hypoaspis mites

With Reptiles sometimes time is of the essence when it comes to their health. You can post your health related questions and answers here.

hypoaspis mites

Postby slangman » Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:23 pm

i inherited an unwanted gift with the jamacian boas (otr yellow snakes as they are called on their permits) so i had to decide what to do about them . prob is i didnt want to use chemicals on them if i could help it so i went down the route of hypoaspis mites . These are sold over here by a company specialising in micro biology and they cost me 10pound and 3 pound postage and packaging for 10000 mites . these are normally used to control scariad fly in green houses but as they are preditory , feed also on snake mites . so i put some compost at the bottom tier of their cage and as long as the soil or compost is kept moist , these mites will thrive . I had a look in the tub of mites as it says to do so that i could difieretiate between the 2 mites and there were not a hell of a lot of them but apparertly the eggs in the vermiculite and soil mix have yet to hatch . After a couple of weeks of spraying the soil in the viv , i had a close lok and indeed there were about 5000 little mites swarming around the viv . they actually track down the snake mites and attack them . these chaps occasionally climb onto the snake and chase the snake mites off so the others can get them . Such a thrill to watch cos i hate mites . They dont feed on the host at all and when all the snake mites are gone and their is no other micro organisms to feed on , they simply starve to death over 6 weeks . The snakes even seem to know what is going on as they lie in the soil most of the time . After a month of them in the viv , i checked the snakes lastnight and not a single snake mite to be seen even in the usual spots like the eyes and under the mouth and the vent . i will continue to leave the hypoaspis in the viv until the end of their lives and theorey is all the snake mites will be hunted and killed . holding thumbs cos i do so hate snake mites . I thought about a few breeders i know who could benefit from these chaps especially those with blood pythons who have a fair bit of substrate in the vivs .
User avatar
slangman
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 478
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: liverpool

Postby BillyBoy » Sun Jan 06, 2008 7:20 pm

Too cool! What a great way to control nasty, little snake mites.

Billy
User avatar
BillyBoy
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:08 pm
Location: South Florida, USA

Postby Q Ball » Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:37 pm

That sound like a great solution man. Do they also eat the eggs that the mites lay?
I like candlelight dinners, romantic walks on the beach and poking dead things with a stick.
User avatar
Q Ball
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 777
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2006 1:18 pm
Location: Kemptonpark

Postby slangman » Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:48 pm

as far as i can learn from the literature on these chaps , they eat everything they can get hold of . and then they continue to lay eggs themselves which will inturn hatch and feed on anything about . so the throrey is that should any eggs from snake mites be laid in places undetected by these mites , when they hatch and go in search of the host , they get intersected by a few generations of hypoaspis . A very reputable breeder up north had a infestation of snake mites in a very latge collection . he ordered in 4 tubs (aprox 40000 mites ) and they cleared his collection in no time at all . He was the one that actually put me onto these predator mites when i asked him for some alternatives . Seems the production of the spray type frontline has been halted in the uk and thus veterinary clinics no longer stock it . i was not that keen on trying to water down the drops they use on dogs and then test it on my jamacian boas , hence the search for an alternative began . i am very pleased with the results so far .
User avatar
slangman
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 478
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: liverpool

Postby slangman » Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:52 pm

the only draw back is that they are limited to postage in the uk for obvious reasons (even over here , they require you to be home to recieve them the day they are dispatched so they dont freeze to death during transportation) . i dont think they will handle any extreme cold liable to be experienced during international transportation .
User avatar
slangman
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 478
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: liverpool

Postby Serpy » Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:54 pm

Wow that sounds excellent, now whats the chances of them being available here in SA??
A good burper is a good herper.
User avatar
Serpy
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 2351
Joined: Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Pretoria

Postby Long John Silver » Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:50 am

Serpy wrote:Wow that sounds excellent, now whats the chances of them being available here in SA??


Call it coincidence but I had a chat with a entomologist this holiday regarding biological control in citrus boards.
Just remember Serpy, just because some biological predator works in one country does not neccesarily mean it will work in SA.
Murphy's law in Herping: "If the snake is within range, so are you"
User avatar
Long John Silver
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 639
Joined: Tue May 08, 2007 12:26 pm
Location: Pretoria

Postby Bushviper » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:10 am

LJS snake mites are snake mites and these predatory mites will eat them here or in Europe.

At the right time of the year I am sure they could make an international trip. The problem is to keep them alive when you dont have mites. Even though I seem to be pretty good at it I dont want to have to breed snake mites.
It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Those who are afraid to ask are ashamed of learning.
User avatar
Bushviper
Founder Member
 
Posts: 17358
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:02 am
Location: Pretoria

Postby Long John Silver » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:17 am

Fair enough BV, but hypoaspis mites might eat other stuff as well in SA that might not occur in Europe.
Murphy's law in Herping: "If the snake is within range, so are you"
User avatar
Long John Silver
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 639
Joined: Tue May 08, 2007 12:26 pm
Location: Pretoria

Postby Bushviper » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:29 am

LJS now I am with you. The possibility of them finding other hosts/prey does exist and could be a threat.
It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Those who are afraid to ask are ashamed of learning.
User avatar
Bushviper
Founder Member
 
Posts: 17358
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:02 am
Location: Pretoria

Postby slangman » Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:41 pm

as far as i can tell from the notes that accompany the package , they occur naturally in america and feed predominantly on scarrid fly and their larvea . but i supose they could attack indigineous micro organisms in sa as it is warm enough there for them to survive out of the vivs where over here , the winter would certainly kill off any escapees into the wild .
User avatar
slangman
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 478
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:03 pm
Location: liverpool

Re: hypoaspis mites

Postby StriderWolf » Wed Apr 17, 2013 12:24 pm

Sorry I was wondering where you got the mites from did you get them shiped over from the uk?
StriderWolf
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:56 pm
Location: limpopo for now

Re: hypoaspis mites

Postby Snakesitter » Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:07 pm

I know people who swear by that treatment in the US. Personally, while I've never had a mite issue, I really like the idea of a biological solution rather than a chemical one. Well done!!!
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
[i]Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility[/i]
Website http://www.livinggemsreptiles.com, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/lgreptiles
User avatar
Snakesitter
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 484
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:18 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA


Return to Reptile Hospital

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests

cron