# Mites! Help!



## fatalmantis (Mar 6, 2022)

So I had a few of my male L3 orchid mantids randomly die recently and I couldnt find the cause until I saw this guy in the picture. He was weak and his body just looked dull until I took a magnifying glass to it. To my horror this poor guy is infested with some kind of parasitic mite. After looking at my other nymphs I found five more with 1-3 mites and the others seemed clean. I gave them all clean containers, separated the ones with mites to a completely different room and threw out all the old containers, substrate, and decorations. 

I have no clue where these guys came from and no idea how to get rid of them. I'm in desperate need of suggestions.


----------



## agent A (Mar 6, 2022)

spray the ever-loving [email protected] out of surfaces with vinegar! this is usually sufficient to eliminate mites
also, mites love moisture. you do not want the mantis containers to be perpetually wet; instead, allow them to dry between mistings. Here, that means about 24h, but every week I skip a day of waterings for everyone except my i1 nymphs who have a harder time staying properly hydrated


----------

