# MITES!!!!!!!!



## MantisGirl13 (Nov 18, 2018)

I just discovered little white mites crawling all over my fruit fly cultures! Will I be able to salvage a few flies to make new cultures? Will they infest my mantids? Will they do any harm to my mantids or roaches? I think they are grain mites. How do I get rid of them all?!?!?!

Please help!

- MantisGirl13


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## Krissim Klaw (Nov 18, 2018)

I got mites once in a culture I picked up from a petstore. Rather than tap the flies out when I was ready to make a new one I let them climb out and jump out on their own. I had a separate large cup I let them jump into first. Then I tapped that a bunch so they and everything with them would fall to the bottom of the cup. I then once again let them  climb up and jump out on their own this time into the new culture. I didn't notice any mites after that, but for the next couple of cultures I made sure to start a new one as soon as the culture started produce while using the above method. Naturally you will also want to completely clean your culture area and house any potential infested cups in a separate spot. Some people like to get mite paper to place under their cups, but I never saw the need. Grain mites are harmless to mantises. They are more annoying than anything else. For fruit flies they can outsource the flies causing the culture to produce less flies and collapse sooner.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 18, 2018)

Krissim Klaw said:


> I got mites once in a culture I picked up from a petstore. Rather than tap the flies out when I was ready to make a new one I let them climb out and jump out on their own. I had a separate large cup I let them jump into first. Then I tapped that a bunch so they and everything with them would fall to the bottom of the cup. I then once again let them  climb up and jump out on their own this time into the new culture. I didn't notice any mites after that, but for the next couple of cultures I made sure to start a new one as soon as the culture started produce while using the above method. Naturally you will also want to completely clean your culture area and house any potential infested cups in a separate spot. Some people like to get mite paper to place under their cups, but I never saw the need. Grain mites are harmless to mantises. They are more annoying than anything else. For fruit flies they can outsource the flies causing the culture to produce less flies and collapse sooner.


Thanks so much! I will try your method of transferring the flies. It is a good idea! 

- MantisGirl13


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## Synapze (Nov 18, 2018)

I keep my cultures in a plastic storage container and put about 1/2 inch of diatomaceous earth (cheap) in the bottom. The mites can't get to your cultures or move from one culture to another across the DE. When mites got into my meal worm farm it was a major pain cleaning and disinfecting the entire area... they were everywhere! I ended up chucking the worm farm and haven't established another since. I swear by the stuff. I've seen too many skin crawling mite infestation videos on YouTube to take any chances.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 18, 2018)

Synapze said:


> I keep my cultures in a plastic storage container and put about 1/2 inch of diatomaceous earth (cheap) in the bottom. The mites can't get to your cultures or move from one culture to another across the DE. When mites got into my meal worm farm it was a major pain cleaning and disinfecting the entire area... they were everywhere! I ended up chucking the worm farm and haven't established another since. I swear by the stuff. I've seen too many skin crawling mite infestation videos on YouTube to take any chances.


Where do you get the diatomaceous earth? 

- MantisGirl13


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## Synapze (Nov 18, 2018)

You can get a bag at most supermarkets or home improvement stores. A small bag is about $10. Keep the powder away from your mantids. I've read that DE can be harmful to them, but I don't know if that info is accurate... better safe than sorry.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 19, 2018)

Ok, thanks so much, @Synapze!

- MantisGirl13


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## ausar318 (Nov 19, 2018)

I was doing some research into this, and there’s a product called *Provent-a-Mite *that apparently gets rid of mites, but is safe for reptiles. Means it’s probably also safe for mantids/flies, but I’m not sure. It’s always a risk to have insects with chemicals.


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 19, 2018)

ausar318 said:


> I was doing some research into this, and there’s a product called *Provent-a-Mite *that apparently gets rid of mites, but is safe for reptiles. Means it’s probably also safe for mantids/flies, but I’m not sure. It’s always a risk to have insects with chemicals.


Ok, thanks! I will definitely look into it. 

- MantisGirl13


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## Graceface (Nov 19, 2018)

Diatomaceous earth is essentially silica powder. It has a sharp structure naturally and causes microscopic slices in the exoskeleton of insects and causes them to dehydrate and die. It would be a good mite preventive, but I would keep it away from mantises, as it would have the same effect on them as the mites. It is perfectly safe for humans and animals, though. You may find it dries out your hands if you touch it, and can irritate lungs if inhaled and you are sensitive


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## MantisGirl13 (Nov 19, 2018)

That is interesting! I will probably stay away from it though because my dad is SUPER sensitive to new things in the air and he also loves to see my mantids and setups, so I don't think it is a great idea. 

- MantisGirl13


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## Mantis Lady (Nov 20, 2018)

I have no advise, but I hope you can get rid of the mites.


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