# Mites in isopod enclosure



## Synapze (Apr 26, 2021)

::sigh::

I know I'm probably not going to like the answers, but here goes. 

I just started getting into isopods and created a nice large display enclosure. Fancier than the standard tubs most used. Everything has been going great and the isopods have been breeding like crazy. I decided to add another species and just separate as needed. Unfortunately, the second culture I added was mite infested. I had read that when adding a culture to an existing culture that it was best to add the substrate that the new specimens arrived in. After I dumped the new specimens in the enclosure, I noticed that the substrate they were in was heavily infested with what appeared to be grain mites! I immediately scooped out the new substrate (it was a relatively small amount) and sorted out the new  specimens and kept them isolated for a few days before reintroducing them. Apparently this didn't work and now I'm seeing mites crawling on the glass... probably a dozen or so per square inch. I've been cleaning them off with alcohol as I see them, but I've begun seeing them on the exterior of the enclosure. 

Sooo... any advice before I dump the entire freaking enclosure out and start from scratch? I really hate the thought - it's going to be a big job, but I hate mites even more. They creep me out.


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 26, 2021)

You can put the whole culture in a container ( dont know how big it is) with a solution of bleach and dish soap. any that escape will die off, and I think they will naturally become less and less. I know just how you feel. I thought I had a bad case of them years ago and had an exterminator come in to spray the whole house. Hate those things.


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## MrGhostMantis (Apr 27, 2021)

Remove the isopods and completely dry out the enclosure. Check all isopods for mites before adding to a new enclosure. Once you have them they are nearly impossible to get rid of. They won’t do anything to the isopods but they can be irritating in large quantities toy what isopods.


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## BensBeasts (Apr 28, 2021)

Yeah they don’t really affect the isopods, I would rather have them than the parasitic ones.


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## Synapze (Apr 28, 2021)

@hibiscusmile I used the old "Crisco barrier" trick to keep any more from escaping and cleaned the exterior very well. It will buy me some time. 

@MrGhostMantis I'm going to attempt to dry out the substrate in the enclosure and bring down their numbers... hopefully I'll be able to break their reproductive cycle. There are far too many to inspect each isopod as their are hundreds of dairy cows already. I'll follow your advice for my zebras and oranges though since they are fewer in numbers. I have a couple of bins to rehouse them. I have a separate batch of dairy cows in and uncontaminated enclosure. The infested batch will probably be disposed of if I can't bring the mites under control. 

@BensBeasts That's for sure! I learned way too much about predatory mites while researching.  I'll be setting up some herp enclosures soon so I definitely hope I'll never have that problem.

Thanks for all the advice folks!


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