There is a highly controversial theory ant keepers have had with dealing with mites. Lemon Therapy. Essentially putting slices of lemons to deal with mites. Now, don't ask me how this works. I have no clue. Also, freezing stuff can effectively kill them, but some mite species can withstand temperatures below freezing. Extreme heat like baking or boiling also works with sterilizing substrate and whatnot. And then there's cleaning everything with alcohol and bleach.
MITES!
- Thread starter Ellithain
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MantisGirl13
Well-known member
That is very interesting! Hopefully we never have to try out the lemon theory!
- MantisGirl13
Actually I did put two cut up halves of a lemon in with my dubias after I cleaned everything with bleach 3-4 times. I’m an avid watcher of antscanada and knew that he had used it to some success with his ant colony. Honestly, I don’t know if it did much but my dubias seemed to like the lemons and I haven’t seen any grain mites since this outbreak. I now freeze their food bag though and I suspect this is the real reason the mites didn’t return.
MantisGirl13
Well-known member
I didn't know that dubias would eat lemos! I am glad you haven't seen any more mites!
- MantisGirl13
MantisGirl13
Well-known member
Ok, so now I have mites in my fruit fly cultures! I am so not ready for this!
- MantisGirl13
- MantisGirl13
hysteresis
Well-known member
@MantisGirl13 knowing what you do with mantids successfully and all that at just 13, ...
YOU GOT THIS! ✌✌✌✌
YOU GOT THIS! ✌✌✌✌
My fruit fly culture was also infested. They all ended up dying off in a week and I had to throw them.. sorry I wish I had a better answer for how to keep them alive and get rid of the mites. 
I wish you luck!
I wish you luck!
MantisGirl13
Well-known member
Thank you! First thing tomorrow I plan to attack my closet and disinfect every mantis and dubia cage that I own. Thanks for your support!
- MantisGirl13
- MantisGirl13
