# Spider mites??...what to do



## brbarkey (May 15, 2004)

I think I have spider mites in my tank. I haven’t really I.d. spider mites, but on my plants there seems to be cobweb like stuff. I dont have any frogs in the tank. I have read that spider mites dont like wet humid environments, but I've always considered my tank to be very wet. Recently I have turned up my drip wall to "wash" them out and get rid of them, but this hasnt worked in the past for me. Are there other methods of removing spider mites? If I got frogs, would they eat them? 

I have heard of the dry ice method, but I really dont want to go that route.


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

I think they key is how bad? Many frogs will eat them, as long as they are not over running the tank.


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## brbarkey (May 15, 2004)

Bad enought that I want to kill them.  Its a really big tank so they just show up in spots. You can notice the the webs about three feet away from the tank. If I look into the tank it takes awhile for me to find a mite but I can find them...so the little buggers arent everywhere.


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

Put frogs in the viv and your problems will be over. I use to feed spider mites by the thousand to my pumilio and they never became a problem with the plants. I wish I still had access to them.


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## brbarkey (May 15, 2004)

> I wish I still had access to them.


 Ha..do you want me to send you some infected moss? Will bigger darts eat them?


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

brbarkey said:


> Ha..do you want me to send you some infected moss? Will bigger darts eat them?


I would think so. You know, I've never heard of anyone having a spider mite problem in a viv with dart frogs.


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Brent,

I have had a mite problem in a tank where it was almost infested. Can't say if it caused a death or not, but it was my major suspect at the time.

brbarkey,

If is just a couple that are very hard to find, don't worry about them. It would be virtually impossible to completely get rid of mites.


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## brbarkey (May 15, 2004)

is there anything else in the viv that might look like cobwebs or make cobwebs...(besides spiders) Like an algea or a mold? Just a thought


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Maybe mold... could you post a pic?


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## brbarkey (May 15, 2004)

yea, I will get it tomorrow when the webs are grown.

Good Idea

Ben


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## lacerta (Aug 27, 2004)

After recently stocking a well-planted viv with its first group of tinc froglets I was surprised at the results of the first fecal examinations. Having fed them only FF's, I was surprised to find that microscopic examination of several smears revealed that almost half the fecal bulk consisted of mite parts and pieces from both spider mites, and oribatid soil mites. These mites are ubiquitous in any forest litter sample though I didn't expect to find them in such great numbers in my vivarium. Obviously, they were introduced with either the planting medium, in the root balls of plants, or in the moss. 
I did notice that my small frogs would appear to snatch at "unseen" items from time to time. I didn't give it much thought at the time. 
The mite population has since crashed, but they still appear to be an important nutritional component. Given the harmless nature of these important saprophages, I am happy to have them as part of a larger healthier viviarium system, breaking down organic matter, and supplementing my frogs' diet. 

George


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

kyle1745 said:


> Brent,
> 
> I have had a mite problem in a tank where it was almost infested. Can't say if it caused a death or not, but it was my major suspect at the time.


Just to be clear, are you talking about red spider mites? Parasitic mites would be a different story.


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## Rambo67 (Jun 12, 2006)

I had a problem with spider mites in the beginning, and several sources said that the high humidity levels found in our vivs would not sustain the dry-loving spider mites. Whether or not this is true, i increased the misting and sure enough theyre gone. 

Give that a shot, granted it wont be instant. I didnt have frogs in the tank at the time, but if you do, they should make the task much easier.


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## brbarkey (May 15, 2004)

Kyle, I wasnt able to get a detailed enought picture. I will have to barrow a better one when the holidays are over. 

Lacerta, I guess I need to get frogs then to slove my mite problem.

Thanks

Ben


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## local hero (Sep 29, 2006)

look around for some of the different predatory mites, I have used them in the past with great success.


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