21 replies to this topic

[futurebird]

I was doing some macro photography of one of my camponotus pennsylvanicus after stacking the photo I see two gray mites. I can't see them with naked eye, I can just seem them with a loupe. They are only on one ant. 
 
I went back and looked at each ant and the queen and I didn't see anymore. 
 
I'm tempted to remove the infected ant... but IDK how she got infected if the queen is clean? Their enclosure is brand new. Their food is always frozen. 
 
Any suggestions on actions if any to take? If not for the macro photos I would not have noticed this.



I'm going to be careful about not mixing their things with other colonies.

I read about some horrible sounding formic acid procedure. But, I wonder if the ants might take care of this themselves?

I assume the mites started on the queen... but unless they were hidden I didn't see any on her.

Can ants get mites... from the air? Nah? right? Or from me? People have mites.

I sometimes wonder if mite outbreaks are due to other issues in an ants environment, such as the nest being damp or something weakening the ability of ants to respond.

[futurebird]

I did a little reading and mites like humidity. These ants are at least tolerant of dry conditions. They are in a nest that is more moist than the wooden nests I use for my other Camponotus. So I'm considering two things: 

 

*offer them a wooden nest. 

*stop using the hydration port inside their nest and just offer a water test tube in their outworld. 

[zA-Z0-9]

that's kinda wierd I've never seen that before but i am a noob so that kinda explains it 

[futurebird]

Mites are a common and possible horrible problem for a colony. They sap the energy from the ants and make them less productive. They are the main reason everyone is so paranoid about freezing wild food to sanitize it. 

 

You don't want mites. 

[zA-Z0-9]

Mites are a common and possible horrible problem for a colony. They sap the energy from the ants and make them less productive. They are the main reason everyone is so paranoid about freezing wild food to sanitize it. 

 

You don't want mites. 

yuck sounds awful I'm glad i raise my own feeders

Edited by zA-Z0-9, August 13 2021 - 8:50 PM.

[ConcordAntman]

It’s not just freezing, flash boil your feeder insects before you feed them to your colonies. I dip the feeders I take out of the freezer in a cup of water that I’d microwaved on the beverage setting. A 5 second dip and they’re ready to feed. 

[futurebird]

Did another check and it's just the one ant with mites. Considering cooling them down and isolating her, possibly giving her a bath. 

 

However, if there are mites there are mite eggs. These aren't big mites and they might just be attacking the weakest worker. 

 

There are about 15 workers, lots of eggs and brood the colony is doing nicely and I'm loathe to do something disturbing like put them in the fridge, open the nest, kidnap one of their sisters...

 

Have any of you ever noticed like one or two mites then later they took over? Is it worth psychological ant trauma to get this girl out and deloused? 

[futurebird]

Some more photos of the colony for some context.

[futurebird]

Stratiolaelaps scimitus is used to control mites in honebees. It's a predatory mite and they can be purchased. Though this seems more like something to do if things are more desperate. 

 

I wonder if anyone has treated their ants with predatory mites. Did they recover? 

 

My plans are:

 

Plan A

Do nothing, it's just a few mites only on one ant. Maybe she's sick and can't fend them off? If I see her in the outworld I'd grab her with the asperator.  But wait to see if mites show up on other ants or increase in numbers. 

 

Plan B

Nip this in the bud! Put them in the fridge and turn it to a gentle setting and make them all lethargic. Lift the glass and take out the infected ant. Give her a bath or otherwise keep her isolated until the mites are verified to be gone. 

 

Plan C

Buy predatory mites. 

 

 

The only action I've taken thus far is letting the moisture in the nest dip a little lower. I have not yet offered them the wooden nest, that sounded like a good idea, but It'd create complications. I cleaned their outworld and gave them a nice fresh water source and I'm going to let the nest let just a little dry. 

[ANTdrew]

It is totally worth it. Definitely deal with the infected ant.
Bear in mind that freezing is not enough to kill mite eggs. Boiling for at least three seconds is required to do this.
I had good success eliminating a mite infestation with predatory mites I ordered over the internet last year.

[ConcordAntman]

Some more photos of the colony for some context.

Admittedly off topic (apologies), but what camera & lens are you using for your photos? Are you using flash? Fill lighting?? Thanks!

[futurebird]

No flash. Nikon D3300 that I'm still learning to use. I also bought an "ultra macro" lens, which I must adjust manually. I use focus stacking to get better depth of field. I used natural indirect sunlight for these. The sun is just about the best light if you can get it. I do have LED lights (not flashes as they scare the ants) that can keep up indoors in a pinch. 
 
I also use a focus rack and tripod so I can carefully position each photo. Macro is hard but rewarding! And it helped me see the mites.
 
I think I know where they came from. My pet house spider has a mite that looks similar and she is wild caught (well bookshelf caught) and I've feed my ants this kind of spider before frozen. Guess I'll be boiling too. 
 
Since I have a theory on their origin I will do the ant abduction later today. 
 
I think I may get the predatory mites. I just need to keep them clear of my arthropods... I think they eat arthropod babies.
 
Oh here is the house spider and her mite. I'm not that worried about her having a mite unless she gets covered in them.

[ANTdrew]

You can read about my experience with Strateolaelaps here: https://www.formicul...t/?fromsearch=1
They decimated a grain mite infestation without harming the ants at all.

[futurebird]

I was able to clean the ant. But I also have to find an escapee now. Ugh. I didn't want to make them any colder than needed. They are sort of shook up but clean. 

 

I think I'll try the mites on my house spider. Hopefully she's too big of an arachnid to eat. But it would be a good proof of concept. Then ... if needed still I can try the ants. IDK if these mites will go for mites that are on a host, but they could hopefully clear up the eggs.

 

I tried to salvage a mite for inspection but it was too wet and mushy.

 

My ants are probably mad at me. 

 

"just a little cold snap and kiddnapping!"

 

I hope the escapee is hanging out near the nest later. That's what they normally do just wait to be let back in like the world's smallest angriest cat.

 

I hope she doesn't get more mites wherever the heck she is. 

[ConcordAntman]

You can read about my experience with Strateolaelaps here: https://www.formicul...t/?fromsearch=1
They decimated a grain mite infestation without harming the ants at all.

ANTdrew, did you post your predatory mite journal?

[ConcordAntman]

No flash. Nikon D3300 that I'm still learning to use. I also bought an "ultra macro" lens, which I must adjust manually. I use focus stacking to get better depth of field. I used natural indirect sunlight for these. The sun is just about the best light if you can get it. I do have LED lights (not flashes as they scare the ants) that can keep up indoors in a pinch. 
 
I also use a focus rack and tripod so I can carefully position each photo. Macro is hard but rewarding! And it helped me see the mites.

Really nice shots futurebird!   You’ve got me thinking about a focuing rack!

[ANTdrew]

You can read about my experience with Strateolaelaps here: https://www.formicul...t/?fromsearch=1
They decimated a grain mite infestation without harming the ants at all.

ANTdrew, did you post your predatory mite journal?

That link is the only thread I’ve done on mites.

[futurebird]

I went away for a few days and came back and can't see any mites. Of course there could be eggs, so I will keep watching them, but for now I just see happy mite free girls. 

 

I'm still going to try the predatory mites on the spider and I'll make a thread about how that goes. My house spider still has mites. Though they aren't multiplying fast... I think. It seems like they are in the same spots. 

 

[ANTdrew]

Be aware that they’re pretty expensive and sold by the thousands. It may not be worth it for a spider.

[futurebird]

I'm more interested in verifying if they work for body mites as well as they do for grain mites.