Predatory Mites

[guidofatherof5]

Predatory Mites Fact Sheet (http://nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/treefruit/pests/pm/pm.asp)

[Zdravko092368]

I keep my snakes on bioactive so i've always been aware of these and would most likely try them before any of the chemicals available if I was ever unfortunate enough to have a mite problem. Provent a mite would kill all my custodians and I would have to collect and start entire new colonies which would be quite a lot of work.

Wonder if anyone on this forum has ever used predatory mites with success? I think BHB reptiles used them to get rid of a mite problem once.

[d_virginiana]

This is really useful info for me too. I keep a lot of invertebrates, so I'd be really afraid to use PAM anywhere near them.

[guidofatherof5]

I think even Amazon sells predatory mites;):D

[Rushthezeppelin]

I'm thinking of going bio as well so I'm definitely gonna look at these guys before PAM. Hopefully I never have to experience the horror of mites though.

[Albert Clark]

I always make it a point to avoid any wooden products in any of my enclosures. It seems that snake mites have a affinity for wooden objects, imo. I mostly use paper and try to avoid buying any extra ornamental objects unless they are made of plastic. Even aspen shavings I try to avoid. The 100% cypress mulch is a safer choice bc snake mites aren't fond of the cypress oils.

[Rushthezeppelin]

Just wanted to add in some more stuff that I've been reading. It seems that people with bioactive setups tend to have alot less problems with mites. Been keeping up with the facebook group on it for a little bit now. Some people report the predatory mites as wiping out their cleanup crews although some with very healthy populations have actually gotten the predatory mites to balance with the springtail population and live there permanently. They apparently can predate on the young of springtails, but the springtails can out reproduce them as long as they are well established it seems. Springtails aren't their preferred food though (much faster than mites) and any time any other mite tries to move in the predatory ones quickly mop up the problem. Also some evidence suggests the springtails actually compete with the larval stages of snake mites for food and can effectively starve them in the right conditions. Also some anecdotal stuff about them eating the mite eggs.

This in addition to the benefits to shedding is really making me want to go bioactive here soon (probably when my new girls are out off QT....I might go ahead and start working on building my substrate sooner than that in a bin.

[Qwerty3159]

Could a bioactive substrate hold too much humidity for a garter?

[Rushthezeppelin]

There are a few on here that do bio with garters. I think you have to keep them a little drier than some setups but it's certainly doable. If anything my humidity is a tad low anywho so it should work well for me.

[Zdravko092368]

Garters are fine with humidity, you just don't want to have a permanently damp substrate as it can leadhttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/#970405) to skin problems. Isopods and springtails only really need cover logs/rocks/leaves where it stays moist and humid to thrive anyways, the majority of the enclosure doesn't need to be like that.

[Rushthezeppelin]

Could I also do a humidity gradient with bio by slowly changing the substrate mix to more sandy on one side. I was thinking with my 5x2x2 I would do something like this and run from humid on the moist side (which it should be naturally because of the water feature that will go on that side) to dry on the basking side. Or am I overthinking this lol.

[Zdravko092368]

Your basking side will be dry no matter what anyways, the basking light will dry up the moisture in no time, I use rocks for my basking side and it's dry 10 mins after misting, at night the isopods still explore that area though even though it's dry, they only need a moist place to live during the day at night they don't care.

[Albert Clark]

Another very important aspect in keeping mites out of your enclosures is to be meticulous about cleaning up waste products. Feces, urine and urates are all attractants for snake mites. Dirty water bowls, and mostly anything waste wise with biodegradable properties should be removed from the enclosure as soon as possible. Old shed skins and any previously decaying materials included.

[Rushthezeppelin]

Another very important aspect in keeping mites out of your enclosures is to be meticulous about cleaning up waste products. Feces, urine and urates are all attractants for snake mites. Dirty water bowls, and mostly anything waste wise with biodegradable properties should be removed from the enclosure as soon as possible. Old shed skins and any previously decaying materials included.

That's the beauty of a fully established bioactive though, your cleanup crew does all that for you very fast. And I think having the waterfall in my next enclosure (it will even have fish filters) should keep the water nice and fresh.

[Zdravko092368]

That's the beauty of a fully established bioactive though, your cleanuphttp://cdncache-a.akamaihd.net/items/it/img/arrow-10x10.png (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/#57922423) crew does all that for you very fast. And I think having the waterfall in my next enclosure (it will even have fish filters) should keep the water nice and fresh.

My isopods eat an entire shed skin in one night. Sometimes I notice a snake shed overnight but there's no shed skin in the enclosure.

[Albert Clark]

O.K. That's really great.