MITES!!!

[Bekki]

So I have had an issue with mites, I recently changed all my substrate and nuked the new substrate aswell as cork bark in the microwave. 2 days later .... mites again floating on the water I cant even cope ! I have an injured tarantula (long story please dont judge as it was a complete accident) and they are all around her mouth . What shall I do ?! I cant change all the substrate again as it will stress the Ts out too much and it cost a bomb doing it the first time.

Do I just leave them ? They arnt on the healthy tarantulas that I can see, they just float on the water and I've seen a couple on the sides of the tanks. I use anti mites spray on the shelves, I wipe them down with it on a cloth. What am I doing wrong !

 

[Konstantin]

Hi
I will be very careful with those sprays as they can do more harm than good to the tarantulas you have.
Mites are moisture dependent try to dry out the enclosures you have with not moisture dependent species of tarantulas.In the rest add spring tails they should outcompete the mites for food.Up your cleaning routine as far as food remains and boluses.
Most mites are not harmful anyway.
I had grain mites explosion in my feeder tubs but with upped husbandry they are under control but still present . Im not that bothered about it anymore
Try posting a close pic of the water bowl or the mites themselves someone may be able to unidentify what sp they are.
Regards Konstantin

 

[Konstantin]

Also the mites are often eating food remains rather than munching on your pet when they near the mouth parts.
Do you have any wild caught tarantulas in your collection?

 

[Bekki]

Hi
I will be very careful with those sprays as they can do more harm than good to the tarantulas you have.
Mites are moisture dependent try to dry out the enclosures you have with not moisture dependent species of tarantulas.In the rest add spring tails they should outcompete the mites for food.Up your cleaning routine as far as food remains and boluses.
Most mites are not harmful anyway.
I had grain mites explosion in my feeder tubs but with upped husbandry they are under control but still present . Im not that bothered about it anymore
Try posting a close pic of the water bowl or the mites themselves someone may be able to unidentify what sp they are.
Regards Konstantin

Thanks for your reply . I do try and keep most of my enclosures dry apart from the moisture dependant T's. I have thought about adding springtails but my collection is in the house, wont the springtails escape the enclosures ? As for a picture of the mites , if you look closely at the picture I uploaded you can see white dots on the tarantulas fangs just below the eyes, these are the mites. The enclosure was fully cleaned yesterday. The mites appeared today on the tarantula and in the dish. I have no wild caught tarantulas that I know of in my collection.
Thanks
Bekki

 

[Konstantin]

Hi
Some of the springtails will probably escape but they need moisture so when they do they just die off
once out.Most will stay in if they have moisture available tho.
Regards Konstantin

 

[Konstantin]

If you dont have any wild caught Ts is safe to say your mites are not of the harmful species as they are uncommon in captive bred tarantulas
Regards Konstantin

 

[ilovebrachys]

If I were you I would put the tarantula with the mites in a container with nothing but paper towel and a water dish and a small chunk of steak as whilst you have Ts in enclosure with substrate you will not be able to get rid of the mites - I know @Arachnoclown has recommended placing a small chunk of steak in with Ts before that have had mites before as they are attracted to it although I'm not sure if this would work for the kind of mites you have-- hopefully he will see this post and offer his advice
Please don't use any kind of mite spray-- you will kill your tarantulas using anything like that around them..
I'm guessing from the way you wrote your initial post that you perhaps dropped the spider whilst handling? I only ask as you seem so defensuve about being judged on whatever has happened to your T?

 

[ilovebrachys]

Do you own any other pets for example reptiles?