Just been having a wee look inside my pedes tank, and there are a good few mites in there, well, that is how I would describe them, they are like really really tiny black crickets, I suppose.

I know that people have had these in their T's from time to time, and end up sometimes doing a full tank clear out, and if it were one of my T's, I would be happy to do that, but not so much so with the pede, to be honest!

Given that I used eco earth, which is presumably sterile, where do these mites come from, and what else can I do except what I don't want to do!

All advise appreciated.


Steve

When pedes get mites, there is no option but to completely sterilise the tank and everything in it. I'd love to recommend other options but there aren't any that will get rid of them. Are there any on the animal itself? If so you can use vegetable oil between the scales to make them slip off.

Where they come from is a tricky one. Usually the eggs come in with something in the cage, like substrate or wood, or even on the plant matter you put in. It can take a long time for them to hatch. To prevent getting them again you need to blitz your substrate in the oven or microwave to kill the eggs before putting it in the cage. Eco earth isn't necessarily sterile, anything you buy and put in the cage can have mite eggs.

Good luck getting rid of them, they're a pain.

I can't see any on it, but then it remains well burrowed most of the time, and the bit in bold..?

With this type..?

No way am I doing that!

What next, an Indian head massage for it....

Anyway, what happens if I just leave them there, they do not seem to be coming out of the tank?

hard to know what to do really im in the same boat some how a load of fruit fly have into the cage and the mesh on top of the cage is to tight for them to get out! im not a massive fan of putting my hand in and trying to kill the little buggers!

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your spider will die as conditions worsen and the mites will become too numerous... or they will stress the spider out until death.there are only a small amount of mites in existance that acually LIVE off the spider ie drain the t's blood.but just because they dont live off the spider makes them any less dangerous... also jus because you havent seen them come out of the tank doesnt mean that some arent already, my experience with mites is that they spread from tank to tank at a fierce rate and the only thing you can do about is keep cleaning out the tank an substrate until they are all gone an for t's & pede's needing moisture well its time for a peridoical dry out.. if i were you id get them before it gets worse. good luck

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30+ t's and 7 snakes

Well as the previous poster said, even if they aren't parasites they will drive your pede crazy.

Well okay. You don't have to rub it on yourself, you can use a cotton bud.

I personally would not be happy letting things feed off my pet, or drive it to distraction with annoyance, but each to their own.

yup, full tank cleanout is the only option. you gotta do what you gotta do, even if it is a pede! if youre not willing to do whats best for it because of fear why have it?
not having a go, just being honest!

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I have pets...

I'll give it a go this week, then.

some mites are bad some are not bad it depends whether they are parasitic mites, some millipedes have mites on them that do no harm, and can be left, but others are bad, but I cant for the life of me remember which is which

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