Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I discovered mites in my fly cultures, little white ones. I was wondering if these will affect my frogs or any of my other reptiles? Anybody have any tips on how to get rid of them? Thank you, Shawn

I think that I read somewhere that frogs eat mites. They said to put the culture in the frog tank and they would take care of the situation. I read it yesterday, I just can't seem to remember where... Hope this helps.

Nicole

Examine some of your fruit flies with a hand lens to see if the mites are actually on the flies--You will see them adhered to the body and wings. If so, it's best to order a fresh fly culture and start over, discarding the old cultures. There's no other way I know of to get rid of them, and they will eventually inhibit production or destray your cultures.

However, if these creatures are just in the media, they may not be actually infecting your flies, so probably aren't a big deal. In any event, it's safe to feed the frogs what you have, mites and all.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus

I have a mite problem in one of my frog enclosures also, and I have been wondering about using ladybugs to get rid of them.
I know i've seen them for sale in gardening catalogs. Do you know if this might work, and be safe for the frogs?