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Dust mites: Good or bad for ants?

Started By FloridaAnts , Jun 28 2022 5:18 AM

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#1 Offline FloridaAnts - Posted June 28 2022 - 5:18 AM

FloridaAnts

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As some may know, when you have a fruit fly culture purchased from a dealer, often it contains these little mites about 1mm. I now have a culture filled with them, and they do seem to lead to every cultures death. Would these be okay for ants? This is my first culture with a real mite problem so advice would be helpful.

If you need to I could post pictures of the mites.

#2 Offline aznphenom - Posted June 28 2022 - 5:22 AM

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Those are grain mites. I have them too. i haven't seen any negative from them even though one of my Camponotus nest is full of them. Actually, that colony is doing well. Maybe that is the secret ingredient to immortality. 


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Keeps: Camponotus, Tetra
 

Wants (Please reach out if you have them for sale if you’re in the US): Acromyrmex Sp., Atta Sp., Cephalotes Sp., Myrmecocystus Sp (Prefer Mexicanus), Odontomachus Sp. (Prefer Desertorum), Pachycondyla Sp., Pheidole Sp (Prefer Rhea. The bigger the better. Not the tiny bicarinata), Pogonomyrmex Sp (Prefer Badius)., Pseudomyrmex Sp. (Prefer the cute yellow ones)

 

#3 Offline FloridaAnts - Posted June 28 2022 - 5:33 AM

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Those are grain mites. I have them too. i haven't seen any negative from them even though one of my Camponotus nest is full of them. Actually, that colony is doing well. Maybe that is the secret ingredient to immortality.


Except on the flies… mine get a lot and suddenly die out. There is also another kind of kite though, but are not nearly as widespread. Maybe your Camponotus eat them, like mine do with springtails…
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