# Help Mite in my Dubia Roaches



## Iwantone

I'm at a loss how to get rid of these things. They are tiny white bugs and there are loads. I got them when I bought a second lot of Dubias to boost up my colony but there it seems there were too many in too small a tub and the humidity was too high causing damp. I have since moved them all into a much larger container but I'll be damned if I can get rid. I have already cleaned them out and replaced the egg crates but the mites are obviously on the roaches as they have come back. I read that starving them of 'wet' gutload can help but is this true and how long can I do this before it kills them? They have a very good 'dry' gutload mix in their tub all the time.

These things make my skin crawl so can someone please help! :gasp:


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## RedGex

Yes drying them out will kill the mites. Sometimes our roaches go dry a good few days with no probs. Another option is to introduce some buffalo worms. A colony of those will live along side, and eat mite eggs 

Keep the roach tub as aired as possible, and definitely with no lid!



Iwantone said:


> I'm at a loss how to get rid of these things. They are tiny white bugs and there are loads. I got them when I bought a second lot of Dubias to boost up my colony but there it seems there were too many in too small a tub and the humidity was too high causing damp. I have since moved them all into a much larger container but I'll be damned if I can get rid. I have already cleaned them out and replaced the egg crates but the mites are obviously on the roaches as they have come back. I read that starving them of 'wet' gutload can help but is this true and how long can I do this before it kills them? They have a very good 'dry' gutload mix in their tub all the time.
> 
> These things make my skin crawl so can someone please help! :gasp:


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## Iwantone

RedGex said:


> Yes drying them out will kill the mites. Sometimes our roaches go dry a good few days with no probs. Another option is to introduce some buffalo worms. A colony of those will live along side, and eat mite eggs
> 
> Keep the roach tub as aired as possible, and definitely with no lid!


Thanks. Where can I get buffalo worms from? I don't really want to leave the lid off with no cover in case the males get out so could I put something else over eg mesh? Will it be okay to put the lid back on if I ever get rid of the mites? I think I have too many roaches as they have bred like crazy.


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## elchopchop

I had this problem in one of my hisser bins, Email these guys Defenders - Safe Effective Natural Biologist Pest Control for Gardeners Tell them your problem and ask about predatory mite cultures. They will tell you the ones you need to get (I forget the name now) you just put the culture in the roach colony and the predatory mites will eat all of the mites on the roaches as well as their eggs, then they just die off. Worked like a charm for me! :2thumb:


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## Iwantone

elchopchop said:


> I had this problem in one of my hisser bins, Email these guys Defenders - Safe Effective Natural Biologist Pest Control for Gardeners Tell them your problem and ask about predatory mite cultures. They will tell you the ones you need to get (I forget the name now) you just put the culture in the roach colony and the predatory mites will eat all of the mites on the roaches as well as their eggs, then they just die off. Worked like a charm for me! :2thumb:


Thanks, that sounds like a good plan too. :2thumb: Does it matter that I don't know the name of the mites in my tub? Also will I still be able to feed the roaches to my reptiles if I put these predatory mites in and are they expensive?


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## kez30

elchopchop said:


> I had this problem in one of my hisser bins, Email these guys Defenders - Safe Effective Natural Biologist Pest Control for Gardeners Tell them your problem and ask about predatory mite cultures. They will tell you the ones you need to get (I forget the name now) you just put the culture in the roach colony and the predatory mites will eat all of the mites on the roaches as well as their eggs, then they just die off. Worked like a charm for me! :2thumb:


Were these mites fairly large by any chance? Hissers have a type of mite that can live on them but cause no harm to them. Studies have shown that they eat the same food fed to the hissers and help them by eating the mould off their shells : victory:


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## elchopchop

kez30 said:


> Were these mites fairly large by any chance? Hissers have a type of mite that can live on them but cause no harm to them. Studies have shown that they eat the same food fed to the hissers and help them by eating the mould off their shells : victory:


hey not really that large, and they were a creamy whiteish orange colour. I know that the mites cause no harm to the hissers by way of feeding off them, but in large numbers they can be detrimental to the health of the colony and can cause breathing problems for the hissers hence why i decided to cull them!! :2thumb:


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## elchopchop

Iwantone said:


> Thanks, that sounds like a good plan too. :2thumb: Does it matter that I don't know the name of the mites in my tub? Also will I still be able to feed the roaches to my reptiles if I put these predatory mites in and are they expensive?


