# Yippee my velvet mites are here



## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Ordered a trio of giant indian velevt mites from Martin Goss and they came today.

They are the funniest, weirdest yet cutest little critters I've ever seen. They look like miniature walking pin cushions.

The pics aren't very good but anyway..



















Thanks spider_duck for your help.


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

wow they look so cool!

seems like a fairly simplistic setup, too - are they easy to care for? what do you feed them like? lol


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

blackbat67 said:


> wow they look so cool!
> 
> seems like a fairly simplistic setup, too - are they easy to care for? what do you feed them like? lol


Had a funny feeling you would like these. They are about the size of a raisin, just need a few inches of damp (not wet) coir/organic compost. They are in the smallest plastic tank and eat anything they can overpower. I've given them springtails but think fruit flies would prob be better. Normal room temp. They cost a fiver for the trio and of course P&P £6.50. Had to pay an extra 40p cos I paid through paypal so £11.90 all together.


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

ooh doesnt seem too bad lol i may look into gettin some in the near future


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

heres a uk species i have in my garden


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

wow Macro that's amazing, aren't they like pin head size? You could take some great pics of cat fleas.:lol2:


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

are they them money spider things lol, the tiny red things that used to be everywhere on my doorstep lol?


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## spider_duck (Feb 25, 2008)

Neaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw theyre so sweeeeeeeeet :flrt: You're very welcome sugar. Im getting more soon and I cant wait :flrt: Have fun with yours  Their setup is lovely! :no1:


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## acereptiles (Aug 30, 2006)

I need some of these! They're great.


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## MarshallDavies (Sep 24, 2008)

macro, what lens did you use to take picture? good shot. 
:no1:


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

acereptiles said:


> I need some of these! They're great.


They are freaky, boring and parasitic. Not something for me. :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

MarshallDavies said:


> macro, what lens did you use to take picture? good shot.
> :no1:


 canon mpe-65


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

joeyboy said:


> wow Macro that's amazing, aren't they like pin head size? You could take some great pics of cat fleas.:lol2:


 
Only 4mm long Red velvet mite - Eutrombidium sp. - Natural England


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Lucifus said:


> They are freaky, boring and parasitic. Not something for me. :Na_Na_Na_Na:


Awwwww Lucifus you're being grumpy!!!!!they are lovely and cute. You will upset spider_duck saying things like that:lol2::bash:


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## Moosmoo (Jul 21, 2008)

Ours died


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Moosmoo said:


> Ours died


Ah right....thanks for that cheery note Moosmoo:lol2:


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## Moosmoo (Jul 21, 2008)

Slinkies mum said:


> Ah right....thanks for that cheery note Moosmoo:lol2:


 They're cool though!


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

They really are SO cool! 

I am tempted, I must say... :hmm: Dont know if I can be bothered with a room full of fruit flies all round the ceiling though. Do they not take pin-head crickets, pre-killed?


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

i really want some as well!!


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

AshMashMash said:


> They really are SO cool!
> 
> I am tempted, I must say... :hmm: Dont know if I can be bothered with a room full of fruit flies all round the ceiling though. Do they not take pin-head crickets, pre-killed?


 
Tell me about it...thats why I got springtails but they don't look big enough. Spider_duck is the resident expert.
Some suggest pulling the legs of locust to immobilise them and cutting the heads of wax worms but that all seems a bit gruesome to me.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Slinkies mum said:


> Tell me about it...thats why I got springtails but they don't look big enough. Spider_duck is the resident expert.
> Some suggest pulling the legs of locust to immobilise them and cutting the heads of wax worms but that all seems a bit gruesome to me.


I dont mind gruesome... I prekill morios and crickets for my scorps, and chop them up and things, thats fine. 

Some other website I read said they can indeed be fred pinheads... so I am seriously considering them now. 

Can they be kept in cricket tubs? They are only 4mm, yes?


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

i'm really wanting some to 

what substrate? eco-earth?
do they need misting?

i want some! XD


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

4mm NO not these they are about the size of a raisin. Mine are in the smallest one of the plastic tanks.
Black bat you can buy a brick of coir there is a bloke always on ebay selling snail gear he does it. Just soak it in bottle water and it swells up like you wouldn't believe. You really would only need to chip a bit of the end for these guys.
Basically they will take on any thing they can overpower...whether they work as a team I don't know. Think they will also nibble on a bit of veggie matter..trial and error really though I did think if I put a bit of banana in with them it would attract the fruit flies I'm plagued with and solve that prob for me.


