Mites on my new rosie

Hanska

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
382
I picked up a MF G.rosea from another petshop two days ago. Last night I was staring at it(and talking to it:sarcasm:) as I noticed a tiny bump on its right chelicerae. Not unfamiliar with little annoying buggers I thought "is that a mi.." as another tiny bump ran from the root of the chelicerae. MITES! Took out my cellphone and turned on the flashlight to check her and saw one more on the joint of the carapace and one of her legs and one on her abdomen.
The mites are a bit larger than the mites you get in moist conditions swarming uneaten crickets or the like. They are light brown/tan in color. I could try to get a picture but I don't know how much it'll help. I'm worried because of the ones on her joints where parasitic mites would go.
Any clue on what they could be and how to get rid of them. It's not like I can treat her with ivermectin..

Additional info I know you're going to ask:
She's on dry peat/sand/moss mix. There is a live plant in there, don't know what it is in english but like a cactus with no spikes. There is no uneaten food in there, haven't fed her yet.
She was on dry peat at the petshop.
 

friendttyy

Arachnolord
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Messages
614
Substrate sounds good. Pic would help a ton. Might be from the live plant but not too sure!
 

Oumriel

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Messages
89
If you got her from a pet store more than likely the mites came from there and not the plant. If you have other tarantulas IMO you should take her back, especially if you have any egg sacks. The mites can spread and its not worth the risk. If you were going to try and pick them off, the only way I can think of doing it is to cool her down and then try but i doubt she is going to be agreeable. It sounds like the mites are not from the pet store sub or your sub but rather a mite that lives on the animal. I would take her back.
 

Hanska

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
382
Snapped a few shot as she was eating. Don't know if the camera does a trick or are the mites on her chelicerae different kind than those on her legs.
But yeah I need to call the petshop tomorrow.





 

Oumriel

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 4, 2014
Messages
89
does the pet store carry reptiles? Those kinda look like the mites you find on snakes. Those are nice macro shots btw.
 

Hanska

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
382
They do. If that is the case I'll have to watch out for my snakes.
This is SO annoying.
 

dredrickt

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
170
They do. If that is the case I'll have to watch out for my snakes.
This is SO annoying.
I would probably try to return it, it sounds like they came ON the animal, not through substrate. Neutralize the risk to your other pets.
 

Hanska

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
382
Thanks for the input. Because of 'juhannus' even if I wanted to take her back I could do it no sooner than monday. So I have to do something anyway. And I really wouldn't want to take her back. You know, she's not a tarantula. She's my tarantula.

The plan is:
-Rehome in a box with paper towel 'substrate', plastic hide, and a small water dish.
-Remove plant.
-Put the container as-is in the freezer for the duration of the 'threatment'

EDIT: Almost forgot. This container is placed on a larger one with vaseline around the edges to prevent roaming mites spreading.

What I've read mites don't reproduce on the animal and removing their chance to do that should take care of the problem. Thank god she's not a swap dweller sp. as she might be there for a few months.

Any thoughts?
 
Last edited:

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,044
Being about as T challenged as a person could possibly be... Isolation of course. Then, is it possible for you to immobilize your critter and go mite hunting? I'm visualizing trying this with a H Venatoria and coming back with 'ice cubes chance in hell' but I thought I'd ask. As in holding it down with cotton wool or upholstery stuffing, your magnifying goggles on, a rest for your forearm to steady it, and have at it. If by some remote chance you could, even for a short while, I'd grab an insulin syringe with needle and load it with acetone. Test the acetone on a mite or two to see if it zaps them. I suggest acetone for 3 reasons. It's actually very low toxicity, very low viscosity (gets things wet very readily), and evaporates in seconds. Thus it wouldn't present a serious hazard to the T but might play very rough with the mites. Of course they also might enjoy swimming in the stuff though I doubt it. :o_O:

Anyway, aside from my flakey suggestion. Some mites reproduce anywhere. I wouldn't assume they won't on the T. I believe a number of predator mites can produce generations of offspring without ever leaving the host.
 

KcFerry

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 17, 2014
Messages
80
I have had mites invade my entire collection at one point. Even after changing the sub and cleaning everything with bleach, they came back! The only thing I've found to work are the Hypoaspis miles mites. They will attack and eat parasitic mites as well as any other mites in the enclosure. I use them every so often as a precautionary measure in all my enclosures and roach bin. They work fast and then when there are no more mites or eggs to eat, they will cannibalize each other. They are completely harmless to the T and will even go after the mites on the T. I would still try to remove the mites you can see with a small tweaser or a Q-tip with a dab of Vaseline if you can.
Here's a link where I get these guys.
http://www.evergreengrowers.com/fun...atiolaelaps-scimitus-womersley-hypoaspis.html

Good luck.
 

Hanska

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
382
A small update.
I've been looking for a company that delivers the Hypoaspis miles to Finland but haven't found one yet. I'll keep looking as a plan B/last resort. Thanks KcFerry for the info.

The rosie has been kept, like it should, bone dry and I've checked her every day. I can't seem to find as many mites as I did when I started this thread. I also learned that as she had rolled an egg sac prior to my buying it, the petshop kept it in slightly raised humidity.

Not much I can do now but wait and see.
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
If its kept very dry as you say, that's the best plan, both for that t and the mite issue. You could even remove the water dish for a little while. The drier the enclosure is, the more inhospitable it will be for mites, they struggle to survive without adequate moisture.
 
Top