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Mite invasion in mealworm bin!

mite mealworm worm bin

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10 replies to this topic

#1 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted December 16 2017 - 12:08 PM

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So this is the third mite invasion in my leopard gecko's mealworm bin and I don't know what to do about it! Help!!!!

Edited by Ant_Dude2908, February 10 2018 - 1:37 PM.


#2 Offline Penguin - Posted December 16 2017 - 12:25 PM

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Even if not all of them are visibly effected, you should put the entire bin in the freezer for a day or two to make sure that all mites are dead, and you could leave them in there as a long lasting food source for the gecko. I don't know what to do if you don't want to kill all of your meal worms.


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#3 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted December 16 2017 - 12:47 PM

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I am fine killing the mealworms as long as my geckos are safe. I think the mealworms carry the mites in from the petco I go to.

#4 Offline Penguin - Posted December 16 2017 - 2:42 PM

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If you think they do, then try to get meal worms from other sources


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#5 Offline gcsnelling - Posted December 16 2017 - 7:49 PM

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The mites in the mealworms should not be any danger to your geckos. I would not worry about it.


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#6 Offline dermy - Posted December 17 2017 - 2:17 AM

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These sound like grain mites? [there wasn't much information given so I'm just assuming] Grain mites are non-parasitic and usually only infest grain based products and shouldn't harm any reptiles.


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#7 Offline rdurham02 - Posted December 17 2017 - 5:40 AM

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These sound like grain mites? [there wasn't much information given so I'm just assuming] Grain mites are non-parasitic and usually only infest grain based products and shouldn't harm any reptiles.

I have the same grain mites in my meal worm bin. They haven't harmed or parasitized my ants and are just a mild annoyance. I find once I sieve out the used grain and clean the bin the grain mites decrease in population for a bit.  



#8 Offline Hunter - Posted December 17 2017 - 7:25 AM

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if you are getting grain mites you are not taking care of your worms properly, like taking old food out, changing substrate every 3-4 weeks, ect


Edited by Hunter, December 17 2017 - 7:25 AM.


#9 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted December 17 2017 - 10:38 PM

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These are little white mites that hang out on the lid and sides of the bin. and how would I take care of the worms properly? :thinking: 



#10 Offline TennesseeAnts - Posted December 17 2017 - 10:42 PM

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And how do the mites get in..... WAIT, I KNOW!!!!!! They appeared again right after I added new worms to the bin. So I just need to switch providers. When I was getting them from a breeder I never had this problem. When I started getting them from Petco, I started getting mites. 



#11 Offline dermy - Posted December 18 2017 - 2:30 AM

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Yeah if you can I'd go for a supplier "generally" speaking they have higher standards of keeping them too so the larvae are usually healthier too!






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