Mites in tank??

[Richard Gallon]

Red spider mite is a plant pest - it has no interest in a tarantula spider at all. It's like accusing a vegetarian fish of being responsible for killing a cow.

One mite does not make a problem - several mites don't make a problem. Regular tank maintenance (removing dead prey and food remains) will keep on top of things, but detrivorous mites aren't a problem (unless in plague proportions) anyway - so why worry?

If you followed the advice presented in many tarantula keeping books you'd be forever changing substrates and fretting about mites, probably killing your spider through unnecessary disturbance in the process.

Parasitism is the norm in the wild. Tarantulas are more than capable of living with mild burdens of parasitic mites. I'd only ever worry if a spiderling's chelicerae were covered in attached parasitic mites and it was causing feeding difficulties.

One day the mitey mite myth may eventually disappear...

Richard

[James Box]

thanks for that, Richard!!! helpful to know

Peter, i'm not saying the book is useless...far from it. but one must take some of it with the realisation that alot of old knowledge is being superceded. it may only be 8 years old, but in scientific terms, that can mean a long time!

for some reason i thought the new edition was out this Christmas...but i suppose the more time put in, the better the new edition

[Nicola Dolby]

I was going to say a lengthy bit about this, but Richard has just gone and said it all! If you have white mites in and around the water bowl just clean it and refil. your tarantula won't be bothered by them. However the woodlice thing is a good idea, I keep them in all my tanks and they get on fine with the spiders.
Good luck Viki

[Viki Clark]

Blimey I didn't realise there were so many different sorts, but I guess it does make sense that if they all get along in the wild there's no reason not to in captivity provided it doesn't get out of hand?! I've not seen any more since the one little bugger that started this off, I can't see any on Milly herself and I'm doing my best to dry out the tub a bit now and hopefully kill the whatever it was in the process.