7 replies to this topic

[Temperateants]

Hi all,

I noticed some while ago there were mites in the apples I fed my mealworms. They were white, and probably feeding on the apples and the dust made by chewed up oats. Today when I was feeding my ants, I noticed a small amount of orange mites in the garbage I I discarded. The ants seemed healthy and doing well, and not showing discomfort. Is there anything to worry about? I put the rest of the mealworms in boiling water and there were bubbles on the exoskeleton. Are they mites on the mealworms? I'm pretty sure the mites that eat the mealworm's garbage is eating my ant's garbage.

[TheMicroPlanet]

The white mites sound like those harmless mites that work the soil. Not sure about the orange ones. Are you sure they're not the same? Maybe the white ones at something that made them orange.

[ponerinecat]

Sounds normal. Just a pack of friendly detritivores.

[TennesseeAnts]

Sounds normal. Just a pack of friendly detritivores.

They may be friendly, but once a year my ants get infested by them. Last week there were THOUSANDS of the little white composters all over my ant desk...

[ponerinecat]

 

Sounds normal. Just a pack of friendly detritivores.

They may be friendly, but once a year my ants get infested by them. Last week there were THOUSANDS of the little white composters all over my ant desk...

 

Ha ha yeah if you don't introduce competitors they can seriously boom in pop. I just use fluon and an airtight container for when I intentionally raise them.

[ANTdrew]

What kind of competitors do you suggest? What about those quick moving red mites you see on rocks?

[ponerinecat]

What kind of competitors do you suggest? What about those quick moving red mites you see on rocks?

mm no, those tend to need lichen or moss to survive. Best would be direct predators or fellow detritivores such as other mites, springtails, or small beetles.

[Temperateants]

Unfortunately Camponotus are too big and imprecise to catch these guys. If my crematogaster or tetramorium ate a piece of mealworm with these "benign" mites then they would have devoured the buggers as well.