# Beetle mites



## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

Picked this chap up at Maidstone today, and he appears to have a lot of mites down his pinchy bits. How can I get rid of them?


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## Bugnerd (Aug 19, 2009)

*mites*

You can remove the most with a brush.
The rest you have to remove by giving them food
so that they rather be somewhere else than on the beetle.
Change substrate everyday for a couple of days until
the mites are gone. Keeping the beetle in a dry environment
will kill the mites before it kills the beetle but is a bit risky.
This should work if it isnt scavenger mites.


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## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

Bugnerd said:


> You can remove the most with a brush.
> The rest you have to remove by giving them food
> so that they rather be somewhere else than on the beetle.
> Change substrate everyday for a couple of days until
> ...


Thanks, what kind of food will the mites move on to?


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## Sarracenia (Mar 20, 2008)

Mites usually move onto soft dog biscuits, or possibly apple slices (which your stag will probably try to eat as well). As said before, dryer soil and a damp brush always helps. : victory:


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## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

Right, I have gently brushed most of the mites off with a toothbrush (i'm not sure whose... :whistling2 and moved them into new boxes with slighty dryer by still damp soil.

I am gonna order some beetle jelly stuff from thespidershop and i'll chuck a slice of apple in for each soon and see if I can lure any more off.

I have heard woodlice will eat mites / mite eggs, is this true and will they be ok to put in with my beetles?


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## Sarracenia (Mar 20, 2008)

I wouldn't bother really, they'd be a bit of a nuisance really, and would probably try and eat any beetle eggs you get. And I bet they'd steal the jelly...

Beetle jelly's great stuff, but while you're waiting for it to arrive, you can use soft banana slices. The jelly is a lot healthier and promotes egg yield and fertility though. :2thumb:


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## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

Sarracenia said:


> I wouldn't bother really, they'd be a bit of a nuisance really, and would probably try and eat any beetle eggs you get. And I bet they'd steal the jelly...
> 
> Beetle jelly's great stuff, but while you're waiting for it to arrive, you can use soft banana slices. The jelly is a lot healthier and promotes egg yield and fertility though. :2thumb:


Marvellous! I've ordered me two little tubs of banana beetle jelly.

Looks tasty, might order some for myself.

I bet those damn lice would love to get their many little hands on the precious jelly... :whip:


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## Sarracenia (Mar 20, 2008)

The banana flavour is by far the best for females really, it's got the most protein in it.

I don't think mites like jelly, and another good thing is that it doesn't attract flies either. 

I've never eaten the jelly before, I wouldn't think it would be so good for people. It does smell pretty good though. :whistling2:


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## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

Sarracenia said:


> The banana flavour is by far the best for females really, it's got the most protein in it.
> 
> I don't think mites like jelly, and another good thing is that it doesn't attract flies either.
> 
> I've never eaten the jelly before, I wouldn't think it would be so good for people. It does smell pretty good though. :whistling2:


Haha! I assume the males like the beetle jelly also.

Maybe I won't try it for myself... lol


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## Sarracenia (Mar 20, 2008)

Jelly's good for both, it's just I always feed banana ones to my females primarily. My males tend to be very greedy, so I give them the flavours I have loads of, like honey.


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## Soulwax (Jan 6, 2009)

Sarracenia said:


> Jelly's good for both, it's just I always feed banana ones to my females primarily. My males tend to be very greedy, so I give them the flavours I have loads of, like honey.


Aaaah I see. I ordered it today so it should be here soon.

I'll chuck a slice of apple in for them later.


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