good and bad news.

[chris_wade]

well lest start with the bad. i recently had a load of mites in my hissers tank. so i removed all the damp soil, left the dry soil on one half and replaced the other half with damp kitchen towels. there are no more mites now on the damp or dry side but they are on my roaches. found a few running around on their heads and that. how do i get rid of these ones? there arent any at all on the substrate.

good news is i just found some more 6 spot roaches about 3mm in size which measn they have bred again . god knows how many i have now but probably verging on a 100 easily. so if anyone is after a few. give us a shout hehe

[118-118]

i found this if it helps

MHC sometimes
carries mites. These mites only live on the roaches
and will not harm them or live on humans. Often
their presence indicates a problem with sanitation
within the cage. Leaving food or dead roaches
in the living environment can attract these mites
and provide a medium for their survival. Mites
can be removed by gently shaking the roach in a
plastic bag with a small amount of flour added.
The mites fall off the roach and into the flour.
Remove the roach, then tie up and discard the
bag. Gently spray the excess flour off the roach
with plain water from a plant mister or wash bottle.
Mites may also be removed by brushing the roach
with a small paintbrush. Repeat the treatment if

mites reappear.

[NXSmiggy]

another good way would be to get some predatory mites , such as Hypoaspis sp which eat other mites , then die off themselves.

[chris_wade]

bless i dont fancy shaking them in flour lol. ill try the paintbrush method first i think. cheers for that though . if there harmless i guess theres no worry

[Phark]

You could try baiting the mites. Myself and others have tried it, with success: S.subspinipes mites - Arachnoboards

[chris_wade]

there are bits of cucumber and that in their but no mites on them, only a few on the roaches themselves

[lynneowen1]

Keep going you will get rid of the mites in the end.............

[chris_wade]

hope so, thought id solved it with the kitchen towel. im getting there

[selina20]

Lucifus came up with a good idea for a trap on one of the other threads. He suggested prekilling a crick and covering it in petroleum jelly and fixing it to the bottom of a film pot. Put the lid on and make a small hole in it. Then place it in ur tank. The decaying crick will attract the mites then they get stuck in the petroleum jelly.

[chris_wade]

might have to give this a try . thank you.