# Mite question for all you fruitfly junkies...



## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Here's a question; Pretty much all of you have mentioned mite infestation as an issue with fly cultures, however, one or two of you (ok, maybe just Stu) have mentioned that the mites themselves are actually useful food, at least for newly-metamorphosed froglets. So, have you ever considered cutting out the middle-fly, and just running cultures for the mites? They can't be hard to culture, given how much effort it seems to take to keep them out in the first place! :whistling2:


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## plasma234 (Feb 27, 2013)

mites are difficult to keep out, so i guess they are just as hard to keep IN. i wouldnt want to have a culture of 1000's and 1000's of mites break out and get into every other culture, or even worse, my people food :lol2:

i think some people do culture them saying that, probably surrounded by a super sonic force shield, similar to that of LOST fame :lol2:


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## That guy (Jul 22, 2013)

I had some in my crickets and the seemed to spread from them into all of my amphibians. At first I freaked out but realised they went after the phibis. They were after what comes out of the phibs lol.
Never thought of cultivating them. Initial thought was the same as plasma234. But then surly they had to come from somewhere? so they probably are in our people food... adds a bit of crunch lol


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

I think I read that Glenn was going to have a go a few months back. No idea how he got on though.

I'd imagine keeping the cultures in a water bath would stop them spreading and they would probably make great food for pumilio babies. Not something I'll be trying any time soon though, mites are the Devil :devil:


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## DrNick (Sep 20, 2012)

When I used to culture springtails on organic substrates I would leave them to the mites once the springs had run their course. I also think they're a good additional feeder - waste not want not and all that! The only down side is that you really need to throw the whole culture in - I don't know of a practical way of harvesting them. And of course the itchy face....

I'm in a minority (as often seems to be the case) thinking that mites aren't really too much of an issue. In charcoal springtail cultures you just have to wash them down periodically and I'm not convinced they have any impact on FF production at all. I've always had mites in all my cultures and probably always will. Intentionally culturing them though might be a step too far!!

Nick


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## frogfreak (Jul 28, 2012)

aberreef said:


> I think I read that Glenn was going to have a go a few months back. No idea how he got on though.


I haven't had a chance to get around to it yet and it will likely be spring before I do. The ones I'm looking at aren't grain mites and can be raised on bee pollen. The container would need a tight fitting gasket. I think Nick is right, I don't see any way to feed them off except putting the whole culture in viv.

I also do this with old fly cultures. Drop an expired culture in viv and wait for the mite explosion. This is what prompted my interest in attempting to culture them. The frogs love em!


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## plasma234 (Feb 27, 2013)

I wouldnt mind those fast moving mite type creatures that you get in the viv and in my iso cultures. I think they may be book mites, or wood mites or maybe even a type of springtail. I wonder if they would (pun intended) be good for pums.


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## Liam Yule (Feb 16, 2012)

plasma234 said:


> I wouldnt mind those fast moving mite type creatures that you get in the viv and in my iso cultures. I think they may be book mites, or wood mites or maybe even a type of springtail. I wonder if they would (pun intended) be good for pums.


Pum intended?

I always had ''problems'' with mites before mite paper. Never see the things now. I always wondered how ''bad'' they actually are as I saw no influence on the production of the fly cultures themselves?


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

I've had at least 4 different species of mites in my ff, springtail and woodlouse cultures. I've experienced both mels and Hydei fail due to excessive mite populations and a different species almost wiped out some of my more fancy woodlice. I've also attributed a high mite population to a springtail culture failing (others set up at the same time in exactly the same way did well but no mites )

I now take great pleasure in zapping every mite I see with the tip of a hot soldering iron. I dust and sieve ffs before starting cultures to limit their growth and keep everything on mite paper:war:


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Huw i was about to answer Nick with I think it is down to the species of mite one has inherited,but simply put you beat me. Got one that I rarely see now its brown,but without extension tubes can't photograph,that always seems to take down a springtail culture,even on charcoal,lost a big culture last night to it actually,but first time in months,so I'm getting there. Regarding ff,a big one slightly paler brown in colour,nails ,or at least plays hell with ff.
Buddy could you give me any det ail on the mite iso and whether you have ever seen it in dwarf white please,I'm curious, I'll give my reason later 

Totally agree with all the remedies though, sift and dust ff,washing down regularly on springtails,mite paper for both.