Hey, if you tell them the species of roaches you have and a description of the mites they will know which culture you need. The predatory mites do not harm the roaches nor are they transferable to reptiles as their soul purpose is to eat other mites and their eggs. I paid around £5.50 including postage and this size culture did a 100 litre hisser bin in around 2 - 3 weeks :2thumb:


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## jonnyboy86

OMG dont use buffalo worms! worst things ever that have infested 2 of my dubia tubs and 1 turkistan tub! they breed like, well cockroaches! once you get them you cant get rid of them its impossible. if you dont control their numbers you will have more of them than roaches!

as for the mites, drying them works. clean them out, fresh egg trays, no water for 5 days (dubias can survive 30 days+ with no water) very little food. also feed them at the top of the tank, and water also. feed only enough food that can be eaten within 12 hours, and for the lid cut a big hole at least 60% the size of the lide and cover with netting.

ive never used the mite predator things, but i have heard they are really good also


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## Iwantone

elchopchop said:


> Hey, if you tell them the species of roaches you have and a description of the mites they will know which culture you need. The predatory mites do not harm the roaches nor are they transferable to reptiles as their soul purpose is to eat other mites and their eggs. I paid around £5.50 including postage and this size culture did a 100 litre hisser bin in around 2 - 3 weeks :2thumb:


Had a reply from them today thanks so I think I will order some. :2thumb:



jonnyboy86 said:


> OMG dont use buffalo worms! worst things ever that have infested 2 of my dubia tubs and 1 turkistan tub! they breed like, well cockroaches! once you get them you cant get rid of them its impossible. if you dont control their numbers you will have more of them than roaches!
> 
> as for the mites, drying them works. clean them out, fresh egg trays, no water for 5 days (dubias can survive 30 days+ with no water) very little food. also feed them at the top of the tank, and water also. feed only enough food that can be eaten within 12 hours, and for the lid cut a big hole at least 60% the size of the lide and cover with netting.
> 
> ive never used the mite predator things, but i have heard they are really good also


 
Thanks, I'm going for the mites. I think that I don't have enough ventilation in the tub so perhaps more of the top should be cut out and replaced with mesh. Should you leave dry food in with them all the time or not?


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## Dragon Farm

Did you order them after all ? What was the result ?


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## Iwantone

Dragon Farm said:


> Did you order them after all ? What was the result ?


Gosh that seems like ages ago now. Yes I ordered them and they worked. I have my roaches in a much bigger container with plenty of ventilation and I cut down on the wet food. They have been mite free for a long time now.


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## Dragon Farm

Fantastic. Thanks for replying. I will give it a go. 

Its possible that your roaches are not 100% mite free, but in fact you still have both types but in very small numbers, and the predatory ones are stopping the pest ones getting out of hand. That would probably be the ideal situation if its true.


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## Iwantone

Dragon Farm said:


> Fantastic. Thanks for replying. I will give it a go.
> 
> Its possible that your roaches are not 100% mite free, but in fact you still have both types but in very small numbers, and the predatory ones are stopping the pest ones getting out of hand. That would probably be the ideal situation if its true.


That's ok. I was under the impression that the good mites would die once they had no other mites to feed on. I certainly haven't seen any trace of mites for a long time so I am presuming they are all gone but who knows for sure lol.


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## Dragon Farm

Nature normally finds a balance. Whether your box is big enough to sustain populations of both species is questionable. But your mites must have come from somewhere, and if they have failed to return again and breed in large numbers, maybe they are still there. I have boxes with both species pest ones (slow moving ones), and predatory ones (fast ones). I didn't introduce either on purpose.


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