Tiny white insects in T's terrarium

[Arlo]

Hey everyone,

I just realized that both inside and outside of my tank, there are extremely tiny white insects running around. They are so small and so few that I have to look at the soil and glass for a while before finding one. I can't even take a photo of them. They kinda look like dandruff. I killed as many as I could, but I'm still a bit worried.

I read in some threads that they are probably mites, and that there is no need to worry about them. If anything, I should stop overflowing the water cap to let the soil dry a bit.
Some other people online suggest completely emptying the tank and starting over.

Shelob has been extremely active recently. She has been putting a lot of effort into digging her tunnels and I would hate it if I had to destroy them.

What do you suggest?

 

[octanejunkie]

Do they jump or spring about?
Is the substrate moist?

 

[Arlo]

Do they jump or spring about?
Is the substrate moist?

They are not jumping, just walking around. The substrate is a bit moist at the bottom and around the water cap, but dry at the top.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

Heres a vid I took a few weeks ago of my hisser babies, do they look like the white things running across the leaf in the foreground?
If yes, they are just springtails, harmless clean up crew.

 

[Arlo]

Heres a vid I took a few weeks ago of my hisser babies, do they look like the white things running across the leaf in the foreground?
If yes, they are just springtails, harmless clean up crew.

They are way slower and smaller, and there's not nearly as many

 

[x_raphael_xx]

Saying that...I assume mine are springtails!

 

[Arlo]

They are way slower and smaller, and there's not nearly as

 

[Arlo]

Saying that...I assume mine are springtails!

Saying that...I assume mine are springtails!

I managed to get a video! It's sooo tiny

 

[m0lsx]

Saying that...I assume mine are springtails!

Hissers are prone to getting tiny white mites on them. But these are really helpful little chaps, who keep the hissers clean & help prevent us from getting allergic reactions to the hissers.

 

[octanejunkie]

Hissers are prone to getting tiny white mites on them. But these are really helpful little chaps, who keep the hissers clean & help prevent us from getting allergic reactions to the hissers.

Like Oxpeckers on hippos

 

[Arlo]

Hey everyone,

I just realized that both inside and outside of my tank, there are extremely tiny white insects running around. They are so small and so few that I have to look at the soil and glass for a while before finding one. I can't even take a photo of them. They kinda look like dandruff. I killed as many as I could, but I'm still a bit worried.

I read in some threads that they are probably mites, and that there is no need to worry about them. If anything, I should stop overflowing the water cap to let the soil dry a bit.
Some other people online suggest completely emptying the tank and starting over.

Shelob has been extremely active recently. She has been putting a lot of effort into digging her tunnels and I would hate it if I had to destroy them.

What do you suggest?

 

[m0lsx]

Like Oxpeckers on hippos

Yes, except these are good for both us & the hissers, as it makes them less likely to give us any allergic reactions.

https://www.tarantulaforum.com/threads/mites-on-hissing-roaches.30092/

Tiny mites living on the surface of Madagascar hissing ****roaches help decrease the presence of a variety of molds on the ****roaches' bodies, potentially reducing allergic responses among humans who handle the popular insects, according to new research.

 

[octanejunkie]

Mites. Mostly harmless. If you let the enclosure dry out they will die off

 

[x_raphael_xx]

Hissers are prone to getting tiny white mites on them. But these are really helpful little chaps, who keep the hissers clean & help prevent us from getting allergic reactions to the hissers.

Yeah I read about the friendly mites, mine one just crawl around in the soil and on any food that's been left a little too long.
The only time I've seen these on a roach was when my big female died.
They are long, rather than round, so I assumed they are springtails. I have isopods in there too.

 

[x_raphael_xx]

Here's mine with the macro lens...