15 replies to this topic

[Connectimyrmex]

Hi.

As I just posted, I fed a mealworm pupa to my ants. Just now I noticed a tiny, white mite that resembles a microscopic tick walking outside of the formicarium (It has a lid) near the lid of my outworld. I panicked and caught the little bugger (Citrus mite cleanings are so painful).

Do you guys think that the mite is from my Pheidole, the mealworm pupa, or simply the grains in the mealworm box? If it is a grain mite, I could use something to help clean the formicarium . If the mite is a mealworm or pheidole mite, well, lets say that the mites' feelings will turn SOUR.  HAHAHAHAHA. Get it? Citrus joke.

 

Thanks. Also, my sense of humor is terrible.

 

​Why did the orange go blind? Because he was low on vitamin "see"

Why did the grapes go blind? Because grapes don't have eyes. They were born blind.

[Connectimyrmex]

Seriously, please help. I can see a mite on my queen. I just killed 10 or so mites climbing out of the outworld.

[Leo]

erm try a lemon?

[Connectimyrmex]

They have orange juice right now. I'm going to buy some lemon juice tomorrow. Thanks.

I think I know what happened. I took out a mealworm pupa and put it ontop of the outworld overnight. Those mites probably left the host. Then, I killed the pupa and put it in the nest, so the rest of the mites left into the formicarium. Those mites, probably in their young transportation state, hitched a ride on the ants and got to the queen.

 

Will the ants give the citrus juices to their larvae? I know they like to feed their larvae protein.

[Leo]

well, i fed my Pheidole a cricket and a mite climbed onto the queen, so i freaked. then the next day i watched the mite get eaten by a worker

[Connectimyrmex]

Oh. 

Well, an accident occurred. While adding water to the nest mate, the water overflowed and flooded the formicarium. The ants freaked and went to higher ground and at least twenty mites climbed on the glass. After the water dried, they walked back to the sand. Should I worry about these mites in the future? Also, should I worry about the mites that got out? Do you think those will die or will they get into another formicarium?

Thanks though, Leo

[AnthonyP163]

Quarantine the colony with mites to prevent others from getting it. It's usually not the juice, but the fruit. The juice is just part of it from what I hear. Someone said that the ants rub the mites off onto the citrus fruit, and then the mites' mind and instinct tells them to find a different place to go. Not sure if that's accurate, but it's been said by a few people.

[Connectimyrmex]

Thanks. I put an orange and they went up to it. I couldn't see them rubbing mites, but I can't see very many in the nest anymore. There is one medium sized black mite, though.

[Bracchymyrmex]

The most effective solution to mite problems is to change your ants' formicarium. Unfortunately this is not optimal and often even inconvenient. You may even have to thin your colonies population depending on the severity of the problem. Thinning means you must remove a few ants with mites attached to them and isolate them until the mites die. For your queen, drop a small droplet of lemon water (3 parts water one part lemon juice) onto her abdomen, but be as cautious and careful as possible.

 

Also put slices of lemon in the outworld and add lemon juice to your water tubes (or however you supply water to your ants).

Edited by Bracchymyrmex, January 28 2017 - 5:10 PM.

[Kevin]

I want to add that lemons or lemon juice is not a proper solution. Maybe some species of mites are repelled with lemon or citrus, but not all. Mikey's video is a bit "misleading" and even himself has shown the lemons haven't done much at all.

Edited by Kevin, January 28 2017 - 5:41 PM.

[Serafine]

The most effective way to deal with parasitic mites are predatory mites.

You need to keep your outworld and formicarium very moist for about a week, that's enough for them to kill off all the parasitic mites. They are very very efficient.

Once they have killed all parasitic mites they will just die off due to lack of food.

[benjiwuf]

http://www.formicult...t-ants/?p=48422

 

I still believe my response here should sufficiently cover this answer as it did the last time you asked about mites 2 weeks ago.

[Connectimyrmex]

Those were diff. mites, but thanks benjiwuf. You just reminded me about that .

[mike.omeg]

The most effective way to deal with parasitic mites are predatory mites.

You need to keep your outworld and formicarium very moist for about a week, that's enough for them to kill off all the parasitic mites. They are very very efficient.

Once they have killed all parasitic mites they will just die off due to lack of food.

 

Is there a species of predatory mite that can be purchased and introduced?

[rdurham02]

Hi.

As I just posted, I fed a mealworm pupa to my ants. Just now I noticed a tiny, white mite that resembles a microscopic tick walking outside of the formicarium (It has a lid) near the lid of my outworld. I panicked and caught the little bugger (Citrus mite cleanings are so painful).

Do you guys think that the mite is from my Pheidole, the mealworm pupa, or simply the grains in the mealworm box? If it is a grain mite, I could use something to help clean the formicarium . If the mite is a mealworm or pheidole mite, well, lets say that the mites' feelings will turn SOUR.  HAHAHAHAHA. Get it? Citrus joke.

 

Thanks. Also, my sense of humor is terrible.

 

​Why did the orange go blind? Because he was low on vitamin "see"

Why did the grapes go blind? Because grapes don't have eyes. They were born blind.

 

I have seen many similar mites hanging around my mealworm bin..or so I suspect that to be their point of origin. The mites seem to decrease in number once I change the oats out in my mealworm bin and switch it out with a fresh bin. 

[Connectimyrmex]

Now that I'm a bit more experienced, I'm pretty sure that those were just dust mites.