Glenn regarding the bee pollen mite,a hazard to honey bees? I too remember you mentioning this,but not the specifics

Good thread Ron:2thumb:, personally I'm pretty happy without seeing them at all.
Glenn's thoughts interest me,becuase I see the merit as always in different feeders,plus one is so damn limited on the very young very small frogs,pums rani for example.Their capacity to explode has always been of concern,funnily enough in the smaller frogs vivs,especially if those smaller frogs live in a larger viv. There is such a significant difference in what the smaller darts and larger darts eat, I have never heard of a mite explosion in an inhabited viv .But feel that is where it might just happen:big viv low number of small frogs,all totally hypothetical mate,no substance other than a wayward brain musing out loud:mf_dribble:

I also don't have a real remedy for harvest,other than picking up big lumps of charcoal and washing them into a viv/tub with a hand mister, but its far from effective or efficient.With mites congregating around food this works better ,but that springtail mite I noted above doesn't do this,I'm sure it is predating the springs,I am aware of something much smaller and pale,that is found congregating around food,that one is not a problem in my charcoal cultures, if it surfaces,and I do use to feed kids,via the above method.



Stu


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## plasma234 (Feb 27, 2013)

> . Buddy could you give me any det ail on the mite iso and whether you have ever seen it in dwarf white please,I'm curious, I'll give my reason later



Is that aimed me?


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## DrNick (Sep 20, 2012)

soundstounite said:


> Huw i was about to answer Nick with I think it is down to the species of mite


Yes.... I think we've been here before! 

All I can say is that I personally have yet to see mites crash a healthy ff culture. Will they take over a ff culture doing badly? Absolutely....

I agree that they can be a nightmare in springtail and iso cultures though.

Nick


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

plasma234 said:


> Is that aimed me?


Actually Huw, Calz,I'm on the back of a very very long day so am somewhat vague,knackered a better word.My bad

I have a theory that DW iso predate some mites,hence the Q as to specifics of mite and species of iso infected.

Stu


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

Stu, as it happens I haven't seen any mites in the whites cultures. The ones that caused me grief were the tiny dark brown ones. I noticed them in my orange P. scaber a long time before they caused any problems but they stayed as a little clump on a piece of wood and didn't move for weeks. Then, one day, they were all through the culture and into others too. The mites did seem to be actively feeding on the woods. I ended up washing the woodlice in a sieve and putting them in clean housing which seems to have worked.

The ones I zap are the bigger light brown ones. They may well be safe in the cultures but I really can't stand the thought of them crawling around the house and the insane itching every time I touch the cultures. Hence my mission to eradicate every one of the stinking little sods:2thumb:


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

I've just acquired another species in Grain and Bean weevil cultures I bought too:censor: Tiny little things this time, very plae in colour and MILLIONS of them:gasp:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Undoubtably I introduce detrivore mites to my vivs whenever I use live leafmould or leaflitter, but they are all part of the clean-up crew, so far as I'm concerned. I do nuke any that I add to my woodlouse cultures, though.


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

aberreef said:


> Stu, as it happens I haven't seen any mites in the whites cultures. The ones that caused me grief were the tiny dark brown ones. I noticed them in my orange P. scaber a long time before they caused any problems but they stayed as a little clump on a piece of wood and didn't move for weeks. Then, one day, they were all through the culture and into others too. The mites did seem to be actively feeding on the woods. I ended up washing the woodlice in a sieve and putting them in clean housing which seems to have worked.
> 
> The ones I zap are the bigger light brown ones. They may well be safe in the cultures but I really can't stand the thought of them crawling around the house and the insane itching every time I touch the cultures. Hence my mission to eradicate every one of the stinking little sods:2thumb:


Huw two of us even with many cultures can't confirm my thoughts,but just why no mites in the dwarf white,what is that reason?

