Mites in my meal worms and super worms!!!!!!!!

[tony19]

So today when I came home I went to check on my mealies and supers and I came across the dreaded mites. This is now the 3rd time I've got them. A d I know how it happened. So here it is. I keep my meal worms and super worms side by side in my tv stand and have heat coil to under it to keep the temps good enough for them to thrive. The first time I got it it was in the meal worm bin and I found out it was because I was using silage ( witch is corn soy bean and other stuff from the bottom of the silo and cause I found them on the farm ). The 2nd time was because i was leaving the potato I use to feed them get all nasty. The 3rd time was from the super worms.

I have replaced the meal worm bins because I learned that my potatoes and carrots and lettuce were getting moldy because there wasn't enough air flow and made the vents bigger. That solved the moldy food problem and also solved the issue with my substrate from getting moist. So I tried it with the supers and they ate through the screen so I had to hot glue plastic over the screen vents and put holes instead. So I bought a new bin that was higher so they can't do that now and put vents in and when I was going to switch them over I saw what looked like dust on the Bolton of my tv stand. It was mites


I finally got my colony to the point I wouldn't have to buy them anymore. I also use them for fishing not just as feeders so I use a lot. So is there anyway I can save my colony's of supers and mealies. The mealies barley have any at all Because it came from the supers. But the supers have them bad

 

[Tanner Grisak]

http://www.geckotime.com/how-i-got-rid-of-grain-mites/

 

[sandrachameleon]

sift the worms out of what's left of the substrate. start over

you're obviously providing too much moisture - provide less wet gutload!

 

[AngieL]

I don't use any heat or wet gutload on my mealies, just use Sandra's dry gutload mixed in with the alphalfa they come in. It keeps them alive and they turn to Beatles with no help from me

 

[sandrachameleon]

some wet gutload is good - you do want them to stay hydrated.

 

[tony19]

Thanks for the advise. Guys/ gals. My problem is its cold in my room all the time with the ac. That's why I had the heat coil on to keep them at 75f. But I'll it matter if I turn it off

 

[nightanole]

If you are using them for growing more worms, you are out of luck. The mites will kill the eggs and babies, and in worst case scenerials, make it so the beetles cant even move.

Start from scratch with stuff they wont feed on. No wheat germ, stick with Wheat middlings and no powdered milk. Get rid of the alfalfa if its the alfalfa hay for live stock. Stick with dried ground up greens. Use the bee pollen, yeast flakes, and kelp powder. Get rid of the potatoes and stick with carrots and apples.

Your goal is to get rid of the food supply(powdered milk, germ, alfalfa, oats) and make it so the other good dry foods dont mold and feed the little buggers (yeast for some reason helps). If you are going to use alfalfa, oats, bran, microwave it alot first. Freezing it wont kill the eggs.


Lids should always be ether open air, or full screen. i also line the inside and out side of the tubs with olive oil or coconut oil. This keeps the little buggers in/out.

 

[tony19]

If you are using them for growing more worms, you are out of luck. The mites will kill the eggs and babies, and in worst case scenerials, make it so the beetles cant even move.

Start from scratch with stuff they wont feed on. No wheat germ, stick with Wheat middlings and no powdered milk. Get rid of the alfalfa if its the alfalfa hay for live stock. Stick with dried ground up greens. Use the bee pollen, yeast flakes, and kelp powder. Get rid of the potatoes and stick with carrots and apples.

Your goal is to get rid of the food supply(powdered milk, germ, alfalfa, oats) and make it so the other good dry foods dont mold and feed the little buggers (yeast for some reason helps). If you are going to use alfalfa, oats, bran, microwave it alot first. Freezing it wont kill the eggs.


Lids should always be ether open air, or full screen. i also line the inside and out side of the tubs with olive oil or coconut oil. This keeps the little buggers in/out.

Ok good to know. I stopped using the silage after the first time. Yes it was for cattle. I got it from the farm I worked at. But I've since got rid off all that even the meal worms I found there. Now I use wheat bran. I don't use milk powder I tried that and it didn't turn out well and quickly got rid of it. I thought moving to wheat bran would be easier then oats. The lids of the beetles tubs are all screen. And the sides of the worms tubs have screen but only on the meal worms. I was working on the super worms bin and was actually changing them over when I found it all.

I was gonna try and save the bigger worms. And get rid of the rest. I know about them eating the eggs but I think it's wise to start all over again and get rid of them.


How often do you apply the olive oil? And won't it make the substrate wet