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Mites
Jan 22, 2010 14:44:17 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2010 14:44:17 GMT
Can anyone help me with the following? I have recently collected a colony of Diacamma rugosum and noticed that there are a small number of 1 mm long reddish mites in the observation nest - which I presume were with the ants when collected. Two questions - :Are these mites feeding off the ants like fleas or from the waste from the ants food? How would I be able to get rid of these mites without affecting the ants?
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Mites
Jan 22, 2010 16:47:52 GMT
Post by Kyle on Jan 22, 2010 16:47:52 GMT
What you could do if they are not on the ants, is remove the ants and clean the set-up out completely and reset it. normally mites that feed off of the ants like flea, ticks etc don't normally come off of the ants till they are dead (ant and mite). hope they don't cause too much damage.
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Mites
Jan 22, 2010 17:57:21 GMT
Post by formica on Jan 22, 2010 17:57:21 GMT
Sounds like you have encountered the vampire mite. These are red, tiny arachnids. They are very common in N.I, especially in the summer months. They live in large groups. They have earned themselves the name"bloodsuckers" as they are bright red and they ooze out red jiuce if squeezed or crushed. I see these quite often. I have never ever seen them living with ants before, though. They also would not be eating the brood because they only eat microscopic insects and other tiny creatures. I will do a bit of digging about them for you because I don't know if they are a threat or not. I think they are in the nest just feeding of the ants waste. If, however, you do find out they are harmful to the ants the only thing you can do is kill the colony with boiling water.(Thats what the Anstore book says.)
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Mites
Jan 23, 2010 15:30:33 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2010 15:30:33 GMT
Thanks for the help. As the mites seem to be moving around independently and not actually on the ants (as far as I can see) - I am hoping that a change of nest may be the best option. I don't fancy pouring boiling water over them all!!!
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Mites
Jan 23, 2010 20:13:35 GMT
Post by Wood~Ant on Jan 23, 2010 20:13:35 GMT
Sounds like the best option is to remove the ants, ditch the existing soil with the mites; and the give the whole thing a thorough clean up with soap and water, then rinse clear. Sterilize any new soil by cooking it in a hot oven for about 30 minutes, as this will kill any mites or unwanted organisms. Then once the soil is cool, pop it into your set up and reintroduce the ants into a nice sterile soil. This should stop any further mite infestations 100%
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Mites
Jan 24, 2010 12:01:49 GMT
Post by formica on Jan 24, 2010 12:01:49 GMT
Because they are red and small they are definitely vampire mites. They only live of the ants waste and because this was a collected colony, it was bound to have other insects living in it. For example, here in Belfast Myrmica Rubra and Ruginodus live extremely closely with woodlice. The ants don't eat the woodlice and the woodlice do not harm the ants. A few years ago I collected a Myrmica rubra colony. The colony had a lot of woodlice living with them so I collected them as well. When the ants were in the habitat, they left the woodlice alone. I still do not have a clue why they do this. My guess is that the mites just happened to be living in the same place as the ants and were feeding of the ants waste. I'm certain that the mites will not harm your colony but I would keep a very close eye on the colony just in case. If the vampire mites are harming the ants, the best idea is to sterilise the soil.
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Mites
Jan 25, 2010 10:09:35 GMT
Post by Wood~Ant on Jan 25, 2010 10:09:35 GMT
Woodlice are often found in many kinds of ant nests, as they live in a symbiotic relationship with the ants which I prefer to term "Commensals"; and to quote from the dictionary the meaning of this word is as follows} "Commensalism is a relationship whereby 2 or more organisms live in close association with each other, and may derive some benefit from this, but in which neither is harmful or is parasitic on those they live with."As woodlice live on decaying vegetation, they probably clean up the nest like little refuse collectors; and as they can roll up into a tight ball when threatened, ants would have a tough time trying to eat them anyway
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