# What, exactly, do mites look like?



## georgiekittie (Jan 27, 2009)

There is a lot of talk about mites, but I don't really know what they look like! I tried searching on here and on yahoo for pictures of them, but I couldn't really find anything. What do mites look like? What do I look for?


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

grain mite - Google Image Search

Grain mites: in moist FF media or springtail cultures.

Spider mites: on plants in the Viv

Preditory mites: Eating other mites or animals


...just a very basic overview to whet your appetite


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## michaelslenahan (Mar 10, 2009)

Anyone got a closeup of a culture infested with them? I'm curious what to look for myself...

I checked out the link, Philsuma, but I'd still be interested to see a culture someone had that was full of them so I could know what to look for at a glance...

Does it just look like its moving?


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Michael,

Just take the culture and stare at the top and lid area (inside the cup), for a few minutes.

If you see a lot of white-ish tiny tiny dots.....and they move....

Then you have an infestation. Don't panic.....discard that culture. Acquire new ones. Buy mite paper. Wash all your dishes and clothes and burn down....


No biggie...we all get them from time to time


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## michaelslenahan (Mar 10, 2009)

Sounds good. Well, not good, but easy. =)

If there are lots of dots:

and they move? mites
and they don't move? fly crap

correct?


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## basshummper (Jan 13, 2008)

correct. if you have less then perfect eye sight then the mites in FF CXs look just like moving fly crap.


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## michaelslenahan (Mar 10, 2009)

Thanks guys, I'll be checking again as soon as I get home. 

I don't think I've ever seen mites; I have only ever noticed mold (usually pink when I first start a new culture) that smells, but by the time the cultures get going, the mold tends to disappear.


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## Colleen53 (Jan 19, 2009)

If these spider mites are the same as the ones I studied in my horticultural class, my teacher told me to get a white piece of paper and bang the lid of your FF culture onto the paper. If you see something move....I believe these would be you mites! I got a "A" in the class some 25 years ago!!!!! Hope this trick works for you....Colleen


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## basshummper (Jan 13, 2008)

spider mites are more common in the viv on plants, and they to me look more like an orange. the mites i see in my FF culutres are a translucent white.
never the less, if you have bad eyes banging the lid out on a piece of paper sounds like a great idea, but they may blend in on a piece of white paper.


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## vlroebke (Feb 25, 2009)

i have tried everything to get rid of these mites, some are translucent and some are a tea(brown/orange color) they are both only visable with an eye loop. except mine keep exploding in pop. i can see them like dust/dirt? i kow they don't hurt us or the frogs but the thought of them crawling all over my things...seriously they can get so bad it feels like sand on stuff ugh. how can i get rid of them? i have 11 darts and i would give them pin head crickets but some are too small to eat them.....so i need a lot of flies


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## RachelRiot (Jan 20, 2009)

Sorry this is a little off the main topic but I am looking for somewhere local I might be able to find the anti-mite paper. I tried Home Depot and that was a no go.  TIA!


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## vlroebke (Feb 25, 2009)

i tried fleet farm, menards, kitz and phiel, i also called three pet shops, and ...yes i called a couple pest control companies...None of them ever heard of it! iv'e only seen it for sale online. my question is, if i pay for it and the shipping and put my containers on it..that are already infested with mites..will it keep the mites from spreading OUTSIDE the paper area?


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Seriously people...

Mites are NO big deal....do not start wearing space suits an stuff.

1. Use the blue mite paper under your cultures. 

2. Don't use cultures past 30 days.

3. If you have a break out....discard that culture...clean everything up really well and get on the phone with your DB support group and get some new cultures going.

FF are your friend......mites are lurking in your cheerios, flour and dry pasta. You eat some of them everyday anyhow. Ants are in your house too. Those scary asian centipedes are in your basement.

Don't sweat the bug stuff.......


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## vlroebke (Feb 25, 2009)

Ok i'm brand new here so what is my DB support group? If i have to dump cultures (i have three times now) that is 15..i do 5 and they usually last for two cycles. so anyway when i have to dump them that leaves me with no flies..i have 11 darts, there is only one pet shop out here that sells them and thier cultures are an 1/8 maybe a bit more than one of mine and they are $6 each. that's a lot of $ and they are never producing when i get them so it gets scary..i don't want my frogs to starve, my 3 auratus are too small for pin heads, my 2 luecks are just a bit bigger but still too small, my blue river and azures are med. size so they might get away with them but i didn't see them eat any when i did give them some, my cobalt is large and very old he can eat them but he seems a bit slow on the catch, so i worry he isn't getting enough, and my powders are very large and really old and they always look really skinny no matter how many i give them but they are fiesty so i think they are fine with the pin heads..sorry...what i am getting at is over half my frogs are too small to substitute the flies for crickets so where do i get flies? i don't know how to find anyone in my area that might have some. is there a way to do a seach for people in my area (oshkosh WI) if so let me know i haven't found any.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

ok....Wisconsin. Update your location on your profile - the user CP.

