Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have little mite like things in my meal worm container and was wondering what they are. I heard something about grain mites could these be them? Are they harmfull to snakes and geckos? DO I just pitch the contaimentated colonies

I don't know about grain mites but I have some tiny little beetles that have hatched out in my mealworm bedding. They are tiny, really dark, reddish-brown color and they feed on they chicken layer feed I keep my mealies in. I am sure that eggs are in the grains or feeds when it is purchased and under the right conditions, the same condition for raising mealworms, they incubate and set up house keeping

I have not found them to be a problem, they don't eat the mealies, just the feed. If they were so thick that I could see bunches of them I would consider starting over but they don't seem to be reproducing at an intolerable rate so I have left them alone. I crush one here and there as I find them but no great effort has been taken to eliminate them.

One of the beetles actually hitched a ride on a mealworm and wound up in a dish for my hatchlings to feed from. One of the hatchlings thought it was great stuff!

If these aren't what you are dealing with then "never mind!" but if they are I doubt they are cause for concern.

Marcia