Anybody NEVER got mites?

[wodesorel]

Food, grain, wood and soil are used interchangeably when it comes to mites. There are thousands of species of harmless mites in the world, but it's impossible to identify which ones just by looking at them. We usually just describe what kind they are by where they are found in the tank.

And you are not alone with your dislike of maggots....Ick.

[YYWW]

Oic. Well, at least mites arent as gross as maggots. Hope i can dodge all of the "uninvited" though. Thanks for the info, everyone!!


Crabbers unite!!!

[bikepartjewelry]

We just moved to Houston about 4 months ago. When we moved here, we bought new play sand and it had teeny bugs in it, which I"m assuming are mites. Since then, I've upgraded to a much larger tank and put brand new play sand in it, that was bought from a different store than the first batch. Guess what? Teeny bugs in it too. Must be a Houston thing, because when we lived in Raleigh, NC, we never had these bugs. Never. Had hermies for over 3 years without that issue.

[YYWW]

Ughhh i'm so sorry! Could they be springtails? Mites look like tiny grains, like rice or sand. They're rounded, smooth and plump looking. Springtails look teardrop shaped, with antennae. They're about the width of a strand of hair.
I'm not sure what can be in that sand, as i thought mites and springtails need a moist, warm environment to live. Did you see them when you opened the bag? Or just after you had tat-ified it?


Crabbers unite!!!

[wodesorel]

Things like harmless mites and springtails are found in homes. It could be that your new home has them while your old home did not. I don't ever remember seeing springtails or soil mites in the potted plants at my mothers house, but in my home they are immediately in anything that has moist soil. Of course, we're right by wetlands and we had a ton more outdoor bugs here as well!

[Rebecca C]

I have been crabbing on/off for 10, going on 11 years. I have been lucky to never have gotten them, or anything in my tank except for my crabs. In my kitchen I have had fruit flies before, no thanks to my younger sister who doesn't know how not to leave fruit and other things like that out on the counters...I would not want those in the tank, I think I would lose my mind with that, because I came up with a good way to get rid of them. It involves getting rid of all fruit and cleaning everything, as well as putting ajax or other chemicals in every drain in the house and leaving the chemicals in there while not in use, for like a week, or until the last of the flies died off(they don't live long, very quick lifecycle, but they reproduce like crazy) or leave.

Besides getting rid of any fresh food in the tank, I do not know how I would get them out of there if removing the food was not enough... I suppose I could try to get them to leave my room (where I keep my little guys), and keep fresh foods out of the tank until they were all out of my house.

[Snickers]

4 years, never seen a mite. I have had pillbugs in there (purposefully of course) A few fruit flies but never mites. THANK THE GOD OF CRABBING.

[YYWW]

There is mite free hope, yet THANKS GUYS! I have resolved to getting isopods this spring. And my mite free hopes and dreams are stronger than ever!


Crabbers unite!!!

[misty1989]

Lol only been an owner since ending of dec and only bugs I have rite now are roaches!!!!!!!!!! Can't get rid of those nasty things cnt bomb anyways got crabbies and a dog and never does good anyways cuz I live in an apt.

[aussieJJDude]

So far I have never got mites, just one occasion when I have an infestation of springtails. Springtails are bad enough IMO!

[YYWW]

Springtails ARE creepy, too! How'd you get rid of them? Did you have a thread about your experience?


Crabbers unite!!!

[singlemomwithcrab]

Springtails eat damp or dry wood. They usually come in with the wood.

[wodesorel]

Springtails are truly the best thing possible for a crab tank - they are the only clean up crew that eats actual mold. Isopods only clean up the organic material that feeds the mold.

[YYWW]

Good to know! They're also less ugly than mites.


Crabbers unite!!!

[aussieJJDude]

Springtails ARE creepy, too! How'd you get rid of them? Did you have a thread about your experience?


Crabbers unite!!!

Didn't get rid of them, I just had an overly large outbreak - well in my opinion! Due to the substrate being saturated with water I just did a deep clean, baked all the sub - which was hard work and took 2 days to do - and started over. Since then, I had no large outbreak of springtails, i might see one or two every few weeks, but not as bad as before.
(Also, I don't believe I have thread about my "problem")