# springtail culture - mites



## Guest (Jul 9, 2004)

hi i have a springtail culture and noticed some little white blobs that arent springtails moving around today, i assume these are mites. do they harm the cultue and should i be worried


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## Guest (Jul 9, 2004)

Last winter I had some that were very tiny and looked reddish that crashed the whole culture. If there are just a few I'd say put the culture under some flourescent lighting, mite hate it from what I have been told.
MW


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## jbeetle (Feb 8, 2004)

I have also herad that cold will kill the mites, but not the springtails... so you could try that as well. Are you sure they aren't young springtails, as most of the mites I have heard of and seen (that attack springtail cultures) have been red/brown in color?


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

If they are mites, put your springtail cultures in the 'fridge overnight. That should take care of the mite problem. It may take one or two treatments, but I have had a few cultures become infested, and that took care of the mites for me.

However, I would echo other sentiments that all mites I have seen were rust colored. You should also realize that a very productive springtail culture will grow "blobs" where you place the food . . . those are egg sacs--but they don't move.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

*blobs*

I have seen these blobs for a long time. I believe they are a kind of mite, but apparently, they are different than the reddish mites. I have seen them with red wiggler cultures, along with springtails. For some reason, these white mites don't cause too much of a problem, unlike the reddish ones.

BTW, what temperature should the fridge be at for the springtails?


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## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

*Re: blobs*



Rain_Frog said:


> BTW, what temperature should the fridge be at for the springtails?


Whatever your normal 'fridge temperature is should be fine.


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## ChrisMc (Mar 7, 2004)

Today I noticed the same thing first in my rice flour beetles. They were caked(thousands) all over the lid. I then began to look further and found a few hundred on the springtail lids and a few in the container. They are definately not springtails and are small white bugs that appear to be mites. I just noticed them and I havent noticed much harm to the springtails. Maybe Ill try the fridge method to see if it gets rid of them.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2004)

*mites*

its a while since i started this thread and my culture is doing very well so i guess they are a harmless kind of mite. on the other hand in my tomocerus longicornis culture i got some bad mites that are brown and move around real fast which are wiping it out :shock: 
i trie the fridge thing and it didnt work. should i try the freezer?


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