# Alternative to anti-mite paper



## Marconis

I went to four hardware stores (including HomeDepot) and they never even heard of the stuff. Is there any alternative? I am gonna order some, but in the meantime I would like to spruce something up.

*This is all because I am going to finally start making my own cultures...yes I know I should have had them protected to begin with but I was unaware until recently. Have yet to see any mites in my bought cultures*


----------



## RentaPig311

I just use a good old paper towel sprayed with anti-mite spray. you can get the spray at most any petstore in the bird section.


----------



## crentania

I've only ever found mite paper online. I use the mite spray and a paper towel in the large plastic drawer bin thingys. Make sure the cultures aren't touching and voila. No more mites.


----------



## Marconis

Well I have no mites, but just want to take precaution. Went out and bought might spray, thanks!


----------



## frogfreak

You can just store your culture's in a container/shallow pan with a 1/4" of water with a drop of dishsoap. Much like a FF traps. Mite's can't swim. 

Done


----------



## Marconis

I bought Reptile Spray that you spray directly onto reptiles. Is this still good enough to put on a paper towel? It seems it drys up quickly, so how often should I spray?


----------



## Marconis

Anyone?


----------



## crentania

I only spray it on about once a month. I think I buy the reptile version, if not I buy the bird version. In any case, I spray about once a month, and it keeps working the entire time. If you're paranoid, you could probably do fine with every other week.


----------



## Marconis

Lol ok thanks


----------



## jcgso

I bought some mite spray for birds at PetSmart for $5.00. Has anyone tried it? I'm going to soak the bottom of a large cardboard tray with it, let it dry and put the cultures in it.


----------



## earthfrog

My alternative to pyrethrin-based sprays (which I don't want in any amount in my frog's nervous system) is just to make fresh cultures promptly, feed from the newest culture first, CLOSE LIDS completely, discard cultures when they stop producing and keep new cultures separate from older ones---on different shelves. 

In two years of culturing on the same starter flies, I have no issues and no need for man-made chemicals.


----------



## jcgso

I thought pyrethrin was natural, from plants. Is it harmful to the frogs?


----------



## earthfrog

jcgso said:


> I thought pyrethrin was natural, from plants. Is it harmful to the frogs?


Pyrethrin is natural, but it is a neurotoxin. It works by disrupting the nervous system on insects, causing paralysis and death. Not something I'd even want near my frog cultures.


----------



## edwardsatc

Another option is a 10% benzyl benzoate solution (in ethanol or isopropyl). Has worked for me for over ten years.


----------



## Villosa

Does it help to spray anti-mite spray in a garage onto a paper towel and then put the cultures onto it? I use mson jars and I don't really need to touch the paper towel when feeding.


----------



## earthfrog

Villosa said:


> Does it help to spray anti-mite spray in a garage onto a paper towel and then put the cultures onto it? I use mson jars and I don't really need to touch the paper towel when feeding.


If you can guarantee that the spray will not get into the containers, I don't see an issue with it---the issue I would be concerned with is getting some fingers around the part that has the spray and touching the feeding cup or other supplies. I would prefer to just use natural methods as described above, or things that are less irritating/hazardous.


----------



## Villosa

Being such a paranoid person I always wash my hands after doing anything really...

I washed them after placing the paper towels onto the rack and then placed the jars on top. I would think that is fairly safe? Once it's dry is it safe to touch?

The paranoia is getting to me!


----------



## earthfrog

Villosa said:


> Being such a paranoid person I always wash my hands after doing anything really...
> 
> I washed them after placing the paper towels onto the rack and then placed the jars on top. I would think that is fairly safe? Once it's dry is it safe to touch?
> 
> The paranoia is getting to me!


No, it stays toxic after it dries. It can be transferred onto the skin as well---my kids got bad rashes that stayed for a week after just brushing up against it after I'd sprayed a solution onto the brick outside my house, and that had been applied weeks beforehand.
The concentration in the mite spray is pretty low, but not low enough to rule out causing harm over the long term, especially if used often. You're introducing something into an animal's system that is not going to help it, so it's not good. It is an insecticide, after all.

It sounds like you'd be better off trying the natural methods I described above. I don't have mite issues unless the culture is dead/moldy after 1 1/2 months. 
You wouldn't want to have paranoia and stress preventing you from enjoying your frogs. Do what is good for you.


----------



## Villosa

Sounds like a plan earthfrog. This is actually my first time using the stuff and I think I'll back off from it and go back to my usual method, which is really just your method. I didn't really like having to avoid touching the paper towels everytime anyway. Thanks!


----------



## ZeeMan

frogfreak said:


> You can just store your culture's in a container/shallow pan with a 1/4" of water with a drop of dishsoap. Much like a FF traps. Mite's can't swim.
> 
> Done


Not to doubt what you have said... 
I would love to use this method as doesn't introduce chemicals that might be harmful to the frogs.

So any mites in the water will drown? or float in the center due to surface tension? will they float around and get onto cultures when I move the cultures which might cause "waves".

I am kinda excited about this method.

Thanks
Zee


----------



## timmonsjr

The water method isn't foolproof. Mites can float and get back in the cups. The crawl up the cup and hide under the lid and wait for you to open. 

If you reuse cups, clean them thoroughly with hot water and soap. Some even use clorox to wipe them down. I haven't tried that. I apparently left a culture too long or something and now have mites. Thoroughly cloroxing my fly cabinet, getting some mite paper to use for a bit (on Amazon) and starting with new flies DARN!


----------



## goof901

The dish soap supposedly breaks up the surface tension, so the mites will just sink to the bottom. The only problem I have with the water at the bottom is that during the winter, the water gets down to around 60 degrees, which is a little too cold for FFs...


----------



## Froger2014

Was wondering about the might paper I'm relatively new to working with dart frogs and have two patricia and two azureus which hopefully be matting pares. But I do wonder about mites want to keep from having problems with them


----------



## JPccusa

See this: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/166570-diatomaceous-earth-de-mite-control.html


----------



## Dendrobait

Yes to de. I had a really bad mite outbreak....mites crawling all over the bin. I started using de, made new cultures from flies shaken in calcium powder, and just for fun kept the old cultures...which were producing stunted flies and oodles of mites...pumilio babies love em. A culture cycle later and things were back to normal!


----------



## pdfCrazy

Had a fairly long conversation with Jerry at Drosophila(dot)com Flymaterials(com) , etc over mites just this last week. One of the interesting tidbits I gathered while discussing mite prevention, was that part of the life cycle of these mites is within the fruit flies gut, essentially a symbiotic relationship. Without great trouble, it is essentially impossible to completely rid your cultures of mites. Tossing the cultures at 30 days, insecticides, mite paper, water bathes, DE, all are good preventative measures, but all these methods simply keep mites at bay and from taking over cultures. Fruit fly cultures are not a normal enviroment for fruit flies. By design, it is meant to be an ideal enviroment for the reproduction and growth of our flies, coincidentally, it seems this enviroment is actually MORE suited to the growth of mites. The mites just take longer to get a reproductive foothold, and as the culture ages, it becomes less habitable for the flies, and more so for the mites


----------

