I've read about the type of mites that sit on top of the hissers, but I can see some tiny bugs (I assume mites) that just live in the substrate. I went pretty crazy cleaning to get rid of them and all it did was stress my colony. (fwiw, I have a small colony in a 10 gal tank so that's how I can see them). Do I need to worry about them? If you can imagine fruit flies without wings and 1/4 of the size (almost transparent grey, like pointed ovals), that's what they look like. They just crawl around the top of the substrate. I can see they have a few maturity stages, since they range quite a bit in size. I've noticed them flare up if the humidity is high or if the roaches don't like what I've fed them.
what are the hissing cockroach mites that crawl around the substrate?
- Thread starter Jaroaker
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Hisserdude
Arachnoking
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If they are in the shape of a pointed oval and are silvery in color then you probably have springtails, which are beneficial in a roach enclosure and help keep mold and mites away. 
If they are tiny, round and white, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence, then they are grain mites.
If they are tiny, round and white, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence, then they are grain mites.
BobBarley
Arachnoprince
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- Sep 16, 2015
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Also if you gently startle them and they jump, you know they are springtails. I have springtails in all of my moist invert enclosures, they're awesome.
Thanks! That looks like them. Makes sense they flare up with fruit and moisture then. I don't think they are grain mites, I think that's what I had in my cricket colony I trashed (I think you commented on that thread tooIf they are in the shape of a pointed oval and are silvery in color then you probably have springtails, which are beneficial in a roach enclosure and help keep mold and mites away.
If they are tiny, round and white, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence, then they are grain mites.
)I'll have to try that. My arms aren't quite long enough to do it easily. At first I thought they were crappy fruit flies so I must have seen them jumping lol.