To save tome
DW=dwarf white
GO= giant orange(spanish morph of P.scaber)
FG =fast grey(dwarf fast moving species)


Huw, my thoughts are centered on DW predating mites, as I roughly put above. It might be they nail the egg stage of the mite,but having so many cultures one becomes aware of patterns,having you confirm similar makes me really wonder,just what is going on.

Iso are also known to be predatory of each other,so eradicating mites by introducing DW to say a GO(FG) culture is not as straight forward as just introducing DW to a GO culture,the DW will take over,with time,yup I KNOW this,same with FG. But I would suggest that if one could get the number right of each species and split at the right time,one might clear the mites and be able to start afresh with some GO/FG adults 

I simply have no issue with the species of mite here with DW,I'm probably running 40or so cultures.hell I don't count. I can put a culture of GO or Fg on top of a DW culture and still not get mites in the DW,no mite paper betwixt. If these are indeed grain mites then stopping feeding with my edible subs method should eradicate anyway as the mites should simply starve,but I don't know how long exactly that process should take so would be loath to recommend a time span

I have not yet introduced dwarf striped into any of this,but reading up,they seem to be a dominant force in a mixed iso culture,DB searches will possibly yield where my musings are sourced,I think one or pumillio's bug threads 

Stu


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

That woodlouse book I ordered also mentioned DWs dominating mixed cultures if I remember rightly- I'll have to dig it out and check.


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## aberreef (Aug 10, 2010)

Striped are definitely dominant. I've managed to get some in a few of my Panamanian brown cultures (I think the same species as dwarf purple and what Stu calls DG:whistling2: Common names are a pain but I can't find the latin for this species:censor I don't think the harm the other species but grow faster and possibly outcompete for food.

Striped are definitely prone to mites though. I'm itching just typing about them yuch:devil:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Ron Magpie said:


> That woodlouse book I ordered also mentioned DWs dominating mixed cultures if I remember rightly- I'll have to dig it out and check.


 I did and it does.


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

Ron Magpie said:


> I did and it does.


that is a very cool book, i may read it again at weekend


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

aberreef said:


> Striped are definitely dominant. I've managed to get some in a few of my Panamanian brown cultures (I think the same species as dwarf purple and what Stu calls DG:whistling2: Common names are a pain but I can't find the latin for this species:censor I don't think the harm the other species but grow faster and possibly outcompete for food.
> 
> Striped are definitely prone to mites though. I'm itching just typing about them yuch:devil:


FG fast grey,yup you are right the common names are a source of confusion. I've actually compared pics with some americans trying to see if what they were talking about is the same species Huw. This particular beastie seems very useful with pums,from what I can gather. It is also not so clearly identifiable as the other species we utilize. But same here mate never been able to pin down a latin name,so have taken to a description of movement in the name as it seems the most identifiable feature.

Thanks Ron:2thumb:

Stu


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> FG fast grey,yup you are right the common names are a source of confusion. I've actually compared pics with some americans trying to see if what they were talking about is the same species Huw. This particular beastie seems very useful with pums,from what I can gather. It is also not so clearly identifiable as the other species we utilize. But same here mate never been able to pin down a latin name,so have taken to a description of movement in the name as it seems the most identifiable feature.
> 
> Thanks Ron:2thumb:
> 
> Stu


what makes this confusing is im sure these are what i call "costa rican purple" i have had cultures from Hew and Darren and there the same as the ones i bought named as "costa rican purple" exactly identical 

thing is with out latin names you dont really knwo what you are buying really as you only have the sellers word which as also been told to him by another seller and so on 

either way these little fast moving things are great and very very prolific, i have not tried it but i would prob say these would dominate a culture


