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Post by tomorrownight on Sept 11, 2010 22:17:53 GMT
I'm really disappointed to see that there are loads of head lice type mites on both my sand/glass nest and my ytong nest. I don't think they are yet in with my Messor Ratus but they are inside with my Ebeniuses. What can I do? I'm also afraid they will get in my house. I REALLY don't want to destroy these ants...
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Post by odesssus on Sept 11, 2010 22:38:55 GMT
you must act quickly have the mites got into the nest? if not then keep the ants in the nest and vacuum up then use head lice spray there are no pesticides in it. as long as the mites are not on your ants you should be OK . I would get a few mites together and spray with the head lice spray if it kills them then do then nest . if they are on your ants I seem to remember reading that one of those Little yogurt drinks that are good for you stomach kills mites I can't remember which one it was I read it on the antstore forum go there and ask.
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Post by odesssus on Sept 11, 2010 22:47:50 GMT
the stuff you will need if the mites on your ants is called vita biosa you can get it in the uk. I hope this helps
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Post by tomorrownight on Sept 12, 2010 14:02:38 GMT
thanks a lot for that. I read about the Vita Bosa stuff... also people said about spraying formic acid inside and also using bee mite spray... has anyone used any of these?
also I was kind of worried that these mites might spread to the rest of my house. On reading about head lice and stuff these are definitely not head lice. They are tiny mites like small grains of sand. would these attach onto people and breed?
the answer to your question though, is no, I don't seem to find any on the ants themselves. How can I get the ants out now? they are in a sealed ytong nest with two entry points, they only get out if they want to!
how can I stop this happening again?
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Post by odesssus on Sept 12, 2010 14:31:43 GMT
have you been feeding live food I.e crickets from the shops lots have mites. what about putting some food they like in the nest so all the ants stay there then seal off the rest of the ytong will that work?.
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Post by odesssus on Sept 12, 2010 14:36:30 GMT
by the way there is no way that the mites can live off people if they are living off ants. most parasites are what is called host specific meaning they can only live off one host.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 12, 2010 18:37:39 GMT
Both of my Messor barb colonies have little mites running around, which seem to like the mould which grows on old seed husks. The ants themselves never seem to be infested with mites, unlike the odd colony of Formica rufa I have kept for study purposes, which is why I never keep F. rufa in captivity for longer than a couple of months at the most, usually 7 weeks at best. Warmth, damp and a fairly high humidity within the set up encourages mites to breed; but if they are not causing a problem for the ants, and the numbers are small, then I tend not to worry about them too much. Only if you do find them becoming a major nuisance, then you may have to take action and clean out the set up or try treating the soil to kill off the mites. This is why some ant keepers bake soil in a very hot oven for about half an hour, as this sterilizes it from all bacteria and unwanted life forms
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Post by tomorrownight on Sept 12, 2010 20:58:39 GMT
ok that makes me feel better! how can I tell if they are seed husk mite or horrible ant eating mites like these ones:
They do not seem to be anywhere near the ants yet, they are just on the outside of the ytong crawling around here is a picture of them: dl.dropbox.com/u/2963359/ant-mites.jpgI really hope they are not bad mites!
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Post by odesssus on Sept 12, 2010 23:33:44 GMT
the 2 do look the same. but I think if they wanted to be on your ant they would be. can you catch some mites and put them in with an ant and see what happens.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Sept 13, 2010 6:59:18 GMT
The problem with mites is, they cause no trouble for ants until they start to climb onto an ants body. They don't actually eat the ant alive, as they live on detritus and rubbish that builds up within the nest, such as dead insect carcasses; but if they become too numerous and crawl all over an ant, then they smother the spiracles (breathing tubes) and can cause the ants to suffocate as they cannot breathe. Or they just make the ant very lethargic and unable to move very well. Mites occur naturally in wild nests, but as the ants maintain a good air flow and correct environmental conditions within the nest, mites never present a major problem for them. In captivity however, they can breed and become a pest which neither you nor the ants really want. The only solution if that happens is to remove the ants and put them into quarantine until you have solved the problem of cleaning out the set up
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Post by tomorrownight on Sept 13, 2010 7:46:56 GMT
Is there no way I can add lemon water or venigar or the bee stuff to their water supply instead of moving them out?
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Post by odesssus on Sept 13, 2010 14:00:04 GMT
just a thought I have a small hand held micoscope that will enable you to see your mites if you want to borrow it I would be happy to lend it to you.
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Post by Kyle on Sept 13, 2010 18:00:01 GMT
A way to be sure that the food does not have mites on it it to put it in boiling water, might be a bit extreme but it a way to be sure You said they are in a Messor nest right?, you could try attaching a test tube, (or other tempoary nest depending on the size of the nest) then slowly make the nest wetter and wetter, till the Messor get fed up and move out, hopefully leaving the mites behind, as normally mites prefer warm humid places as Wood says, then once the ants are out remove the plastic/glass then put boiling water over the brick, which is all easier said than done hope you can sort it out ASAP as mites truly are a pain Kyle
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Post by tomorrownight on Sept 14, 2010 8:55:09 GMT
hey thanks a lot for that,
hadnt thought of making it wetter!
can anyone confirm for me either way about the lemon juice in the resevoir idea? will this kill my ants?
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Post by odesssus on Sept 14, 2010 11:10:23 GMT
get an ant from the garden and dip her in the lemon then keep an eye on her for a few days. I'm sure that lemon juice is not deadly to ants it the same acid that they spray. but don't take my word for I could be wrong.
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