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Mites?
Sept 11, 2020 20:02:15 GMT
via mobile
Post by supersnailen on Sept 11, 2020 20:02:15 GMT
Can you guys please help me? I've noticed super small white bugs (~1mm) crawling around my snails food dishes. I just checked my snails and only found them on snails that were in the food dish. I haven't seen them move as fast as I've seen on videos but I'm worried they're still dangerous mites. I have an adult snail tank, a baby snail tank, and a slug tank and I always take the food out as soon as I notice any bugs. Is there a harmless white bug that just likes the food I put out?
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Mites?
Sept 11, 2020 20:24:32 GMT
via mobile
Post by supersnailen on Sept 11, 2020 20:24:32 GMT
Doing some more research there is actually a chance they are soil mites or food mites but how can I be sure?
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Post by etana on Sept 11, 2020 21:26:15 GMT
Yes, there are harmless mites and other bugs that live in the soil and food. They will accidentally end up on snails, but won't do anything worse than tickling.
The Riccardoella parasitic mites are snow white, fat, and they run in sort of zigzag patterns. They will also be seen running in and out of the snail's breathing hole.
Hope this helps!
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Post by pasi9 on Sept 11, 2020 21:29:25 GMT
In my limited experience, the harmful ones are interested solely in the snail, and didn't care about the food. I didn't see them on anything but the snail.
If they're swarming on the food, they probably aren't the harmful kind. I don't know if they would bother the snails in large numbers, though.
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daniele
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 245
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Mites?
Sept 13, 2020 12:32:17 GMT
Post by daniele on Sept 13, 2020 12:32:17 GMT
Exactly, if they are around the food, and they are interested on the food too, they are probably harmless sprigtails! You can try to touch one, they will jump usually!
Another way to be sure they are not mites, is to watch their "ass"... Even springtails can be white sometimes (i had some) but the shape is very different, they have a longer body, and thinner, and Riccardoella mites instead have a very round ass!
Springtails, sometimes will run on the snail itself too; it depends from how dirty the snail is, if the snail is dirty, they will crawl on her in order to eat the micro-pieces of food they find up there! The evil mites instead will only stay on the snail, and move from there only to reach another snail..
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Mites?
Sept 15, 2020 17:12:03 GMT
Post by morningcoffee on Sept 15, 2020 17:12:03 GMT
This is a good video that shows harmful Riccardoella mites on a slug. www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-cd7GG2mEMIf your bugs don't look like this and don't congregate on the snails then they are unlikely to be harmful mites. |
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