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

grizzlymonkyboy said:


> what makes this confusing is im sure these are what i call "costa rican purple" i have had cultures from Hew and Darren and there the same as the ones i bought named as "costa rican purple" exactly identical
> 
> thing is with out latin names you dont really knwo what you are buying really as you only have the sellers word which as also been told to him by another seller and so on
> 
> either way these little fast moving things are great and very very prolific, i have not tried it but i would prob say these would dominate a culture


yeah another name,good init:lol2: costa and pan being adajcent,I guess two different collection sources of same beastie,endemic to both countries? who knows mate. Hence the fast hey :2thumb: They sure as hell ain't purple. Yeah one would think so with the faster,it seems, breeding cycle,but I think there are other factors at play ^^. 

Stu


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

the purple fella's ? faster than usain bolt the little *shakes fist*


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> yeah another name,good init:lol2: costa and pan being adajcent,I guess two different collection sources of same beastie,endemic to both countries? who knows mate. Hence the fast hey :2thumb: They sure as hell ain't purple. Yeah one would think so with the faster,it seems, breeding cycle,but I think there are other factors at play ^^.
> 
> Stu


they sure get about abit :lol2: or maybe not :Na_Na_Na_Na:

might try it and see mate you watch i will end up with some inbreeding and creating a new one... ha ha imagion if a ISOPOD breeder would read this and get as angry as we do when people talk about mixing frogs....... " how dare they talk about putting a DW with a CRP/FG they dont understand how fround upon this is"

back to been serious even the book dont have the latin name for this ISO it says 

jungle micropod 

older immatures and adults usually appear to be a sort or purplish grey, especially from a distance giving rise to the name "purple micors" on many sale pages. some are a shade of orange which might be attributed to the organge eggs but radiates throughout the whole body. it almost never hold onto wood. in many ways this species is simular to T.tomentosa (DW whcih dont come under drawf in this book :Na_Na_Na_Na but not so much to assume it is in the same genus. this stock has a single source origin, as it arrived from costa rica in 2007


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

The two I have DW and FLB (fast little buggers) are listed as _Trichorhina tormentosa_ and (I think!) _Atlantoscia floridana_. As GMB remarks, no latin name is given for the purple jungle thingies, but I don't have them anyway..


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Nick's scientific background is having a massive effect on our nomenclature lads,FLB's...FG's CR purple:lol2: Proper funny,I'm sure some iso expert will go to a frogger's house and suddenly declare he has found a species new to science.Us simple folks just want to know we are talking about the same bloody beastie:bash:

Stu


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> Nick's scientific background is having a massive effect on our nomenclature lads,FLB's...FG's CR purple:lol2: Proper funny,I'm sure some iso expert will go to a frogger's house and suddenly declare he has found a species new to science.Us simple folks just want to know we are talking about the same bloody beastie:bash:
> 
> Stu


i think you have been talking far toooooo much with nick coming out with words like "nomenclature" 

i have been reading stuff at work and my boss has caught me a few times and asked what im reading ..... 1st up Nick's reconmended paper article on flies, second was intresting link i found on DB about the structure of soil and Microbial activity.... well it was funny my boss thinks im studying for some exam or something when i explained i keep frogs he really didnt get it :blush:

Soil environment and physical factors controlling microbial activity - MicrobeWiki


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

grizzlymonkyboy said:


> i think you have been talking far toooooo much with nick coming out with words like "nomenclature"
> 
> i have been reading stuff at work and my boss has caught me a few times and asked what im reading ..... 1st up Nick's reconmended paper article on flies, second was intresting link i found on DB about the structure of soil and Microbial activity.... well it was funny my boss thinks im studying for some exam or something when i explained i keep frogs he really didnt get it :blush:
> 
> Soil environment and physical factors controlling microbial activity - MicrobeWiki


Not me bro,he's from up north ,can't understand a word the guy says,to be fair,he doesn't understand me much either:2thumb::lol2:. 

