# Springtails or Mites?



## lungz (Dec 30, 2009)

I have a problem in my invert room with either Springtails or mites but I don't have a microscope so can't confirm the ID. (they're tiny and white). My gut feeling mites.

Basically, the room is being over run with them crawling over tables, walls and the outside of Vivs (as well as inside). They're concentrated in one area at the minute but appear to be spreading. The worse case is my cockroach colony, which for now is in a 3 ft aquarium which is no longer see through thanks to the Spring / mite explosion!!!! (I've let the roaches dry out for a few days before I have a planned major clean). 

I thought that both mites and springs needed humid / soggy conditions but the fact they're crawling on walls and outer surfaces has me mightily confused. 

Does anyone have any ideas what they are? If they are springs, I don't want to destroy colonies from inside the vivs but if they mites, obviously I want them gone. (Operation "invert room" begins tomorrow to try and sort the external pioneers. If they're mites, the operation will be extended).


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## Dr3d (Jul 31, 2010)

lungz said:


> I have a problem in my invert room with either Springtails or mites but I don't have a microscope so can't confirm the ID. (they're tiny and white). My gut feeling mites.
> 
> Basically, the room is being over run with them crawling over tables, walls and the outside of Vivs (as well as inside). They're concentrated in one area at the minute but appear to be spreading. The worse case is my cockroach colony, which for now is in a 3 ft aquarium which is no longer see through thanks to the Spring / mite explosion!!!! (I've let the roaches dry out for a few days before I have a planned major clean).
> 
> ...


 
sounds more like a mite than springtails if there crawling all over the walls aswell and indeed springtails like it a lil more humid they live in damp areas, can you get an image up in macro if poss


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## Poxicator (Nov 14, 2007)

mites, definitely mites. They look like you've spilled a bowl of sugar around your room.
creamy white, fairly slow moving, round.

Springtails are faster, elongated (rice shaped) and can hop.

They'll be searching for food and water.

I'd guess your roach enclosure doesnt have enough ventilation, its getting moist in there, the mites are feeding off the food and water and they've exploded in numbers.

So, first of all you need to rectify that, dry them out completely, provide only cereals, improve the ventilation, reduce the heat.

Wipe up what mites you can, but without water they won't last long, especially with the weather getting warmer. Dry out your enclosures and only provide water bowls or light weekly sprays.

Make sure your enclosures are getting general maintenance, remove dead food items, bolus etc.

Read my sticky on mites 

Have fun, I had them in my electric razor once!


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## hazza12 (Apr 16, 2009)

sounds like mites and dosent sound Good! might even be a job for experts ie Exterminaters if it realy is that there EVERYWERE and springtails arnt a pest so yh if it is them go round with pots and sell them ! 

Harry


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## lungz (Dec 30, 2009)

Thank you all. Mites it definately is. (No joy on the pics, I shake too much, ha ha - I did look for a mite sticky first but didn't spot one). 

I'll do as suggested and dry out the vivs for a few weeks (with water in pots) and the room wipe begins first thing. 

Thanks again for the confirmations and quality info. :no1:


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