Mites in the White Worms

[rob]

Noticed I have mites. I'm curious if I should bother trying to get rid of them? Also, if the thought is they need to be eliminated anyone have any good suggestions on how to do it?

Thanks in advance,
Rob

 

[edward]

Hi Rob,
If these are predatory mites or grain mites they can crash your colony.
Most likely they are grain mites. Depending upon the food used for the worm and the conditions these mites can really have a major population explosion.
Ed

 

[rob]

Ok...so how should I remove them?

They're tiny white mites if that helps to identify them.

Rob

 

[Jennewt]

Do you think the mites came with your starter culture of whiteworms? If so, ask the source. It may be that the worms will stay ahead of the mites (or co-exist reasonably), at least under some conditions (like low temp maybe).

To get rid of them, you would either have to "clean off" some worms and start a new culture from them (and you might not really be rid of the mites even then). Or get a fresh culture (from a different source) and start over with sterilized equipment, bedding, etc. The whole area around where you have been keeping the culture will have to be considered "contaminated".

 

[rob]

Hi Jen,

The place I got the worms has had them for years in a refrigorator and the mites where there then. They asked me to try and refresh their population and so gave them to me to try and raise them up and bring them back to good producing stage.

The mites seem to be overrunning the culture now though (I don't keep them in the fridge but in my basement).

I've heard you can pour the contents into water and the mites will float off as a possible way of ridding myself of them.

What do you think?
Rob

 

[Jennewt]

Sounds to me like the worms have an advantage at refrigerated temp, but the mites grow faster at room temp. You could try the floating method, but I'll bet you still end up with mites. It only takes one or two of them to renew the contamination. A fresh source (or refrigeration) is probably the only salvation.

For a small easy-to-culture worm, I recommend the "small aquatic redworms" sold by www.aquaculturestore.com.

 

[morg]

I have found it very difficult to keep whiteworm and grindal worm cultures mite free, but keep the numbers down by taking out as many as I can with tweezers.
If your whiteworms are to feed young larvae, they may also eat the mites,some of the ones I have brought up this year have.

MORG