white bugs!!!

[Gary Bett]

Hi all, after inspecting my H.Lividum this morning i've discovered loads of tiny little white bugs crawling on the glass.Anyone know what they are and how i get rid of them?My substrate is peat,have they appeared out of this?

[Richard Gallon]

If they are round and crawl slowly they are likely to be mites.

If they are long and hop they are springtails.

Mites will often appear if prey remains are left in the tank (hidden in the substrate).

Increasing the ventilation and lowering the humidty will control them. Make sure you sterilise your substrate in a microwave (9 minutes on high) - the steam will kill any mites and their eggs.

Cheers,
Richard

[Gary Bett]

These things are really tiny but they hop miles.another question,how i get my h.lividum out its hole to empty the substrate.it appears to have covered its hole completely over with web and soil.is this normal?

[James Box]

sounds like springtails, which are good and beneficial! they are completely harmless tank cleaners, so it would be best to let them be!
sounds like the lividum might be preparing for a moult, as it's normal for T's to seal themselves away at that time.
even more important to leave her be at present.

[Gary Bett]

Thanx.its put my mind at rest.the spider has been eating no end in the week ive had it so could be gettin ready for a molt.its only about 2 1/2-3 inches in legspan.will keep all posted on the white bugs and also if it does molt or if its just barracaded itself in away from the noise of all my sprogs.lol

[James Box]

could be lol
my H albostriatum locked itself away for a bit and didn't moult, they may just do that kind of thing for some peace, as you say

[michaelmckinney]

Hey Gary,

Thats wierd because I found little white bugs in my lividum tank aswell.

I just changed the substrate and a bit more ventilation, like Richard said but I've got my eyes peeled everyday making sure they don't come back.

And what a fantastic idea Richard for sterilizing the substrate, I'll have to buy a cheap microwave though, can't see my Mum being to happy using her's!! LOL

Thanks for the tip,

Michael..

[Matthew Baines]

sounds like the lividum might be preparing for a moult, as it's normal for T's to seal themselves away at that time.

My h . lividum comes out every night and then when i look in the morning it covers its burrow with web. The only way i know its molting is if it doesn't come out on a night for a week or more.

[Gary Bett]

Thanks matthew,how big is your cobalt?do they have the blue colour if they're male?

[Matthew Baines]

My H . Lividum is only about 2 1/2 inch legspan at the moment but if i shine a tourch on the underside of her she goes from being brown too blue . As far as i know males dont go blue but someone correct me if i am saddly mistaken!!!

[Gary Bett]

Thanks again mate.The back legs on my h.lividum are blue at most angles and the rest are blue in the right light.Do they shed in their burrows or do they come out?If they do shed in the burrow do they throw the skin out like they do the remains of they're food?

[James Box]

i think one of mine moulted in its burrow, it went from brown to blue, rather suddenly, and i found no sign of a skin, which i thought was odd. probably just buried somewhere though.

[Matthew Baines]

i had a couple of moults where my cobalt blue abandoned its burrow and just molted in a trench in the opposite corner.