# Little white mites!!!!!



## blankminded (Jan 3, 2008)

I went to feed my spring tails and isopods and found all 3 cultures to be full of tiny white mites. I then checked my FF cultures and 2 of the 3 I made about a week ago have the same mites. Whats the best way to get ride of them? Should i just dump them all and start over again?


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

this is what to do with your springtails. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/fo...clean-your-mite-contaminated-springtails.html


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

More importantly what are you feeding the springtail cultures? If you are using something that is grain based like fish food, pasta, rice, etc then you have provided one of the grain mites conditions in which it can thrive. Some level of mites in the fruit fly cultures is to be expected. 

Ed


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## blankminded (Jan 3, 2008)

I was only feeding active yeast. I did put a little hermit crab veggie flakes in there which is what i was feeding my isopods b/c they love it. That might be what did it. They both have mites now. Not sure y my fruit flies have them too but 2 of the cultures are infested with them.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

blankminded said:


> I was only feeding active yeast. I did put a little hermit crab veggie flakes in there which is what i was feeding my isopods b/c they love it. That might be what did it. They both have mites now. Not sure y my fruit flies have them too but 2 of the cultures are infested with them.


Mites in fruit flies are inevitable... learn to manage them and all will be well. If you are housing your flies near the springtails and isopods and are not using mite paper, the mites may be migrating between cultures. The addition of the flakes for the hermit crabs probably at the very least provided the food to lure the mites to those cultures. 

Ed


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