1. check the "social groups" on here

I think http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/groups/michigan-dendrobatid-group.html

may have members that are close...

2. Post an ad under the the classified section for Wanted - Fruit Fly cultures.

Use the advanced search feature and plug in WI or similar "under location".

It may take a little while or you could have someone responding to you within hours......hard to predict.

BUT

There are definately DB near you......in WI....

Good luck and keep us posted


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## ZeeMan (Sep 19, 2008)

I posted a thread about mites in my ff cultures...I just checked there is a picture there of the bad tiny brown ones vs the bigger more innocuous white ones.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/34389-help-pls-i-think-i-have-ff-mites.html


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## vlroebke (Feb 25, 2009)

yup that's what i have i have been wiping off every container and were they sit and everything around it every day for a week, has helped but i don't have time to keep it up. and it has severely decimated my supply. evil, tiny beasties!!!


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## vlroebke (Feb 25, 2009)

PHILSUMA,

i must be a moron i can't figuer out how to place an add i go there and there is not anything telling me how.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

click on the "Classifieds *NEW*" on the left side of site page and then click on "submit new ad" in the middle...

click on that link I included my earlier post above...to the "infamous" michigan dendroboard group and then click "join"

You can also post a "FF wanted" ad there as well.

Also....google search "Joshs frogs, or ED's flymeat or Fruit flies ect....you can always order some online as a "plan B"


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

vlroebke said:


> PHILSUMA,
> 
> i must be a moron i can't figuer out how to place an add i go there and there is not anything telling me how.


You are only 170 miles from Chicago as well.....there are quite a few DB members and other froggers there.


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

RachelRiot said:


> Sorry this is a little off the main topic but I am looking for somewhere local I might be able to find the anti-mite paper. I tried Home Depot and that was a no go.  TIA!


Black Jungle has it.
It`s listed under fruit fly`s and supplies.

John

edit- sorry,just read you said local.


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## lizardstowe (Sep 6, 2005)

Here is my two cents on the subject. Order some new cultures, don't get them from a pet shop as they are more than likely already infested. Remove you current cultures from the room or area where you keep them. Clean your frog room, I use 409 or some other household cleaner that has ether in it. If the room has carpet, I would buy so "20 Mule Team Borax", it is a powder which contains boric acid, it will "dissolve" chitin which is part of what your mites are made of (it gives me great pleasure to imagine the nasty [email protected]$%@&*$ walking around melting). I would use that to sprinkle in the carpet like a deodorizer, let it sit, maybe even moisten it a bit before you vacuum. You don't have to buy the mite paper, if you can't get it local, make your own (mite spray on paper towels). Prep the area for the new cultures when they come by putting you paper down and if possible, a light that shines over the cultures (the light maybe a bit extreme but if you have a reoccurring problem, light seem to help). Once the new cultures come in, get rid of the old ones (bury them in your neighbors yard under the cover of night) and clean that room or area very well.

Matt


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## vlroebke (Feb 25, 2009)

thanks i got it now. and yea i know about the chicago thing but i can't drive it so i have to find somone who can. 

thanks


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## vlroebke (Feb 25, 2009)

thanks matt, does the borax hurt cats if they get it on thier feet? and the make my own fly paper is that using a borax water mixture to spray or just setting the cultures in it? I am worried about my son and cat, i don't want them to get sick and i have the cultures sitting on shelves below the tanks. i put a gate up but if the cat tracks it from the carpet theres a chance max will get it on him also from furniture etc.

thanks


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## RachelRiot (Jan 20, 2009)

Dont spray borax and water for the mites. What he is saying is that at any local pet shop you can get mite spray and then spray that on the paper towels.

As for the cats I also have cats and a small child. If possible I would put them in a seperate room and treat the carpet, let it sit for a few hours and then vaccum it up. That would be my best suggestion as I wouldnt want my child or cats messing with that stuff either. Maybe lock the cat in your room and take your child out of the house for a while.  I dont think it has any fumes to be concerned about though just the powder.


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## vlroebke (Feb 25, 2009)

thank you, i will try that then on the next weekend his dad has him and i can put my cat in another room.


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