Mites?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 04, 2006 2:32 pm

I was changing the food dishes today and I saw a little white bug crawling across the food dish. It was about the same size as a grain of sand and white. Is that a mite? I haven't bathed any of the kids in a while so I'm thinking of doing it to see if any come off of them. How would the mites have gotten into my tank? I haven't added any new crabs since January. if they're not mites what might they be?

HERMEZ · Post by **HERMEZ** » Thu May 04, 2006 4:29 pm

food mites?? check Jedediah's sticky on it--for some reason I cant find it to give you a link. If I Can I will come back and edit

HERMEZ · Post by **HERMEZ** » Thu May 04, 2006 4:30 pm

viewtopic.php?t=30282

here it is

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 04, 2006 5:14 pm

I think it might have been a booklouse, since the description says "looks like walking grains of sand"

That's good to know, I'm going to bath a crab or two, depending on who I can find and check to make sure they don't have any on them just in case though. Thanks for the link herm-ez I knew I had seen something about bugs on here before but couldn't find it

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 04, 2006 11:26 pm

Ugh! I don't want to worry you but the mites my crabs had fit the booklouse description too. They looked like teeny tiny grains of sand except they zipped around instead of staying stationary. They were literally the size of the point of a sewing needle. I could actually see them on the shell of one of my guys. Yuck! Also when I bathed them I would see little white things on the water and scoop them up with a spoon, they would swim to the edge of the water in the spoon and then zip off.

So...I think bathing them is agood idea. Good luck! I hope it is not mites.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 05, 2006 7:53 am

lol the one I saw definitely wasn't zipping, it was slowly crawling, so hopefully it's still booklice, I haven't had a chance to bathe anyone yet, most are in hiding, I'm going to put more fresh food in today and see if thatentices anyone out

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 05, 2006 3:22 pm

Good luck.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:40 am

I read your post and then later that night I was watching my tat. I saw some sand moving too. I quickly check everyone and no one had them. So I went back to watch the sand moving and it moves from one shell dish to the other. I am guessing I have the booklice as well. I think I might put some honey in the tat. I think they might get stuck in it. But the bug article was very helpful so thank you Herm-EZ for the quick link!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat May 06, 2006 8:24 am

I bathed one of my crabs this morning and didn't find any mites, so I'm going to assume it's booklice

John just decided that we're going to move... after deliberating for like 2 weeks, so that means the crabbies get the 35 gallon when we move so I'm going to put all fresh sand and bed-a-beast, so even if it isn't booklice I'll be able to get rid of the mites when we move

I'll make sure to bathe the crabs a couple times before putting in the new 'tat.