# Ghost Mantis Mites



## ghostpkmn (Oct 23, 2021)

My ghost mantis has mites, presumably from her flies. I’ve tried removing them with a wet q-tip but it’s quite difficult to get them off and she is not a big fan of the whole process. Does anyone have any tips for keeping mites at bay? I clean my fly containers in between batches of flies but it doesn’t seem to be doing much. Is it the wood shaving that generally come with the maggots? Should I be removing it? If anyone can help please let me know!


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## Mystymantis (Oct 25, 2021)

I find grain mites a very annoying battle as well. They never seem to go away completely and pop up out of no where! One way is to put the fly containers on anti mite paper. Just be sure not to get the anti mite paper, which is poison, into contact with the flies or mantises.

The best way is to clean out the fly colonies every few weeks which should keep them at bay. If you have mites inside your mantis cages then it is most likely in the wood somehow. So I would remove it?


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## hibiscusmile (Nov 1, 2021)

Yeah you really do not need substrate, they are fine without it. I use the mite paper too and never have a problem with them now.

it would not hurt to give her a little tub of warm water to move around into see if they float off. Dont make her stay in as they breath thru their bodies. But  remove all things in her house and clean it and the items god before putting her back in and repeat the process within one week until you see they are gone.


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