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Mite paper getting hot - Dangerous ?
#1
Is there any possible danger to our frogs,by putting mite paper on top of a rack containing frogs,i use the space between rack and ceiling,to culture our iso,and have a cupboard,one one side,where the ff's are kept. Both places have lights,ie a heat source underneath them,which warm the cultures. I'm concerned that this heat might make the paper give off some form of noxious fumes,but the actual set up works really well,i would just like to add mite paper to it,as a preventative method.
thanks
regards
Stu
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#2
I'd be wary of fumes too....especially with the heat, as you say.

Don't you have a problem with feeder insect cultures drying out from the added heat ??
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#3
Stu, the chemicals in mite paper are nasty, personally I wouldn't use around any culture, I would rather ditch them & start again. If you really need to use it do it in another room and use this culture as a master?
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#4
Philsuma Wrote:I'd be wary of fumes too....especially with the heat, as you say.

Don't you have a problem with feeder insect cultures drying out from the added heat ??
thanks on the question ,Phil,to answer yours,essentially no ,the dwarf white cultures i use an edible subs mix of rotton plum wood,leaf mould,from oak and beech, whole leaves,and of course the obligitory bit of card.i check maybe twice a week,no issues,room humidty and the vivs venting towards the back are my allies here. Most cultures are vented with a one inch hole,covered in cheepo kitchen cloths,not the branded one so ventilation is restricted,and mites struggle to get in. In a 3L tub
The tub is vented at on end and th other end is kept wet,so humidity grad across the culture,i mist here and there as needed ,and evry few months overhaul then by restocking with subs
This method has been silly successful for me this summer,with the iso,from going along ok last year with a small starter culture,then loosing our 2 best,due to asphixiation ,this summers production,has been really astounding,which is the reason i've just detailed it. I'm pretty convinced heat is a big player in this. I was reading this section the other day and wanted to work on the mite prevention.
In rich's thread on grain mites,i wondered if these little critters can only feed on grain,and if the iso were fed non grain products then infestation would be impossible? I use a mix of ready break (cereal) and fish flake at present,mostly cereal,but i don't really want to go away from this method too far because it is working so stupidly well,so thought mite paper might be the best option.I'm trying to rear large quantities of feeders so the kids don't go hungry and as its my first season,i have no ball parks yet as to how much X young froggies will eat
regards
Stu
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#5
phelsumaman Wrote:Stu, the chemicals in mite paper are nasty, personally I wouldn't use around any culture, I would rather ditch them & start again. If you really need to use it do it in another room and use this culture as a master?
Cheers Ben ya good bro?
Ben you've seen our set up,trouble is not alot of other places i can think of at the moment,epsecially with the warmth they get where the are,and of course you have seen how well it seems to be going,and why i'm reticent to move them. Thanks for the thoughts mate will have to put my thinking cap on!
If you got my pm,mending and good for Kiddi
take care mate
Stu
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#6
Stu,

The "Blue" mite paper is VERY common in U.S collections. It is sold by many, many major businesses to inlcude all the one's that cater to our hobby. It's a very good product that I have never heard anything bad about.
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#7
8)
Philsuma Wrote:Stu,

The "Blue" mite paper is VERY common in U.S collections. It is sold by many, many major businesses to inlcude all the one's that cater to our hobby. It's a very good product that I have never heard anything bad about.
Hey Phil,the blue mite paper in my possesion is probably the one you guys use,it is made in the us,contains 1% propoxur.Mate are you reversing what you said earlier,buddy i'm utterly confused. I have posted about this on 4 different forums now,i'm getting different replies all over the place,some say don't worry some say i wouldn't do that. I'd really like to take the preventative approach Phil,rather than have problems that are difficult to sort out later,but i'm not prepared to risk our frogs health for a problem i don't yet have.I can give you a bit more info though,i sat a probe type thermometer under one of the iso cultures today,running around 74F,that will climb through the day i guess following the cycle of our room,by a couple or afew degreesF.
The one thing i have learnt though is standing cultures in water probably won't work as mites are so tiny thay don't break the surface tension of the water and so can scoot across the top :lol: that doesn't help me much though,but its nice to know.
bewidered
Stu
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