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Help! I've got mites!

Kymura

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got @!#%* mites! NONE on any T's think they came with this stupid horrid banded crickets I got online. Saw them in the water dish when I was doing maintainance tonight.
What do I need for a good cleanup crew. I am not microwaving my substrate. Read to much saying it does more harm then good. So what bugs do I need for my bugs bug infestation?
It's not overly moist, and I never leave bolus and trash. (Other then two of them who hide their stuff)
 

MassExodus

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Springtails are known for out competing mites very quickly. I've never used them, but this is what I hear. I intend to get some, and some more P scaber, which are hardy isopods that breed well. Check those two out :) And don't panic ;) In the mean time, take all water and boli you can find out of the affected enclosures. You can reduce their numbers a bunch just by dessicating them.
 

Kymura

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I always clean all their leaving pretty quickly, I enjoy tending tthem and spend a few minutes minimum every night. ( Well..Not my P.cam, can't find anything in that mess of an enclosure. I think it may have teenageritis, never seen such a mess.)
Emptied and scrubbed all water dishes. Can't just remove them as one is my bigger avic. Held her for like ten minutes staring at her with a flashlight. Nothing on her or any other T's but I saw a couple on some enclosures. Been wanting a cleanup crew in them anyway. Guess no baboon for me now. New buggies for my currant bugs instead. :/
Thanks Mass ^*^
 

MassExodus

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Wait, Kymura how many have you seen? In one enclosure? If you only see a few, you don't have any issues. If you see a bunch crawling, that's different..anyway, clean up crews are the way to go I think. I'm fixing to buy a bunch. A whole bunch of scaber and springtails, both. Too many moisture lovers, and the hot humid days are fast approaching..
 

Kymura

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Wait, Kymura how many have you seen? In one enclosure? If you only see a few, you don't have any issues. If you see a bunch crawling, that's different..anyway, clean up crews are the way to go I think. I'm fixing to buy a bunch. A whole bunch of scaber and springtails, both. Too many moisture lovers, and the hot humid days are fast approaching..
A ton in my avics water dish! Little white jobbies, that's why I checked her so close. Nothing on her. I clean and check her water daily cuz, well... avic <3
Saw a bunch on my little LP's enclosure but none on it either. Four of my others just got rehoused but I checked them anyway, and they seem fine, saw a couple on a couple other enclosures.
Look :(
image.jpeg
 

MassExodus

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Don't sweat it too much. I control mine simply by drying out the enclosure. I don't like depriving my spiders of water, but the mites die very quickly in a dry enclosure. My moist sp seem to do okay dry for awhile as well, and I'm sure it's beneficial in some ways, to all of them. They ain't frogs, after all :p You just have to pay attention to their feeding habits during that period, make sure they eat. Which they will do when they're thirsty. It works out fine:) But the cleaning crews are a good idea, maybe I can cut the problem off before it starts this summer.
 

Thistles

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Not all mites are parasitic. Just do what Mass suggested and dry things out for a bit. They'll disappear pretty quickly. You can also freeze your enclosures (after removing the spiders!) or use a hair dryer to desiccate the mites faster. Good luck and have fun with your genocide!
 

Kymura

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Will do, I stressed my poor avic searching her and brushing over her with a pipe cleaner. She's so confused lol. Nothing on my spiders that I can see. Thanks guys for all the help.



-a folded pipe cleaner guys so no sharp wires near my babies-
 

MassExodus

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Something I failed to mention, Kymura, those you have in your bowl are most likely harmless. Those are the same ones I get, and the same ones that are so easy to get rid of. I've never seen them crawling on a T. I keep meaning to get my scope and try to ID them, its just one of those things I never seem to get to..I'll remember to try, and post pics, next time I get them..and I will..
 

MassExodus

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You could always get four different types of feeder colonies, like me..I have a roach for every occasion. Tiny slings/scorplings: Lateralis nymphs. Growing slings, dubia nymphs. Large slings: Surinam roaches and dubia nymphs. Juvies:dubia, lats, Surinam adults: Adult dubia, mostly male, and the smaller stray cats in my area. :p Eezy peezy to grow all the prey you need, and you control their environment...crickets are for Floridians..lol.
 

Kymura

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You could always get four different types of feeder colonies, like me..I have a roach for every occasion. Tiny slings/scorplings: Lateralis nymphs. Growing slings, dubia nymphs. Large slings: Surinam roaches and dubia nymphs. Juvies:dubia, lats, Surinam adults: Adult dubia, mostly male, and the smaller stray cats in my area. :p Eezy peezy to grow all the prey you need, and you control their environment...crickets are for Floridians..lol.

Yeah, if they would actually eat the damn things. There's still a roach co-habitating with Yeti, she slaps it, it scurries back to the bark. Dropped it a piece of dog food to nibble on, things been in there forever. Manages to disappear when I try to catch it though.
 

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