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MITES... I think (please help)

L

LisaC

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I just checked out my frog tank (on the same rack as my geckos), and it's full of tiny white bugs. Arn't mites usually red? if so what's in there? Could they be baby crickets? I haven't seen any in my gecko tank, should I still disinfect everything in it? Unfortunately I guess you could say I have neglected to clean my pacman frog tank for a few weeks :(. He just scares the crap out of me, so I've been putting off handeling him. The last time I put a spoon in to feed him he attacked it, would not let go, and left scratch marks in the plastic from his teeth. So you can see why I would be a bit scarred of him. Thanks for any help, I'll check the archives as well.

Lisa
 
On closer inspection they do really look like they could be baby crickets, is this possible? or are there mites that could resemble baby crickets?
 
there probably baby crickets. ive been dealing with herps litterally since before i could remember. in my expereance ive never seen mites on any type of 100% insectevorious reptile. i wouldnt worry, some of the older herpers may have a differant idia on this matter, but im dont think there mites. any one else wanna add?
nevin
 
Thanks Nevin, I just did an internet search and thankfully I don't think they are mites. They are not a round shape and they are not actually on him (well that I can see). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they were just crickets. I'm soaking all of his stuff in bleach right now, hopefully that will get rid of whatever they are.
 
mites are hard to get rid of. when befor i knew what they were, they killed my green iguana. when i relized what they were, it was too late to save her, she was too gone. later on i had a red tail boa that had them, i soaked her in veggi oil for 40 mins a day, for a week 1/2 and they were all gone. that might be a little hard to do with a pac man. but any way, when mites are babies, well its kinda like someone took some red paint to the animal. it you can ussually see the entire colony of them, and it looks like one big organism that is just moving all around on the animal, then they reach adults and u can see each one. as babies they are red, so i again i highly doubt there mites. but good luck and no problem.
nevin
 
Oh wow, I had no idea they could do so much damage. That's pretty scary :(. I'm also sorry for your loss. I don't see any red on him, besides his normal markings. Here is a picture (taken a few months ago) of the little scary monster.
 

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So mites always have the colony on the animal itself? Whew, these things were just running around in the tank.
 
I love pacman frogs! Esp. the albino ones, and yours is really cute! I was actually gonna get one, but it lunged at me when I tried to pick up so i decided to pass...lol. Glad your pacman is ok...
 
they accually eat the animal from the inside out :( , and its not a pretty sight. i love pack man frogs there so cool, i just got bit by one that size not to long ago. latched on and didnt let go. me and the others i was working with thought it was pretty funny. and thats a cute little critter u got there. they are sooooo kikk @ss.
nevin
 
DON'T fall for how cute they are when they are young. I did and I regret it big time. I definately have a love hate relationship with this guy. If you want a blob that doesn't move unless it's tring to eat you, then this is the pet for you. He occationally barks (calls for a mate), which is a pretty cool sound. Also watching him eat can be fairly entertaining. However, I prefer pets that I can handel. I would still do anything for the big fattie, as I would any pet. I feel awful that I let his tank become infested with something.
 
Ahh Nevin, now you've got me scarred again. Are there any signs that I should be looking for. He seems to be his normal self. Could they in any way still be mites? I don't want to look too close at him, he will either try and bite my face or spray me with stuff.
 
you really need to look as close as possable. mites are red from birth. if there white like u said i really wouldnt worry about them. has his appatite changed at all? if he is eating less, and i mean lot less. like dropping form a dozen crickets a week to 3 or 4 then u got a prob. but i still wouldnt worry about them.
nevin
 
He has a tough time eating crickets period, since I've had him. He can't catch them very good. I think I'm going to have to give him a picky now and them. :( I really like mice. He just isn't growing much, he should be almost twice his size. He does have an appitite for my hand though, lol. When I bought him at the pet store they told me he was pretty much the same as a tree frog (what I had originally wanted, but they were out). They also told me he only needed one cricket a day, boy was that a joke.
 
yeah thats deff messed up. there not handable at all as adults. mayb like 1 in a million are able to be handeled. lol there awsome pets tho. they are not very moble, so accually all pac mans have a "hard time" catching food, but for them its normal. becareful on the pinkies tho, pac mans will eat what ever is infront of them, or theyll die trying, littaraly.
nevin
 
teddy bear said:
they accually eat the animal from the inside out :( ,
Click to expand...

Mites don't eat animals, they are parasites, much like ticks.

This is a quote from vareptilerescue. Link is below the quoted part.


Mites come in a couple of different forms. The regular reptile mite is either black or dark red-black, and are about the size of a pinhead or smaller. During my recent infestation, these mites did NOT appear to attack my iguanas, chameleons, tortoises or lacertas. They did affect everything else from small garter snakes to large pythons, and skinks of 2 different types. The other type of mite is the orange "chigger" mite, and is usually associated with iguanas. These mites are even smaller than the black mites, though do not appear to affect as many types of animals.. Iguanas, in particular, are subject to these orange mites, though I have also seen them on green snakes and garter snakes.

http://www.vareptilerescue.org/mites.html
 
ok, let me rephrase eat them alive. they drink them dry.herps are killed by those orange types all the time. i used to work in a pet store that would sell wild cought animals all the time. specie after specie would come in coverd in these little things from iguanas to boas to yes even leos and fat tails. they make the animal stop eating, and ultimatly lead to there dimise.
nevin
 
Yep. They're little bloodsuckers. Animals become weaker from loss of blood, don't want to eat/drink, and eventually die. Any of the reptiles can get mites, though they are species specific. If your snake has mites, your other snakes are in danger, but your lizards are fine. And vice versa.

So, if you ever get mites in your collection, get rid of them ASAP.
 
Wow, thanks for all the info. I had no idea about any of that before.
 
your right on the species specific, except its not like snakes to lizards. its reptiles. reptile mites wont bother mammles, spider mites wont bother reptiles, and vice versa every other way.
nevin
 
He just ate 5 large crickets in one sitting, I'm hoping that's a good sign :). Thanks again for all of your help.
 
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