Philsuma Wrote:Sounds like a plan.
I'm gonna go for it. Egg crate and shelves with powder underneath. I like the fact that powder also acts as a serious desiccate. Mite need moisture very badly.
Keep us posted on how you make out.
I think I need to make the homemade mite spray. I sprayed the outside of all the spring cultures three times now with the avian stuff I got and I am still finding them crawling around on the outside of containers. they are sealed pretty good as long as I don't open them. Hopefully I will have some time this week
Homemade Mite Spray? What's in it?
Well, after hunting and hunting for "sealable" clear plastic bin and storage containers, even trying to track one model down that supposedly had gaskets.....I failed to locate any that were suitable locked down and going to be "mite proof"....
so...
I just went ahead and bought 2 medium sized, flat tupperware food storage containers with those red , tight fitting lids.
Done.
Fin.
Ive been making my own mite spray using Benzyl Benzoate in a 15%-20% solution with rubbing alcohol. I use the blue shop towels and spray them down heavy then allow to dry. Set my cultures on top and only feed bakers yeast. Seems to be working so far. I haven't had mites for months. Here is the site I buy from. Great service,quick shipping and you really cant beat the price. 9.95 for 100ml.
http://www.researchsupply.net
I had a mite problem with my master spring culture and I waited a few weeks and now.....the mites have been pushed out and springs are thriving. You can "take it back" ! heh
I still think the easiest and best anti-mite prevention - is tupperware / sealed containers.
I have a striped iso culture that is blooming but has mites, is there anything frog safe I can use to get rid of them?
nothing I know of Beth - I assume you mean a product for use INSIDE the culture ?
Isopods are about the only feeder that I have never had mite issues with. I was always under the impression that Isopods are resistant to mite outbreaks and possibly even eat them.
Are the Iso cultures sealed up ?
Looks like I"m starting to deal with this mite issue now.
3 of my 4 springtail cultures have mites. Are you using the 100% sealed containers now?
I'm going to need to pick some up to split this good culture.
Yes they are sealed, I have 2 other iso bins that do not have mites.
Bummer...
Stay with it. I would keep those mite / Iso cultures seperate from the other cultures - garage, some other place, but keep them and see if they don't "turn around" and Iso's beat out the mites. Interesting experiment if nothing else.
Will do.
I will probably set up another culture per Michaels advice, pulling some adults out by hand one by one and putting them in the new culture.
Thanks Phil.
One of my shoe boxes of springs bubbled up with a bad mite infestation. Never thought about a loose FF getting in to it, but I've seen a few in there from time to time. I always atrributed the mites to the mushrooms that I toss in.
What's odd though is that I see gobs of springs (yeah they are still reproducing like mad) during the day, but once evening hits the springs vanish and the mites come out to play. My other cultures I see springs 24x7 on the surface. Have to confess that every once in a while I pull out a lighter and napalm the suckers.
I keep charcoal cultures for my springs, I have never had mites in my charcoal cultures.
Update:
Both Craig and my Sealed springcultures just crashed / had a massive die-off. Tiny dead bodies everywhere. Weird looking to be honest.
This was after some relatively heavy feeding of fish food (not yeast) and when the populations were booming. I think they suffocated.
I'm thinking of installing a central air hole - like the mesh FF type in the future. Gotta still account for FF, and thus mites, getting into the cultures.
Last month I had a 30+ day FF culture in the garage - to let it die... wife thought I had left it outside on accident so brought in and set it next to some of my other FF cultures and Springtails. Ugggg... anyway I had a small mite out break that got onto one of my tropical spring tail cultures (maybe 3 mos old) and it still yields nice harvest. Its isolated away from everything else, but I kept it to see the impact. I see a few mites now and then, but they have not managed to take over yet. This culture has Charcoal chunks and leaves. I regularly blow springs into the Pum viv and always keep a vegetable food source, such as a carrot or chuck of mushroom. The container is the Glad style. The lid has tiny nail size air holes.
So far no more mite issues w primary and emergency FFs/springs. Lesson learned - coach household members on FF protocol
update:
The springs are coming back ! After the mass die off....they are coming back !
Whoohoo That is good news Phil
So did you end up adding small vent holes or let it come back on its own?