# Mites: I hate'm



## MantidLord (Aug 26, 2010)

Hello, I'm gonna get straight to the point. I have a large enclosure with real plants, soil, springtails, isopods, etc. Today, I found a small "colony" of mites in the enclosure. I'm thinking of buying predatory mites, as I can't afford to take everything out and clean the enclosure. They don't seem to be parasitic, because they're hording around bits of fruit, but I know they can expand. Any ideas? And anyone ever use predatory mites? GOSH I HATE THEM! :excl: :gun_bandana: :angry:


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## Ghostie (Aug 26, 2010)

Diatomaceaous earth?


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## LauraMG (Aug 26, 2010)

That sucks man! I have no experience with mites


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## MantidLord (Aug 26, 2010)

Ghostie said:


> Diatomaceaous earth?


I could, but then I'd mite as well kill off everything else in there. That stuff is able to kill off cockroaches, I'm sure it will kill mantids. And by the way, If I were to guess, I'd say there are about 50 in there that I can see. They haven't spread...yet. I wish crickets ate'm. They eat everything else. &lt;_&lt;


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 26, 2010)

yeah I no fake sucks but you can disinfect it when the time comes.lol


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## MantidLord (Aug 26, 2010)

I'm about to move the fruit thats infected into a container of scorching hot water. This wont get rid of all of them, but it will take out the majority.


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## Ghostie (Aug 26, 2010)

I got mites in my ghost enclosure. Tossed it.

I don't know why I don't see them in my frog enclosure since I used the same stuff.

I left the mites in the ghost enclosure with the ghosts for a while and no problems. The mites ate any flies that fell to the floor from the ghost mantis. I just didn't like seeing them in there. Had to waste $8 worth of live moss and a bunch of good eco earth and fish rocks.

I didn't get any mold, just mites. Threw it out.. kinda sucked but I don't want to see mites in my room. I sleep in here. haha


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## MantidLord (Aug 26, 2010)

Actually, I did the same thing with a springtail culture that was taken over by mites last week. Springtails were still in there. But I decided to drown the container and toss it. I had four springtail cultures, the other three didn't appear to have any mites, but I guess one of them did. I'm betting that's where the mites came from because the same area I dumped a springtail culture, the same area the mites are.

I just took the fruit out and as expected there were a ton of mites hiding beneath. So I scooped the soil up and put them in the water as well. Now there are considerably less but the site of them just makes me angry. I'm thinking about taking all of the soil from that area out, you know I probably will. No way I'm letting them ruin my enclosure.


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## carlcattau (Aug 26, 2010)

A nice little trick to keep your fruit fly cultures free of mites is to get some of the reptile mite spray from Petco or any other pet supply. Go outside and spray this onto paper towels. *Let the towels dry*. Once dry lay out the paper towels on a shelf or in a drawer-where ever you keep your cultures. Then place the cultures on top of the towels. This will work for wax worms, meal worms, really any of our feeder insects.

If your cultures are already infested this will keep the mites from spreading to new cultures.

Carl


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## hibiscusmile (Aug 26, 2010)

lots of good advice here, and lots that won't work, mites are just there to pester an worry us, did it work? B)


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## MantidLord (Aug 27, 2010)

hibiscusmile said:


> lots of good advice here, and lots that won't work, mites are just there to pester an worry us, did it work? B)


Well, there's certainly less mites in the container. I know I didn't get them all, but there's only a handful left. Only time will tell if or when they'll repopulate and if they'll expand farther. I'm hoping that the combined isopods and springtails will compete with the few mites that are left. I honestly don't mind a few mites in the container, makes it kind of "realistic", but a whole army is just disgusting and bothersome. Just they're bulb like bodies wobbling around makes the skin crawl. So far though (hope not to jinx it, my fruit flies haven't become infested. And I bought the fruitflies from the same place as the springtails. Another good thing is that the mites don't seem to be parasitic. Which is another reason why I'm not bothered by a few of them.


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## MantidLord (Aug 27, 2010)

Well good news. Or rather the best news possible in this situation. I just witnessed a chinese nymph capture and eat one of the mites with no immediate ill affects. This prompted me to do a quick google search on "white, bulbous mites". It turned up "bulb mites". The pictures match what I've been seeing, along with the descriptions. Apparently, they feed on the bulbs of plants and other organic material in the absence of plants (hence why they were on the fruit and an almond I placed in a springtail culture a while back, don't ask why).

So the good news is, they only eat organic material (bad for the plants, but it is what it is). The great news is, they're edible to the mantids, which means they're probably edible for the crickets as well.  All of this is assuming their population rebounds.


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## Rick (Aug 27, 2010)

I see some mites in my indoor box turtle enclosure. No matter how clean it is they're always there. I think if you try to have something somewhat natural you will have mites regardless. DOesn't bother me unless they are in my ff cultures. Only had that happen once.


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## Seattle79 (Aug 27, 2010)

You can try "Bug Kill" Insecticidal Shelf and Drawer Paper. Place the paper under your FF cultures and Mantis enclosures and no mites can infest the enclosures. Remember to wash your hands after touching the paper! You don't want to hold your Mantis after dealing with the mite paper, bad news for your Mantis   . The paper works on direct contact to kill, it is not airborne, so no poisonous air for your Mantis to breath. 

Here's a link to view mite paper: http://www.buyfruitf...p_antimite.html

-Kevin


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## MantidLord (Aug 27, 2010)

Rick said:


> I see some mites in my indoor box turtle enclosure. No matter how clean it is they're always there. I think if you try to have something somewhat natural you will have mites regardless. DOesn't bother me unless they are in my ff cultures. Only had that happen once.


I'm starting to feel the same way Rick. But the mites in your box turtle enclosure aren't parasitic are they? :huh: I am going for a natural environment type theme, so the mites add a "nice" touch.

Seattle79: Thanks for the info, but I'm fairly sure how the mites got into the container. I keep the ffs in a different room. And the other mantids, even if the mites got into their container, there's nothing they could feed on, pretty jar in the I. oratoria containers.


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## Entomo-logic (Aug 27, 2010)

When you are using natural substrates you can prevent mite infestations by autoclaving, baking, or microwaving the substrate. Bake at 450 Degrees Ferenheit for 5-10 minutes in a baking pan, microwave for 5-10 minutes on high in a microwave safe container, or if you have access just autoclave the soil and that will get those pesky mites. Also keep fruits, leftover prey, and other food sources off of the substrate directly. I use slabs of wood, rocks, or water bowls to place fruits in. Hopefully these tips work for you. And DOWN WITH THE ACARI!!


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## MantidLord (Aug 27, 2010)

Thanks, that's actually some great advice that I should have thought of before.


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## sjb123 (Sep 21, 2010)

hi does anyone know i found some mites that had come out of a container on dead flies and then started eating some banana are they fine or parasitic would they harm my mantids even my geckos maybe??


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## Peter Clausen (Sep 22, 2010)

They aren't parasitic if they're mites coming off flies. Probably just a phoresy. In terrium setups, isopods keep things clean and the mantises don't bother them.


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