be done with really calm T's. I doubt many scorps would take well to body rub/shower. I could be wrong though, that is just a guess. I'm not trying it anyway. Oh, and the paintbrush thing, while helpful, will never even reach all the areas they have mites. Those containers he showed, the glad ones. Get them, follow the directions below. Someone else may have other ideas. But that would get your scorp out of the infested container. It's a start at very least. Good luck.
P.S. Those mites can feed off tiny particles of food. a cricket toe is a lot of food when you're that small. point is, they are not just on the T if they are there. They will be in the substrate, on the hide, in the water dish. Removing scorp will help. Peace, Ryan
Only prob is I have ~8 scorps.
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8 scorpions. No prob man
How big are your emps? Those glad containers he showed. Target here has them for 2.50 each. The eight pack would be good for emps under 2 inches for temporary medical treatment. The four packs (or 5??) are also 2.50. They would hold a six inch emp for Temporary treatment. Max investmet. 8.00.
(you are going to need a brick of coco from gardening store @ 2.50).
These containers are good to have around anyway. They seal great, and you can (depending on size) and you, put holes in them with a safety pin. No drill required. The 8 pack size's shape doesn't stack well. But the all other sizes do. Just make sure to add extra ventilation on the sides if you stack.
If your comment "I have 8" has more to do with the predatory mites, yeah, it would be expensive treatment. (I have seen for $25). But how much would they cost to replace? $90-$160 depending. Your choice.
You WOULD have extra predatory mites, you could culture them so you have a steady supply. You could even culture them to sell to us for say $20. hehe
Or you could find people in your area who would want them. Or you could let the extras die. Either way, any way, either or both of these options are better than waiting for the inevitable.
Good luck, Peace, Ryan
How big are your emps? Those glad containers he showed. Target here has them for 2.50 each. The eight pack would be good for emps under 2 inches for temporary medical treatment. The four packs (or 5??) are also 2.50. They would hold a six inch emp for Temporary treatment. Max investmet. 8.00.
(you are going to need a brick of coco from gardening store @ 2.50).
These containers are good to have around anyway. They seal great, and you can (depending on size) and you, put holes in them with a safety pin. No drill required. The 8 pack size's shape doesn't stack well. But the all other sizes do. Just make sure to add extra ventilation on the sides if you stack.
If your comment "I have 8" has more to do with the predatory mites, yeah, it would be expensive treatment. (I have seen for $25). But how much would they cost to replace? $90-$160 depending. Your choice.
You WOULD have extra predatory mites, you could culture them so you have a steady supply. You could even culture them to sell to us for say $20. hehe
Or you could find people in your area who would want them. Or you could let the extras die. Either way, any way, either or both of these options are better than waiting for the inevitable.
Good luck, Peace, Ryan