grain mites

[pinoygex]

I just found out that my mealworms are infested with grain mites (dust-like crawling creatures). I know that I need to throw them away but I have some questions.

1. Are grain mites harmful to the geckos?
2. Are grain mites harmful to us?

 

[RepBex]

1 not sure
2 no

 

[Ga_herps]

I don't believe they are harmful to leopard geckos, but I guess if it was a small enough gecko and they happened to inhale enough to block there nostrils it could be a problem. I think the chances of that happening though are slim to none. I have dealt with these in the past with fruit fly cultures but never in the mealies. What type of bedding are you using?

 

[clear]

No, No

Bake your substrate in the oven for 15mins around 350, It will kill anything that is in the substrate for you then you just have to worry about if the mealies have anything on them.

Before I started baking the substrate I lost a few batches of worms

 

[pinoygex]

thanks guys for the input but now I think that they're fruit fly larvae (they look like dust particles and are a shade of white).. I have dealt with grain mites before in my bird feeds and I just thought that the ones I saw was a different kind of grain mite.. but after seeing some adult I now think that they're fruit flies.. but my question is still

1. Are the fruit fly larvae harmful to my geckos?
2. Are the fruit fly larvae harmful to us?

 

[pinoygex]

I don't believe they are harmful to leopard geckos, but I guess if it was a small enough gecko and they happened to inhale enough to block there nostrils it could be a problem. I think the chances of that happening though are slim to none. I have dealt with these in the past with fruit fly cultures but never in the mealies. What type of bedding are you using?

I'm using instant oatmeal as my bedding

 

[fOOlsgOld]

This was the recommendation that I got on how to get rid of them. Pick out all the worms, aliens, and beetles that you have and put them into separate empty containers. Throw away the bedding that you kept them in and wash the containers and clean up all around where you kept them. Put them containers w/ the beetles, aliens, and worms (no bedding) on a cookie sheet type pan and fill the pan with water and keep them there for a week. This will keep the mites from getting out and infesting other grain in your house. The idea is that they will starve w/ no grain and no moisture and then you will have 'clean' insects to start over with again.
Bake anything you are going to keep them in for 15-30min at 300-350*F and then if you want to throw it in the freezer over night just for kicks. Make sure to bring the bedding back to room temp before adding the bugs.
I'm in the process of the of the one week wait myself. You may lose a few bugs in the process but (if you have a large colony) it's better then starting all over.

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

I wonder about how long to bake the bedding.

Julie Bergman said that at 220 for about 20 minutes is good.

I would think that 220 or 250 is fine and that 20 to 30 minutes is also good.

I do not think that the temp needs to be higher than 250 only because most things that we know of that live on our planet cannot tolerate temps that high.

 

[pinoygex]

This was the recommendation that I got on how to get rid of them. Pick out all the worms, aliens, and beetles that you have and put them into separate empty containers. Throw away the bedding that you kept them in and wash the containers and clean up all around where you kept them. Put them containers w/ the beetles, aliens, and worms (no bedding) on a cookie sheet type pan and fill the pan with water and keep them there for a week. This will keep the mites from getting out and infesting other grain in your house. The idea is that they will starve w/ no grain and no moisture and then you will have 'clean' insects to start over with again.
Bake anything you are going to keep them in for 15-30min at 300-350*F and then if you want to throw it in the freezer over night just for kicks. Make sure to bring the bedding back to room temp before adding the bugs.
I'm in the process of the of the one week wait myself. You may lose a few bugs in the process but (if you have a large colony) it's better then starting all over.

thanks! I will try that what's more disappointing though is that I only just recently found tiny mealies in my colony.. looks like I need to start over..

 

[Superior]

Im just curious...what do grain mites look like and how do you know if thats whats causing your mealies to die off?

 

[pinoygex]

Im just curious...what do grain mites look like and how do you know if thats whats causing your mealies to die off?

my mealies aren't dying.. I just noticed some dust like creatures crawling out of their tub and crawling onto my other stuffs which is kinda gross..

 

[fOOlsgOld]

thanks! I will try that what's more disappointing though is that I only just recently found tiny mealies in my colony.. looks like I need to start over..

I would think that you could put the containers w/ the new worms in a pan w/ water around it till they are big enough to pick out if you wanted to. The water would keep them from going to any other containers. Just bake any of the new bedding you use.

To answer the question of what they look like unless you have a microscope or magnifying glass you won't be able to really see them. I noticed my worms were staying on top of the bedding and when I mixed it up it looked like the cup was about to get up and walk away on its own :shocked2::shocked2:
The actual mites look like little white bugs, defiantly not baby worms. And no my mealies weren't dieing either.

