Should I clean out the entire cage?

Teal

Teal

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I tried to do a search, but the only thing I could think of to search was "mites" and it brought back a ton of useless results.. so..

I gave my P. irminia sling a cricket the other day, and he grabbed it.. so I figured he ate it, and moved on to the other Ts.

I check on everyone daily, and didn't see any problem until last night.

The dead cricket body had been moved into a corner, and there were little white/clearish bugs crawling ALL over it... they just looked like little white bubbles moving around on it.

I took it out, and only found one little white bug on the substrate.. so I grabbed that one too.

Do I need to change out all the substrate now, or was just removing the dead cricket enough?

I've never had this problem before, and really have NO idea what to do!
 
JC

JC

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Its not necessary to remove all of the substrate. The most I would do is scoop up the bit of substrate the cricket was on and throw it out. Also lower the humidity a bit for the next couple of days.
 
scottyk

scottyk

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I feed and mist most of my slings once per week. I purposely feed everyone first while the substrate is relatively dry. I come back the next day, remove all uneated food and boluses, "then mist". This leaves six days for everything to dry out before I feed again

This has worked well for me in helping to keep mold and critters to a minimum in my sling enclosures. Try to feed when the containers are at thier driest in whatever cycle you use...

Scott
 
Teal

Teal

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Ahh, that's why I haven't had that problem before I guess.. my enclosures were previously drier than they are now, since I've moved them into the hot box.

My enclosures are never really dry.. though I can make them a little less moist by moving them to the top shelf in the hot case, instead of the bottom. This enclosure was already one of the drier ones, but I'll let it dry out even more for a day or two just in case.

Thanks yall!
 
R

rvtjonny

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Sounds like spring tails to me, no need to worry about them doing any harm to your T.

Springtails are very tiny insects, 1 to 2 mm in length. They have short antennae, chewing mouthparts and typically have a forked appendage at the end of their abdomen which enables them to jump several inches. Because of their ability to jump, springtails can be confused with true fleas. True fleas are flattened from side to side and are very hard-bodied, making them very difficult to kill by crushing. Springtails are more rounded and soft-bodied and are easily crushed.

Springtails are usually associated with dampness and organic debris, feeding on algae, fungi, and decaying vegetable matter. They can be found in many different habitats. They live outdoors in soil, leaf litter, and rotting wood. In homes, they can be found especially in bathrooms, basements, and kitchens or in the soil of houseplants.

The presence of springtails indoors indicates excessive moisture; either a leak, condensation, or an accumulation of water due to heavy rains or snow melt. Springtails are attracted to lights and may enter through cracks, crevices or under lighted doorways.

A particular species of springtail, known as a snowflea, is one of the very few insects which may be found active outside in the winter on snow. As soon as the ground begins to thaw in late winter or very early spring, snowfleas become active. They are conspicuous against the white background of the snow and may congregate in large numbers. Despite their abundance, they are harmless.

CONTROL
To control springtails, remove organic debris from near the foundation and seal cracks and crevices in the foundation. Improve drainage so water does not accumulate near the foundation. Inside the home, dry out the areas where springtails are found by correcting leaks or condensation problems. Use of a fan or dehumidifier helps dry out an area and reduce springtail numbers. Springtails are generally a temporary problem and die when the moisture level is reduced.
Click to expand...
 
xhexdx

xhexdx

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They don't sound anything like springtails to me.
 
gumby

gumby

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sounds like you did the right thing to me. In addition you may want to lightly spray a bit of black paper with water and see if it attracks any ore mites to the paper. I did this twice both times I thought I had a mite problem. The one time I really did have an issue the mites attacked the black paper overnight and were very easy to see even though I had not been able to see them in the moss very well.
 
C

Cbarr

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xhexdx said:
They don't sound anything like springtails to me.
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me either they r mites, it comes with keeping t's, wc sometimes have tons, just try and pay close attention come next molt and move t right after it molts if u dont feel comfortable with that then just let substrate totally dry out, leave a full water dish in there and put substrate up to the rim, mites will fall in and can't get out,

c
 
Arachnoholic420

Arachnoholic420

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i wouldnt worry so much Teal... i knew a breeder and ask him the same exact question... are they bad?... he goes no... not unless you got a serious infestation... meaning you would never let your t get to that extreme... your regular do dilligence on maintenance should be sufficient...
because when i traded some t's, with him before and he showed me an enclosure and had the same thing your talking about... and none of the T's where harmed or sick while living in those condition... he had thousands of T's... he said just rubs em out most of the time..... and leave the substrate and enclosure be... For my experience i dont see em often, i see them once in a while and when they do i leave em be... they usually disapper in a day or to... but if it does bother you, do what everyone else said scoop em out ... or try not to mist before feeding... imo i think your fine...
 
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Teal

Teal

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Thanks for the information yall!

I don't mist my Ts.. I just keep the substrate moist, and keeping them at 80F+ degrees causes condensation within the enclosure.. I keep some enclosures wetter by keeping the substrate more moist, and keeping them on the bottom shelf (the heater is underneath, so the bottom shelf is hottest).

I'm not too worried about it, as it doesn't sound like a huge issue. The sling just molted right before I got it, so I figured I have about a month or so (atleast) before having to worry about another molt.. I'll just keep an eye out for any mites during that time.

I couldn't get over how icky the little things look! Little white moving blobs.. I retract my "I like all bugs!" statement now LOL
 
scottyk

scottyk

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Teal said:
Thanks for the information yall!

I don't mist my Ts.. I just keep the substrate moist
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Just FYI, and to clarify my earlier post:

Many advanced keepers use the term "mist" with slings to mean they are using a spray bottle to wet the substrate. I prefer this to pouring water into small enclosures for the simple reason that it does less damage to tiny web and tunnel formations.

I don't mean I'm just spritzing the air. Some folks here (not meaning you) jump all over the term without understanding how it's being used....

Scott
 
Teal

Teal

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P.S. - I don't use the spray nozzle.

I pour water onto the substrate, for all of them.
In sling enclosures, for arboreals, I have the lid on the bottom so I can crack it open and pour water in..
And my terrestrial slings are in large enclosures that allow me to pour water onto one side and let the other side be drier.

So, I guess I don't qualify as an 'advanced keeper' ;)
 
H

Hamburglar

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You keep all of the enclosures moist at 80 degrees? If I were a mite I'm sure I would like that too. If it is working for you then that's great.. I keep all of my spiders on bone dry peat, and I only use a water dish in a few enclosures. I hardly ever see mites.. on a few occasions I have.

Really warm temps and moist substrate was nothing but a headache for me. Whatever works for you is the best way to go, as with most things.. However, you might see them flare up a bit more under those conditions.
 
scottyk

scottyk

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Teal said:
So, I guess I don't qualify as an 'advanced keeper' ;)
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Sorry, I don't make the rules. I just enforce them ;P

Or, I just meant how the term is defined when you hear it from someone who is not a noob. I'll leave it up to you to pick ;)
 
O

OxDionysus

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I get these once in a while on a dead cricket or roach. the ones I am talking about are definitely not springtails. I have never seen them on anything alive and they move real slow. I do not think they are harmful to your T, I think they are like little cleanup crews eating dead debris. They end up dissapearing after I remove the dead debris and change/clean the water bowl.

check out this link

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=160277&highlight=white+bugs
 
P

Poxicator

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I've just given a brief reply to mite issues on another thread:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=173649

However, if you want more information I suggest you read my sticky in the inverts section of RFUK. (not sure if I'm allowed to provide a link of external sources but I could provide the same info for a sticky on AB if acceptable?)
 
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