Erm don't quite know how to say this..... now who it is keeps bunging more of them at me exactly???:Na_Na_Na_Na:

I do agree though Dane what one finds oneself learning on or about when one keeps darts is bloody nuts,I do love it for that,can't hold it all but it's great to dig away at and so varied :2thumb:

Stu


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> I do agree though Dane what one finds oneself learning on or about when one keeps darts is bloody nuts,I do love it for that,can't hold it all but it's great to dig away at and so varied :2thumb:
> 
> Stu


thats the best part of this hobby you can really get into it all and learn crazy amounts of stuff and so varied, from plants to flies to wood then to the structure of subs my lord 

its a curve mate and im been dragged along it :2thumb:

i have keep all sorts of stuff from chickens, brids, geckos, marine fish, dogs and a cat and nothing compares to this dart frog gig

back on topic, i have just decided to start to kill my mites 

i have taken the towel sprayed with mite spray and place the cultures on top, no cups touching and even the cultures with no mites.... now this is a big risk as i have read that fly out put once doing this will be poor for a little while but i think it must be done as 2 out of 10 cultures seem to crash with a high population of mites 

i have also read adding a squeeze of lemon in the mix can also help rid mites (seen mixed reviews on this) so will try a few new cultures with this to see if i can keep them away once rid


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

grizzlymonkyboy said:


> thats the best part of this hobby you can really get into it all and learn crazy amounts of stuff and so varied, from plants to flies to wood then to the structure of subs my lord
> 
> its a curve mate and im been dragged along it :2thumb:
> 
> ...


Dane are you using Berksmike's home made mite paper,it's here somewhere? So far I'm wary of changing from the blue(occasionally white) bought stuff,it's also the implications to the frogs that makes me cautious,the price is a pita though . Be careful bro,I would hate to see this go wrong !!

good luck

Stu


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> Dane are you using Berksmike's home made mite paper,it's here somewhere? So far I'm wary of changing from the blue(occasionally white) bought stuff,it's also the implications to the frogs that makes me cautious,the price is a pita though . Be careful bro,I would hate to see this go wrong !!
> 
> good luck
> 
> Stu


i have used smite, same stuff i use on my chicken hutch it has no toxic smell and seems to be much safer then stuff i have seen in a spray, i have also diluted it 50/50 before spraying onto a towel. what do you use stu??


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

soundstounite said:


> Dane are you using Berksmike's home made mite paper,it's here somewhere? So far I'm wary of changing from the blue(occasionally white) bought stuff,it's also the implications to the frogs that makes me cautious,the price is a pita though . Be careful bro,I would hate to see this go wrong !!
> 
> good luck
> 
> Stu





grizzlymonkyboy said:


> i have used smite, same stuff i use on my chicken hutch it has no toxic smell and seems to be much safer then stuff i have seen in a spray, i have also diluted it 50/50 before spraying onto a towel. what do you use stu??


Another issue I'd have, if I kept darts (which of course I don't) or if I *were *to keep darts (which of course I wont); I wouldn't be too happy rearing food in close proximity to pesticides- I understand the need, but I wouldn't be happy about it.


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

Ron Magpie said:


> Another issue I'd have, if I kept darts (which of course I don't) or if I *were *to keep darts (which of course I wont); I wouldn't be too happy rearing food in close proximity to pesticides- I understand the need, but I wouldn't be happy about it.


truth be told its taken me a lot to get to this point mate... i am hoping this is safe ish :blush: i have sparyed the towel and let them dry then sat the cultures ontop 

so i guess the only thing in contact is the bottom of the cups im considering washing the bottoms after and then using all the flies to start brand new cultures which in theroy will be mite free 

i could be very naive here and all this could be worse then im thinking


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

grizzlymonkyboy said:


> truth be told its taken me a lot to get to this point mate... i am hoping this is safe ish :blush: i have sparyed the towel and let them dry then sat the cultures ontop
> 
> so i guess the only thing in contact is the bottom of the cups im considering washing the bottoms after and then using all the flies to start brand new cultures which in theroy will be mite free
> 
> i could be very naive here and all this could be worse then im thinking


It seems to be standard practice- so if you are wrong, everybody is. The method seems to work for Stu and many others, though.


