# Receiving millipedes with 'bad' mites?



## JJO (Mar 29, 2011)

I just received an order of 4 millipedes and upon inspection, they seem to have a varying degrees of the white mites (hypopus stage; the very tiny ones that don't move, not the brown ones). 

Is it normal to receive millipedes that already have these mites? Should I be worried? I had some pink legs that had white mites and they died. I kinda assumed that websites only sell healthy stock? 

I've never tried the 'put millipede in flour' technique...I'm reluctant to do that. 
Usually I'd keep the substrate that the 'pedes came in, but I'm thinking that might not be a good idea (they can have some substrate from my other millipedes plus some fresh stuff). 

I'm also reluctant to put my new 'pedes in with my other inverts in case they get infected. 

Any advice? I can contact the seller but figured it might be worth finding out if this is normal/common first.


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

hmm.. contact the seller before you try to treat it ?


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## JJO (Mar 29, 2011)

I hate making awkward phonecalls! But I did that earlier anyway, 

The seller was surprised that they had mites and said that they wont do any harm, so best to just leave them. I can knock them off with a brush (there didn't seem much point explaining that these were not the type that come off easily). 

I've only been keeping bugs for a couple of years, so think it's best to take advice from someone who is far more experienced. 

Based on the information I've read from various forums though, the mites that I have could be harmful, so I've put these guys in a separate container.
I'd rather buy hypopus-free bugs so I don't have to take precautions!


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

If you bought the big black african train millipedes all wild caught ones will have these mites. People say they are cleaning mites but as we know mites live on other animals. use a wet cotton but to brush off as many as possible from time to time, to reduce the numbers. over time they usually become less. these mites will live on madagascan hissing roaches but dont seem to bother too much with other millipede species.


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

i removed mine by contacting a garden bio supply place and bought a tub of friendly mites that eat other mites. i emptied the tub in with the millipedes and within a few weeks they were gone. the garden mites then die off as their mite food runs out. i forget what these predator mites are called. someone will know.


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

Just Green Just Spider Mite Killer - From £18.95 - Just Green

Spider Mite Predator Phytoseiulus persimilis - GreenMethods.com


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

animalstory said:


> i removed mine by contacting a garden bio supply place and bought a tub of friendly mites that eat other mites. i emptied the tub in with the millipedes and within a few weeks they were gone. the garden mites then die off as their mite food runs out. i* forget what these predator mites are called*. someone will know.



They are actually called predator mites -Phytoseiulus persimilis though im not sure they work on the mites you are describing. 

personally i just pick and flick the mites off over time and eventually you can get rid of them. Fresh Wc blacks always have them and are a bugger to remove

Jay


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## 8and6 (Jan 19, 2010)

the predatory mites you are looking for are Hypoaspis miles (yes miles, thats not a spelling mistake, lol)


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

a useful link i just found for tyou Giant millipedes.co.uk


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

arent the links to a company that supply them?

here they are:

http://www.just-green.com/Search/Hypoaspis-miles-/


i have a feeling either will do the job as they both eat larva and mites


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## JJO (Mar 29, 2011)

Thanks for all your replies! 
My giant African millipedes have the other type of mites - brown, fast moving cleaner mites which don't cause a problem. Those are easy to flick off if there are too many! 

Apparently the white ones kind of suction on and will move if you provide them with an alternate food source (which I will try). 
I'm reluctant to brush them off too much at the moment because i only just got them and they seemed to be a bit cold (also, a couple of my fingers are dyed yellow/dark red now). 

It's a shame to have to spend another £20 on mites after spending £50 on pedes! I think I'd rather spend the money than losing them though...so I'll check out those links.


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## JJO (Mar 29, 2011)

FYI, they look like this (my pink leg before it died)


http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/attachment.php?attachmentid=87758&stc=1&d=1292935764

not like this
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT--JyiA6x7wPM_sxQBPB9bhaWLGEBu1wkSg81hTA8jk7cP5cvXv2U6GflA


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## 8and6 (Jan 19, 2010)

Hypoaspis miles also eat fungus fly and phorid fly maggots so its win win.

but a handful of woodland mulch contains everything you need to control mites and maggots when mixed into the substrate....and its free too :2thumb:


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

those white ones are different and come from on where! or at least it seems. they seem to eat the fruit i put in and as said come from nowhere! Most likely from the food items i guess. They will attach themselves to most millipedes, beetles and other inverts. They also come in fruit fly cultures - only animal i have kept that ate them were dart frogs! When theres too many the millipedes suffer and will die. I treated my tank with the attack mites and it worked perfectly. i sometimes get these white mites appearing on the food but bin any fruit or veg they appear on and a handful of the soil where the food was sitting. My substrate is never changed and i dont have too many problems with these but use the above, keep it warm and humid and they will vanish. I often burry food items and the 'pedes will find and eat it which cuts down on these white ones. if placed on the surface of the substrate remove every few days to help stop them appearing.


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

i added woodland leaves and some wood to a beetle tank one year and about 6 months later found our common centipedes in with them - they had killed off all small larva and eggs. Best thing to do would be to add some common wood louse (found under most rocks) and a spring tail culture.


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## JJO (Mar 29, 2011)

animalstory, I sometimes get the larger grain mites on rotting fruit too, so I'm really careful to throw it out if there is any sign of mites, and haven't had any problems actually on my bugs since...this seems to work. I don't ever change my substrate either, just add to it and remove anything that is too rotted. 

I have lots of woodlice in with my other millipedes and my cockroaches and they seem to keep the place tidy (not free of flies though unfortunately). 

I think tomorrow I'll go and find some nice leaf litter/mulch, add in a few woodlice and possibly some fruit as an alternative food source for the mites. 

Currently my new millipedes are a bit stiff and lifeless  I think they got cold but should be warming up gently now.


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

JJO said:


> animalstory, I sometimes get the larger grain mites on rotting fruit too, so I'm really careful to throw it out if there is any sign of mites, and haven't had any problems actually on my bugs since...this seems to work. I don't ever change my substrate either, just add to it and remove anything that is too rotted.
> 
> I have lots of woodlice in with my other millipedes and my cockroaches and they seem to keep the place tidy (not free of flies though unfortunately).
> 
> ...


cold will slow them down for sure. i hate those little files...ggggrrr...


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