 

[Gecko Euphoria]

The thing about these guys I've found out is they are not harmafull to either us or geckos but they can spread rapidley and even into you're gecko enclosures they are pests to the geckos but not harmful they just make them itch, as for cooking them I've been told many different tempes But Ron Tremper told me 350 is the most reliable just because the grain doesn't always heat evenly and it wont hurt any thing to cook it to hot but if its tooo cool its a waste of time these guys eggs can live in almost freezing temps thats why he said that when you are done bakeing that you freeze it for a day and this will kill any eggs that by chance made it also I cook enough bedding that I can freeze and keep it frozen tell its needed, this has worked for me but the very best advice is use the mote with water method if you keep them in a tuberware the lid is usually larger than the bottom so you can set the container in the lid and poor water in the lid this protects the infestation from moveing to other containers unless blown around by a fan or ac or heater, but it also keeps critters out its better to lose one collony than all of them trust me I know I lost millions of mealies and beetles, but since I di this I've had know problem and the the shannon said about leaveing them in an empety container works they die and it also helps to take them outside and use a computer key board air dusting can and blow on them lightly this to helps the process move a little quicker, There will be some of the feeders and beetles that do not make especially because the mites eat the guts of the feeders and beetles so its not a concern some will and you will be able to start you colony over, Just some advice from experiance hope it helps you,

Adam

 

[Superior]

I thought I heard somewhere the mites cause the mealies to die...
What foolsgold said about her worms staying near the top of the bedding has made me a little worried, because I just bought 200 from the pet store, and they are all crowding on the top. The gutload does move alot but I think its because the mealies are moving.

 

[fOOlsgOld]

A big thanks to Adam for telling me how to save my colony in the first place.

Take and push the worms to one side of the container and then sift town into the meal that is on the bottom. Believe me when I say you should have no doubt about whether or not you have mites. My bedding looked as if it was CRAWLING around.

 

[pinoygex]

The thing about these guys I've found out is they are not harmafull to either us or geckos but they can spread rapidley and even into you're gecko enclosures they are pests to the geckos but not harmful they just make them itch, as for cooking them I've been told many different tempes But Ron Tremper told me 350 is the most reliable just because the grain doesn't always heat evenly and it wont hurt any thing to cook it to hot but if its tooo cool its a waste of time these guys eggs can live in almost freezing temps thats why he said that when you are done bakeing that you freeze it for a day and this will kill any eggs that by chance made it also I cook enough bedding that I can freeze and keep it frozen tell its needed, this has worked for me but the very best advice is use the mote with water method if you keep them in a tuberware the lid is usually larger than the bottom so you can set the container in the lid and poor water in the lid this protects the infestation from moveing to other containers unless blown around by a fan or ac or heater, but it also keeps critters out its better to lose one collony than all of them trust me I know I lost millions of mealies and beetles, but since I di this I've had know problem and the the shannon said about leaveing them in an empety container works they die and it also helps to take them outside and use a computer key board air dusting can and blow on them lightly this to helps the process move a little quicker, There will be some of the feeders and beetles that do not make especially because the mites eat the guts of the feeders and beetles so its not a concern some will and you will be able to start you colony over, Just some advice from experiance hope it helps you,

Adam

Thanks for the advice! I have already thrown away the mealies and beetles that were heavily infested and I'll try to save the rest. Just one question though. Yous said to use keyboard air dusting can, what if some of the mites got into my eyes or ears or got inhaled? Won't that be a problem?

 

[pinoygex]

A big thanks to Adam for telling me how to save my colony in the first place.

Take and push the worms to one side of the container and then sift town into the meal that is on the bottom. Believe me when I say you should have no doubt about whether or not you have mites. My bedding looked as if it was CRAWLING around.

I actually can't sleep very well the past few days because I'm always thinking that hundreds of mites are crawling up my bed and into me. lol.:main_laugh:

 

[fOOlsgOld]

They aren't the kind of mites that will infest your whole house. These are grain mites, the only things that are in 'danger' are flour, pancake mix and any other type of grain you have. They aren't going to attack in the middle of the night and eat your brain or carry your bed out the door or something like that.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef629.asp

This is the only thing I've found about reactions humans can have to the grain mites (other then fear )
"Grain mites can cause "grocer's itch" in humans exposed to the mites. Some persons may be allergic to mites."

Found here

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

Wow

It is another Oh, Gee-Whiz Day.

I will have to use the 350 and put the stuff in the freezer.

I have heard about the moat but, I have not started to that yet.

Oh, by the way, you already have mites in your bed and pillows.

They are just not grain mites.

 

[pinoygex]

They aren't the kind of mites that will infest your whole house. These are grain mites, the only things that are in 'danger' are flour, pancake mix and any other type of grain you have. They aren't going to attack in the middle of the night and eat your brain or carry your bed out the door or something like that.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef629.asp

This is the only thing I've found about reactions humans can have to the grain mites (other then fear )
"Grain mites can cause "grocer's itch" in humans exposed to the mites. Some persons may be allergic to mites."

Found here

Yeah I know that but I still don't like the idea.. lol.. Thanks!