Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello.

I recently noticed some very tiny white bugs in the bedding of my Red Wigglers. What are these bugs? And are they harmful to the worms and the pets I feed them to?

Thanks.

jayhawk

If they hop then they are springtails and are harmless.

Ed

Hi Ed,

Thanks for your reply.

I'm sure they're not springtails. They are much smaller and seem to have a round shape to them. Perhaps some type of mite? If it is a mite, should I be concerned about the worms? More importantly, do you think it would still be safe to feed the worms to my herps?

Thank you.

Hi,
There are many different types of mites. There are a couple of types likely to be found in worm cultures. If you feed any grain based foods to your worms (dry fishfood, dog food, oatmeal, baby cereal, ect) then they may be grain mites which are usually just a nuisance unless conditions are perfect for the mite in which it explodes into immense numbers (on one memorable occasion creating a "drift" mites out of a container.
The second type would most likely be a species that is feeding on your worms and is harmless to the amphibians. It is possible that they can reach high enough numbers to affect the worm colony but this usually does not happen.

Ed

Thanks, Ed.

It seems that the Grain Mite is the unwelcomed visitor to my worm culture. I hadn't noticed them until I started to feed oatmeal to the worms, then they began to appear and steadily grow in number. They also seem to be harassing the worms and making them quite uncomfortable. I ended up dumping the worms outside, along with the mites. They were multiplying very quickly, which raised concerns for me.

Are there any other foods (besides grains) that you would recommend to feed worms that are less likely attract mites?

Thanks very much.

jayhawk

Microwaving the grain for three or four minutes should kill the little pests. Other than that any greens are good as long as they are cut into small enough pieces for the worms to eat.

Ed

Thanks.