Nematode in cricket?

[the ming cu]

Hi, I'm an enthusiast of tarantulas and I've been breeding crickets myself, because it's hard to get the right size I want in the market. (sorry for bad English though)

I've been breed them for a while and so far only feed them to my wild caught tarantulas.

There is so many mites dwelling on the substrate of my crickets, and this is another problem of my questions here. I kept several isopods too but it looks like the problem is far too many for them to conquer (the mites are multiply than the isopods). So far, it seems the mites are not on the crickets but scavenge on the food left by the crickets or the dead crickets (or I hope so, not the crickets die because of the mites LOL).

So far there is no sign of nematode around in my tarantulas. So, before everything is late, I'd like to know how is the symptom of the crickets that are infected by nematodes?

[Colin D Wilson]

Hi Ming

The mites will probably be a species that live in the substrate to clean up.

If you look at a cricket under a magnifyer then you will see if there's any eggs clearly, they will more likely be around the leg joints from what i've seen.

Nematodes have been noticed in damp tanks by a few people on several forums, they have not been found to be a problem to the spiders from what i've read, some are just a very small "earthworm" that inhabits the substrate anyway.

[the ming cu]

hi, thanks for the repply, appreciate it so much.

let's hope the mites are the cleaning up mites for good XD

you mean the nematodes eggs are visible in the legs joint? or the mites eggs?

[Colin D Wilson]

If the mites are the parasitic type then they seem to be laid around the leg joints from what i've seen.

Nematodes are primarily internal.

[the ming cu]

oh I see.. lol
sorry for the silly question.

so if the crickets infected by nematodes, is there any way to find it out? aside from taking it to the lab (which is rather hard to access it and possibly expensive).

[Colin D Wilson]

Nematodes behave differently depending on species, some will break out from the host and appear around the mouthparts, anus or breathing vessels others will spend their whole life withing the host and will distribute them selves through defecation of the host.
You could possibly see the nematodes around the mouthparts with a strong magnifying glass or basic microscope, the internal nematodes would need disection of the host under a scope.

[Christian Elowsky]

Nematodes, what a huge topic!

In any case, Colin is correct, the number of species is staggering, as are the "jobs" they do. I've had soil nematodes in my terraria which are acting to eat waste, bacteria, fungi, and are harmless. I have also have seen the deadly species in tarantulas. The issue is that there are reported to be 3-10 species of nematodes which can infect and kill tarantulas. Currently, I have a colleague who's working on one from a captive born tarantula which can only infect tarantulas and spiders. It is unable to infect any species of crickets or cockroach tested thus far. So, depending on where you are, and what species you might see, the answer can be quite different!

I can say if you had a nematode infection in your crickets, you'd know as they'd be dying quite quickly. As you've not said anything about die off, and your tarantulas are fine, then you should be in the clear!

Colin, do you have a reference for transmission via feces of any tarantula specific nematodes? Thanks.


Christian

[Colin D Wilson]

Hi Christian,

You're right...huge topic.

I used to have subscription for BioOne.org and the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine (exoticpetmedicine.com) but have let them slip for several years now due to financials.
Both these had papers and articles which contained references to nematode distribution, transferral and transmission (some archived), most were mammal/avian specific but there were references to invertebrate infestation in these. There were at least two papers (as i remember) that focused on inverts as hosts, a species of locust being one of them.

[James Box]

in case of the wrong kind of nematodes, may i direct your attention to this thread:

http://thebts.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?5420-Phlogius-sp.-goliath&highlight=nematodes

[the ming cu]

@Collin: Is it possible if I dissect the crickets myself??? and find out is there any nematodes or not?
hmmm, from my inspections, it seems the mites not laying any eggs in the crickets. They seems to be in the dead crickets body. this is a good news I guess.

Hi Christian, it seems my crickets are breeding good, although some of them die for unknown reason (half of my crickets I bought always die due to unknown reason, it is after they breed or before they breed they died). Even so, it's have been booming in the cage with cricket babies. If it is nematodes then it will affect the whole brood, isn't it? Not only some or half of them, isn't it? If that so, perhaps I am clear of nematodes and worry too much LOL well, a few research and discussion will not hurts though XD

Hi James, thanks for the thread link. it is really helpful for me.

the thread saying killing nematodes in the soil can be done using salt or cabbage, but if the nematodes in the soil are pretty harmless to insects and tarantulas, then it's pretty poor for the good nematodes.

I am searching for nematodes journal or anything, anyone have it? perhaps the free one? I'm broke here...
and I am trying to get my hands in Thula too