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

cool, i may have a go with these sometime soon XD


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## acereptiles (Aug 30, 2006)

I keep saying that too, but then I realize I can spend the same amount on a sling or juvie T and usually go that way, lol!


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Slinkies mum said:


> 4mm NO not these they are about the size of a raisin. Mine are in the smallest one of the plastic tanks.
> Black bat you can buy a brick of coir there is a bloke always on ebay selling snail gear he does it. Just soak it in bottle water and it swells up like you wouldn't believe. You really would only need to chip a bit of the end for these guys.
> Basically they will take on any thing they can overpower...whether they work as a team I don't know. Think they will also nibble on a bit of veggie matter..trial and error really though I did think if I put a bit of banana in with them it would attract the fruit flies I'm plagued with and solve that prob for me.


Ohhh ok. Well, I have ecoearth, pastic tubs, crickets I can chop and things. These might be a go-go for me :hmm: 

I'm very seriously considering it now...


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## Darren25 (Oct 4, 2008)

Do they actually do anything?


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Darren25 said:


> Do they actually do anything?


Does your pinktoe do anything? Or does it sit in its hole all day long, not coming out except for eating?


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## Darren25 (Oct 4, 2008)

AshMashMash said:


> Does your pinktoe do anything? Or does it sit in its hole all day long, not coming out except for eating?


My pinktoe goes on missions everyday  he hasn't webbed, so no hole to hide in.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Darren25 said:


> My pinktoe goes on missions everyday  he hasn't webbed, so no hole to hide in.


Fair enough! Its just, most of the pets we keep people always ask "Do they do anything?", dont they? Snakes, scorpions, T's... a lot of them dont do a lot. Yet we keep them anyway.


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

They are ace, very easy to care for (anything they can overpower or anything they can scavenge) plus I am selling an adult 1.1 pair :whistling2:


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## Darren25 (Oct 4, 2008)

Dead crix? half mine die before they get the chance to be eaten  even more will die now that I have lost a T


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

Darren25 said:


> Dead crix? half mine die before they get the chance to be eaten  even more will die now that I have lost a T


They will eat prekilled prey as long as it's quite fresh, most tarantulas will also eat pre killed or dead prey items aswell


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## acereptiles (Aug 30, 2006)

Young_Gun said:


> They are ace, very easy to care for (anything they can overpower or anything they can scavenge) plus I am selling an adult 1.1 pair :whistling2:


How much are you wanting, Roy? :whistling2:


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## Young_Gun (Jan 6, 2007)

acereptiles said:


> How much are you wanting, Roy? :whistling2:


Drop me a PM an we can sort that out if you are wantin em


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

i have decided i am going to get three of these - maybe even six!! - no matter what my mum thinks of them =P


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

Slinkies mum said:


> 4mm NO not these they are about the size of a raisin..


 i didnt say yours where 4ml..i ment the uk species iv been shooting in my garden are 4mm


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> i didnt say yours where 4ml..i ment the uk species iv been shooting in my garden are 4mm


I think her over reaction was to me, not you, :lol2:


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

AshMashMash said:


> I think her over reaction was to me, not you, :lol2:


 Your right, it was an over reaction 

Im sure they will be fine i a cricket tub for a while : victory:


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Tomcat said:


> Your right, it was an over reaction
> 
> Im sure they will be fine i a cricket tub for a while : victory:


Oppps sorry...think spider_duck has hers in crix trays. Just I have a few of these tanks that things have out grown.

And you're right ashmashmash we must be the only people to spend time ,effort and money to sit and look at an empty space:lol2:.

These are under the sub a lot.

Didn't know they could be sexed how can you tell???


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

i also wanna know how they could be sexed  lol


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Slinkies mum said:


> And you're right ashmashmash we must be the only people to spend time ,effort and money to sit and look at an empty space


Yep! Very interesting empty spaces though.


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## blackbat67 (Jul 1, 2008)

haha well my crestie's viv is very boring in the day - he hides in the most hidden places lol it takes me forever to find where he's sleeping.

but it is worth it when they come out XD


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## Axel01 (Jun 14, 2008)

Ah yes but you have the pride knowing they're there


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Axel01 said:


> Ah yes but you have the pride knowing they're there


Shame though cos when people don't believe you the proof is nowhere to be seen:lol2:


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