Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all,
I was feeding my pair of monitors earlier today and noticed that there are, what looks like tiny tiny fleas crawling around all over the substrate. I don't think they are mites, as I think they are black. These are pure white and jump around like fleas. I don't have any other animals so I am unsure of how these bugers got in...arghh. Anyhow, I was wandering if anyone knew what these are and how to go about getting rid of them? I have plans now to do a total clean out of the substrate and props, and wash out the tank they are in right now. The monitors did not have them when they arrived, and they didn't seem to have any crawling on them in their burrow.
Just to let you know, I am keeping them on a mix of top soil, sand, and vermiculite. I also have some wooden branches inside that I cooked to sanitize. I've been feeding them f/t hoppers and crickets. I've kept it about avg 60% humidity, and ambients of 80-90deg and basking spot of about 130deg. I pour water over the substrate to keep humidity up.
Please anyone that knows about these things let me know what measures I need to take.
Thanks in advance,
Tim

if they are tiny, white and jump, they may be springtails, which are harmless. Do they jump really high?

yes really high

I think they might be springtails. The environmental conditions I have the monitors in are ideal for springtails. The monitors are in my basement too, which is an already favorable place for springtails. I read that the key to eliminating them is to eliminate the environmental conditions they thrive in. I'll do that and hopefully will soon see a decrease in number.
Thanks DK,
Tim

are you sure they aren't baby crickets?

not positive...

n/p

I don't know Richard, It wouldn't seem like baby crickets would be this small. They are about 1/16th of an inch or less in length. How big are baby crickets?
Thanks for the input, that thought hadn't crossed my mind.
Tim

.

Yup, they will be that small. Unfortunately, monitor cages make ideal cricket breeding cages. Fortunately, the crickets usually die off quickly.
Try this, scoop some of the cage dirt into a small container, add a few adult crickets and cover. Leave it in the cage overnight(no air holes), remove the adult crickets from the small container. You will see a bunch of little eggs in the dirt.
Cover the container again and put it back in the cage (about 85f), in a week or so you will have baby crickets in the container.
If they look the same as whats in your cage, you will know what they are, if not, then you need to try something else.
Bet you a buck they're crickets.
Good Luck

Lets see some pics of those little beauties.

I hadn't even thought of the obvious... d'oh! It's been a while since I have fed my guys crickets and clearly I had forgotten how well they used to breed in the substrate.

Hi Doc, it's the obvious stuff that trips me up most of the time too.
Do you have any pics of wild mertens? If so, could you post them?

Oh, I wish I did, Richard! Unfortunately, the times I have seen them I haven't had my camera with me because I was either in a boat doing stuff that involved everything in the boat getting frequently soaked, or I was in the water itself with snorkelling gear on.

On my last trip up north, to the gulf country on the Queensland/Northern Territory border, we saw only one mertens and were grateful to see that one. The cane toads arrived six or seven years ago, I believe, and the guys I was with said that same spot was crawling with mertens before that. This was the first time they had seen one in that area in the past six years. It was a healthy sub-adult, so there is hope that some have either learned to avoid the toads or are genetically unpredisposed to eating them and may pass those genes on (a big ask, I think).

The one we did see would have made a great photo. It was basking on a log that was sticking out of the water in the middle of a lilypad covered backwater, a few metres from a small riffle. A friend approached from one direction while I swam towards it under water from another (from the riffle side). I got pretty close to it before it dived into the water, unfortunately on the far side of the log (the lilypad side) into some shallows that were choked with submerged grasses. The grassy area was pretty extensive, so we didn't waste too much time looking for it.

I do have some substandard slides of wild caught animals that were taken years ago, so email me and I'll scan them.

Not sure if you can get keep them captive in Australia, but I have to say they are a lot of fun. If you get a chance, and are looking for another species to keep, they are unlike any others.
I will take you up on the offer of slides and try to e mail you later in the week.
Thanks

eesh, I have to change my username. I've changed isps and have a new email address, but when I tried to edit my user details on here I realised I had been using the autopassword thingie I had long since forgotten my password. Nothing I tried worked.

...anyway, yes, there are captive bred mertens available here and they look like great animals. Unfortunately, until I can afford a house so I can move my lacies into a back yard, I'll be sticking to one species.

there are many types of mites they come in many colors. You can use black knight or some other mite spray to get rid of them. Follow the instructions given with the product.

In my years of herping I have NEVER had mites on my monitors. Are they even something to worry about? Ive had them on my snakes, but NEVER on any monitors. Can they even penetrate the skin of a monitor?

Sorry for my ignorance on the topic, just never experienced it.

Rgrds,
Michelle

Yes, I have seen mites on monitors they will typically go for a softer tissue to penetrate. Like the ventral, underarm, or nostril areas. It is not often and has only been on recent imports.

You can be sure by waiting a couple weeks. If theyre crickets youll know, because, well obviously they grow, and youll be able to see them better.
You dont need to bake your cage "props". The only time I disinfect anything is when I have reason to believe that it could be infected. (like when I get a tank that was used to house turtles)In such cases, I use amonia.