# Help with mealworms please, possible grain mites.



## ChelsNLuke (Jun 23, 2012)

Hey we have mealworms and there is water forming on the top of the tub they're in and on the sides, there's plenty of ventilation holes all over the tub but they are kept in quite a warm place (no other alternative) we're just worried about grain mites, what are the signs of grain mites and are they any direct threat to my leo's health?? 

We are very new to this so are worried, any help would be much appreciated thanks.


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## St185 (Jun 28, 2011)

Hi, from what I know grain mites won't harm a Leo but you need to take the lid of the tub to get rid of the condensation.
Once it's dried out, move the mealworms into a clean container and look for little brown-ish dots moving about (if you have mites they will group up around the sides and top of the container) 
Try to keep the mealworm as dry as possible.
This is from my experience will grain mites and I'm sure more experienced people will comment.
Hope this helps for now


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

mealworms dont need a lid on the tub, take it off, they cant get out!
the condensation and humidity will be making the substrate go mouldy.

you probly will have to change the oats or whatever you`re keeping them in if its gone off, the mould wont be too good for your lizard?

if you have got mites rather than mould you`ll see them moving about.


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

Yup grain mites feed on fungal grown iirc. If you do have them, end the conditions that cause mould and you will be rid of them. Also they tend to have a smell of their own (at least to me), once you have smelt it, and seen movement, you can put two and two everytime.


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## ChelsNLuke (Jun 23, 2012)

What does it smell like? There seems to be lots of like brown around the sides and there is water in the lid =/ I'm not allowed to keep htem with a lid off, but all the brown stuff doesn't seem to be moving... Do they need humidity and heat to breed?


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## Oderus (Nov 24, 2009)

Humidity they need, heat not so much. Hard to describe the smell, its been some time since I've had a problem with them, (a bag of old chicken mash iirc). However it's not particularly pleasant, but unlike mould smells (or at least those I've smelt). Brownish crust rings a bell, if its not moving they may have been present but died off. 

If the culture box has to be lidded, it would be best to look to putting a decent amount of ventilation in the form of mesh or the like.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

you need the beetles to breed them, 

are you sure the brown bits arnt mealworms poop? its kinda like brown sand?

you`re probly best cutting a section out of the lid as suggested - you could glue some net curtain over the hole?


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## ChelsNLuke (Jun 23, 2012)

We've sorted it now mate thanks, just sneakily left the lid open a bit =P


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