# Mites on head?



## Ninja_The_Mantis (Mar 8, 2014)

Hi Everyone  

Me and my mum have been taking some very closeup pictures of my mantis Ninja. We have noticed some small mites or ticks on her head. I don't know what these are, or what they are doing there.





On the side of her head, there is a small mite.




We have wondered if they have come from her food. Can that happen?

She has eaten, some fruit flies, crickets, locusts and one mosquito (It was in my room, and I didn't want to kill it, so I let Ninja do the job.) .

She has also molted on Thursday, and we haven't checked if the mites are still there.

If anyone has experienced any of this, please contact me!

Thanks  

Ninja_The_Mantis


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## Shadow (Mar 8, 2014)

Maybe the fruit flies they could've had a mite infection


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## Ninja_The_Mantis (Mar 8, 2014)

I have checked the box, and there is no mites. I used the flies to feed my other mantis, Emerald, and she has no sign of the mites. Hopefully they have gone now, because she has molted. I will check because we are going to do a photo shoot tomorrow!


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## Sticky (Mar 8, 2014)

You might try getting them off with a very small fine paintbrush. I saw one on a baby tarantula. It ran around very fast but I flicked it off of her.

I use a watercolor brush I always have handy.


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 9, 2014)

awful, just awful!


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## Sticky (Mar 10, 2014)

How is the situation now?


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 10, 2014)

:taz:itchy!


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## Rick (Mar 10, 2014)

How do you know they are mites and not a part of the mantis?


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## Shadow (Mar 10, 2014)

The big orange part looks like 1 of the 3 smaller eyes


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## Sticky (Mar 10, 2014)

The orange thing is too low on her face to be an eye. Does it move around?


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## Ninja_The_Mantis (Mar 10, 2014)

I have found a picture of the mites before she molted.




There is two on her head, one on the lower-right bit of her 'jaw' and the other on the middle of her head. Here is a zoomed in version:


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## sally (Mar 10, 2014)

Those are huge... I have to look up mites cause I never saw them like that before.


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## Ninja_The_Mantis (Mar 10, 2014)

They are not that big... I can only see them using a very high powered macro lens! And the mantids head is only about 4mm across!


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## Gill (Mar 10, 2014)

Those are good mite pictures, there is an article about mites on mantids on Page 16 http://www.ukmantisforums.co.uk/newsletters/NLIssue%2011.pdf


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## Sticky (Mar 10, 2014)

Yes, excellant pics. Any luck getting rid of them? If not, maybe she can dodge them after molting.


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## Rick (Mar 10, 2014)

Ok yeah those are good pics. It is natural for insects to have parasites so it is up to you if you want to try and remove them. I doubt they will do any harm.


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## sally (Mar 10, 2014)

Gill said:


> Those are good mite pictures, there is an article about mites on mantids on Page 16 http://www.ukmantisforums.co.uk/newsletters/NLIssue%2011.pdf


This was very helpful!


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 10, 2014)

Good Lord, I can see them! take them off of her!!! :gun_bandana: hold on gotta scratch me head.....


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## Ninja_The_Mantis (Mar 11, 2014)

Gill said:


> Those are good mite pictures, there is an article about mites on mantids on Page 16 http://www.ukmantisforums.co.uk/newsletters/NLIssue%2011.pdf


Thanks!! This has helped. Hopefully, she wont get any more because they are now eating crickets. Hopefully they have gone now, and i cant see them on her, so i guess she is ok. Thanks everyone for all your help and suggestions  

I will continue to keep a lookout for them, and hopefully they wont come back!!

On the photo-shoot we didn't do Ninja, but we did take some pictures of my new Miomantis.




She is very calm, and sweet. Anyone have any good ideas for names? I cant think of any!


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## Gill (Mar 11, 2014)

I can see a mite on your new Mio, left hand side near the labrum


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## Ninja_The_Mantis (Mar 11, 2014)

Yes... Sadly she came with a mite. But hey! Buy one, get one free!

Fingers crossed, it will go when she molts.


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## Shadow (Mar 11, 2014)

THE MITES ARE COMINING BACK HElP!!!!!


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## Ninja_The_Mantis (Mar 12, 2014)

Haha!!!

THEY'RE TAKING OVER THE WORLD!!!!!!!!


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 12, 2014)

:boat: too late.... run anyways!


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## PookaDotted (Mar 12, 2014)

Yep I see it too when you zoom in


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## Shadow (Mar 12, 2014)

Burn it with fire or do what sticky said -.-


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## sinder151 (Mar 13, 2014)

can mantises get this from Cookroaches or only flies?

And i found something to get rid of the mites on google, i havent wroten this (Copy and pasted)

Cure
Cures are largely extensions of the methods mentioned above for prevention. Users have documented
applying vinegar, lemon juice, ethanol, Milton’s sterilising fluid and baby powder directly to mantids to
kill the mites, however, whether these methods are safe for the mantis is dubious. Many users have
documented physically removing mites with toothpicks, cotton buds or similar items, or a combination
of physical removal and application of one of the aforementioned fluids. Again, these procedures are
stressful at best.


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 13, 2014)

I know if kept a little cool and in a clean home a few times a week while sitting the container on mite paper they will eventually go away as no where to go and no grain to live on, also they can get mites just from them floating on air.


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