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Sorry Dane i've posted once already,our phone line went awol a couple of days back,hence no internet,they have repaired it but damned if I know
anyway,just digressing Ron I SO bloody hear ya mate!!

Dane i use the stuff from dartfrog,it's the same stuff the yanks use he imports called no bugs,tried to get a link,but that crapped out too. use google no bugs mite paper,blue paper, black red label.1% propoxur active ingredient Mate I really need a tool for a job,I can't compromise and while this stuff is pricey and I share the reservations it is proven time and again. It is quite possibly nastier than what you have used,but so widely used for the EXACT use we want I stopped worrying a long time back.I can't get some springs under the racks on to it,but pretty much all other food is cultured on it.Utterly no problems.

But I concur with both of you,not really where I wanted to go,but feeding baby darts and adult in some number requires lots of food and relaible supplies at that,so lesser of too evils.
hope this gets there

Stu


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

soundstounite said:


> Sorry Dane i've posted once already,our phone line went awol a couple of days back,hence no internet,they have repaired it but damned if I know
> anyway,just digressing Ron I SO bloody hear ya mate!!
> 
> Dane i use the stuff from dartfrog,it's the same stuff the yanks use he imports called no bugs,tried to get a link,but that crapped out too. use google no bugs mite paper,blue paper, black red label.1% propoxur active ingredient Mate I really need a tool for a job,I can't compromise and while this stuff is pricey and I share the reservations it is proven time and again. It is quite possibly nastier than what you have used,but so widely used for the EXACT use we want I stopped worrying a long time back.I can't get some springs under the racks on to it,but pretty much all other food is cultured on it.Utterly no problems.
> ...


Yeah mate, I totally get it; without the papers, rearing would be incredibly difficult if not impossible. As an old-skool hippy, though, I do worry about pesticide accumilation through the food chain- have you ever read or heard about the Rachel Carson book _Silent Spring_? it was one of the tranformative books of the Sixties, showing that pesticides absorbed by prey built up to damaging levels in apex predators. As I said above, you and plenty of others successfully keep and breed darts, so I'm probably being alarmist about nothing; still worries me though.


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

i have the mite paper, but have been tempted by the tray of water method


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> Sorry Dane i've posted once already,our phone line went awol a couple of days back,hence no internet,they have repaired it but damned if I know
> anyway,just digressing Ron I SO bloody hear ya mate!!
> 
> Dane i use the stuff from dartfrog,it's the same stuff the yanks use he imports called no bugs,tried to get a link,but that crapped out too. use google no bugs mite paper,blue paper, black red label.1% propoxur active ingredient Mate I really need a tool for a job,I can't compromise and while this stuff is pricey and I share the reservations it is proven time and again. It is quite possibly nastier than what you have used,but so widely used for the EXACT use we want I stopped worrying a long time back.I can't get some springs under the racks on to it,but pretty much all other food is cultured on it.Utterly no problems.
> ...


i may take a look at this stuff mate i need to do my dart frog quaterly order at some point ha ha ha

cheers for the info dude 

i have had huge issues with internet for months found out the line was very damaged guy came out and fixed it but took me months to get them to even look at it.... quick to take ya money though:whistling2:


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

Ron Magpie said:


> Yeah mate, I totally get it; without the papers, rearing would be incredibly difficult if not impossible. As an old-skool hippy, though, I do worry about pesticide accumilation through the food chain- have you ever read or heard about the Rachel Carson book _Silent Spring_? it was one of the tranformative books of the Sixties, showing that pesticides absorbed by prey built up to damaging levels in apex predators. As I said above, you and plenty of others successfully keep and breed darts, so I'm probably being alarmist about nothing; still worries me though.


