# Springtails and mites!!!



## hippoe775 (Aug 27, 2016)

So my 4 springtail cultures got infested with mites the other day! What's the best was to keep springtails and keep them from not getting infested with mites? 


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## Keni (Feb 1, 2017)

What are you feeding the springtails?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Keep them on mite paper. I did say mite paper, not paper that you have sprayed with mite spray. Mite paper lasts longer than paper that you spray yourself.
Swap it out every 3 months. I do believe NeHerp keeps mite paper in stock.
Do not stack your cultures, or allow them to touch each other, or the walls. Mites will climb out of a dirty culture to spread their nasty population around. It is up to YOU, where that mite ends up. Can he climb onto another culture, or the wall, and then to another culture, or can he ONLY climb down onto a field of miticide?

Foods often bring in mites. You don't want to think about it, but a lot of foods can have mites/eggs. Anything grain based is likely to be a source of mites. Veggies? The safest food, as far as mites are concerned, is live, active, baker's yeast. It's cheapest at Costco or online. In grocery stores you pay way too much, for tiny little envelopes.

Another way to spread mites is to touch your vivs, or anything in your vivs, and then go start to feed your frogs. You just contaminated your culture.
Out gardening in the back yard before you feed your frogs? You just contaminated your culture.
Been to local pet shop to pick up something to make your mite cultures today? Yes, I said mite cultures, because you contaminated these cultures before you even made them.
Where do you store your deli cups, lids, filters, and fruit fly media? Are they in a mite safe area, or are you contaminated weeks or months before ever starting your cultures?

There are lots of ways to contaminate your cultures, but there are also common sense precautions you can take.

A few more tips.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/66991-how-culture-isopods-woodlice-springtails.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/94348-3-micron-filters-why-how-where.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/fo...clean-your-mite-contaminated-springtails.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/79208-pumilo-dougs-bugs-my-new-closet.html


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## hippoe775 (Aug 27, 2016)

Keni said:


> What are you feeding the springtails?




Spring to life from Josh's frogs


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## hippoe775 (Aug 27, 2016)

Pumilo said:


> Keep them on mite paper. I did say mite paper, not paper that spray with mite spray. Mite paper lasts longer than paper that you spray yourself.
> 
> Swap it out every 3 months.
> 
> ...




Is there any way to get rid of them? 


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## hippoe775 (Aug 27, 2016)

Pumilo said:


> Keep them on mite paper. I did say mite paper, not paper that spray with mite spray. Mite paper lasts longer than paper that you spray yourself.
> 
> Swap it out every 3 months.
> 
> ...




Dang it!!! I think I did all that stuff in the list!!!


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## Entomologist210 (Apr 24, 2014)

Depending on the mites, and usually it's some Acarid mite of some sort, you're better off nuking your colonies and starting over rather than fighting the mites forever.


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## Bwhitie (Dec 11, 2014)

I have dealt with mites a few times in my springtail cultures. A couple of times I threw them out, but i was succesful a couple times in sticking them in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours. It killed off the mites but the springs survived after being pulled back out. May be worth a shot.


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