yeah you stop making me panic :lol2: 

ill never forget the time i was chatting (via pm i think) to Stu about necromants god that hit me hard i couldnt sleep for 2 nights in the end i ripped the viv out and started again ha ha ha


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## frogfreak (Jul 28, 2012)

This is what I use to protect against mites. Non toxic and lasts forever<<That's the really cool part  I put it on the bottom of my trays and suspend the cultures on egg crate. I haven't had any mite issues since I started in the hobby, except for some springs I didn't protect. What a mess that was! I too worry about chemicals. 

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth 125 grams

Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): Bug Killer You Can Eat!


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## grizzlymonkyboy (Jan 15, 2011)

frogfreak said:


> This is what I use to protect against mites. Non toxic and lasts forever<<That's the really cool part  I put it on the bottom of my trays and suspend the cultures on egg crate. I haven't had any mite issues since I started in the hobby, except for some springs I didn't protect. What a mess that was! I too worry about chemicals.
> 
> Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth 125 grams
> 
> Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): Bug Killer You Can Eat!


!! orderd !! £10ish for 300g and p&p.....


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

frogfreak said:


> This is what I use to protect against mites. Non toxic and lasts forever<<That's the really cool part  I put it on the bottom of my trays and suspend the cultures on egg crate. I haven't had any mite issues since I started in the hobby, except for some springs I didn't protect. What a mess that was! I too worry about chemicals.
> 
> Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth 125 grams
> 
> Diatomaceous Earth (food grade): Bug Killer You Can Eat!


*WOOHOO! *My reputation is saved (blame it all on the Canadian Hippy! :lol2; this looks like a really useful, safe resource.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Well I`ve not got a lot to add to this thread other than that like Nick I`ve not considered mites to be a problem with my fly cultures.
I HAVE lost several springtail cultures in the past to the brown mite, in which case I boil my charcoal and start again.
Now I keep my springtails far away from my flies, just in case.
I also DO NOT touch my springtails after having handled fly cultures and when feeding springs it is ALWAYS done before touching the flies.
As Stu has mentioned I`ve never seen mites in my white woodlice cultures that I can remember.
We discussed this on the phone a long time back and I`m still none the wiser why this is.
I`ve seen the little bulbous white mites in my spring cultures and have no idea where they came from, but they make funny popping noises when you squish them :2thumb:.
Stu here is something for you.
I`ve no idea if you`ve seen this but it fascinates me.
My whites build little hidey holes in their soil and it`s awesome to watch them sliding in and out doing whatever it is they do.
The surface of my cultures are covered in these holes.
I`ve taken 3 photos in succession where you can see if you look, the woodlice sticking their heads/feelers out of the holes and going back in.

Mike


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

frogman955 said:


> Well I`ve not got a lot to add to this thread other than that like Nick I`ve not considered mites to be a problem with my fly cultures.
> I HAVE lost several springtail cultures in the past to the brown mite, in which case I boil my charcoal and start again.
> Now I keep my springtails far away from my flies, just in case.
> I also DO NOT touch my springtails after having handled fly cultures and when feeding springs it is ALWAYS done before touching the flies.
> ...


Beats me Mike all I can say is they remind me of mudskippers:2thumb: I would say your subs are wetter than mine,but beyond that what a great example of how iso can potentially aerate a substrate,it's never really struck me before Mike! but your pictures give me that impression on a huge level. I would think,tricky this, our viv subs resemble your pictures,more than my culture media, I don't often disturb a viv,so very difficult to assertain.

Fascinating!!

Stu


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

The photo`s don`t really show it off Stu, but my cultures are both full of holes like you see on there.
It`s as you say, it`s like they have tunnelled all through it to let it aerate, let the air flow so to speak.

Mike


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