"Dust mites are microscopic, small enough
to live inside the weave and fibers of your clothing, bedding
carpet and such. They don't actually bite they are waaay to
small .. they actually live on the skins flakes we shed. When
people have problems with dust mites it is because they are
actually allergic to the proteins in their saliva and excrement!
So there is precious little on a hermit crab to attract or sustain
a dust mite.
"Stored grain is subject to insect infestation
and deterioration from molds and bacteria. High grain temperatures
and moisture, along with dockage and broken kernels, provide
conditions that accelerate mold and insect development. Many
grain insects are good fliers and move to newly stored grain
from fields and from infested grain bins. Insects can reach
a high population size in unchecked grain bins, in subfloors
or aeration ducts in bins, in equipment used to move grain,
or in discarded refuse grain. These areas must be kept free
of insects to reduce migration to newly harvested grain.
This site has information about the Grain Mite,
which feeds on food similar to that which we offer our hermit
crabs i.e., Wheat Germ (FMR Treat), Soyabean Meal(FMR Food),
Rolled Oats, etc.
"Mite populations can explode when they feed
on wheat germ, yeast, cheese, powdered milk, flour, or grain.
In finely ground commodities such as flour and powdered milk,
infestations are confined to the surface layer. Whole or cracked
grains and nuts may be infested throughout." (Linda
J. Mason and John Obermeyer, Department of Entomology
These mites can be found in a wide variety of stored products
and food and can cause mild dermatitis known as "grocer's
itch." Heavy infestations have a sweet or minty odor.
A coating of "mite dust," molted skins of the mites,
covers the infested grain or cheese. Sometimes the surface
of infested materials appears to move due to large numbers
of mites. These mites favor damp areas. They do not bite humans
(
.William F. Lyon
W. Calvin Welbourn)
Common Mite Species
Index
of Mites for Identification
A list or index to many types of mites that are
attracted to grain and will infest areas where foods like wheat
germ, soyabean meal, rice meal, flour, oats and cereals exist.
TREATMENT FOR MITES
A
crabarium that is infested with mites and other pests cause
hermit crabs to become stressed,
lose limbs and die. It is important that you do not use
chemicals that could be harmful to hermit crabs in ridding
their home and yours of pests.
Hermit
crabs are very sensitive to the presence of chemicals and they
may suffocate if pesticides are sprayed close by. Keep the tank
covered and wherever possible, find a natural alternative in
cleaning
products
If
you DO have mites, this is one way that I have found to get
rid of them:
The
substrate and crabarium items boiled and dried, your tank cleaned
out with vinegar, and give your hermit crabs a series of
Stress Coat baths until they are free of these pests. The
mites should float to the surface during the baths. As Jenn
notes, mites are often attracted to wood and plants so make
sure you rid the crabarium of wood that attracts mites and other
bugs to prevent it happening again.
You
may need to use a magnifying glass to zoom in, make sure you
have rid your tank of these pets, and keep a lid on your tank
to keep the flies, mites and bugs away from your crabs and their
food. Always remove fresh fruits the morning after to keep your
hermit crabs safe from infestation.
A
crabarium that is infested with mites and other pests cause
hermit crabs to become stressed,
lose limbs and die. It is important that you do not use
chemicals that could be harmful to hermit crabs in ridding
their home and yours of pests.
Hermit
crabs are very sensitive to the presence of chemicals and they
may suffocate if pesticides are sprayed close by. Keep the tank
covered and wherever possible, find a natural alternative in
cleaning
products
Hermit
Crabs are not known to mate in captivity, so there is no chance
of breeding your hermit crabs. Some hermit crab owners have
been mistaking in thinking the eggs
of a larvae fly were tiny hermit crab eggs. If you see anything
other than hermit crabs in your tank, it is a PEST and should
be removed as soon as possible. If you see any sign of mites,
eggs or other pest it is important that you remove it quickly.
The
only way it could be hermit crab eggs is if you have received
a hermit crab straight from the wild that is gravid,
or laden with eggs. Hermit Crabs with eggs are NOT supposed
to be harvested at all, so this is very rare. At present only
two scientists (that I am aware of) have successfully raised
hermit crabs from egg stage to Juvenile
stage in a lab. It is a very difficult process and without
the set-up, tools and skills it is very unlikely that it could
be recreated in a home setting.
A note from CLD on Mites
and Lost Limbs:
From:
CRABLOVER DON <kritterlandusa@yahoo.com> Date: Fri Mar
17, 2000 12:20 pm Subject: Clearing up some MYTHS.....MYTH #1......
DEATH SENTENCES
Okay, let's
do a little 'BASIC' hermie FACT application... starting with
the biggest MYTH out there... the death sentence due to the
loss of a claw (or even two)... I hope you won't mention this
to any of my guys... as they can prove you wrong...VERY QUICKLY!!
Some guys may
be a little 'challenged' at first, but they soon adapt to the
situation and do quite nicely until that missing appendage is
regenerated!
Hermit Crabs
CAN live quite well missing one or even both of their "claws'.
Why do I know this? Because I have a dozen or more fellas with
these 'challenges' LIVING among my two hundred plus crabs. The
fact is these claws do have certain functions... the larger
(left)'claw' is used basically for defense and climbing, while
the smaller (right) one is used for eating and climbing. At
first i did 'handfeed' some of the guys missing both claws,
but these guys are amazing in finding alternative ways to eat
and drink... IF the crab IS HEALTHY otherwise they usually survive!
It is easy
to pass death off on the fact that you are not sure what the
*real* problem is! If a crab starts losing any appendage, there
is usually a problem... in most cases it is because of a stress
related factor. These reasons are usually not from 'attacks'
as I hear so often, but because of under-lying problems such
as bacterial growths <from too much dampness in the tank/wet
substrate>; poor control of temperature and humidity levels
<fluctuating temperature levels...poor control of humidity
levels>; dehydration <lack of water>; poor 'housekeeping'
<allowing wastes to 'build up', food to spoil, 'mite' infestations>;
exposure to odors, housekeeping sprays, 'fumes'<all things
that can jeopardize their respiratory systems>; a molt gone
bad...etc.
What is necessary,
to prevent further problems/deaths, is to locate and DETERMINE
what PROBLEM is causing and creating this stress. Ninety-nine
percent of the time there is an underlying cause... At the first
sign of a crab losing a leg or claw, IMMEDIATE attention should
be paid to the situation and to be as prompt as possible in
seeking EXPERT advice! Kathy at FMR is the best person I know
who can usually help determine the 'soource' of your problem,
you can talk to her 'one on one' and through a few simple questions
and answers she can usually assist you and make the necessary
recommendations. Just use good 'common sense' and seek assistance
BEFORE the situation gets out of hand! ... Many deaths can be avoided, but only IF the underlying
factors can be corrected and resolved. It is often better to
correct the situation and get things 'under control, before
bringing any new little ones into a problem situation...
From some personal
experiences, observations and a great deal of experience in
trying to help others; but, more so from the bottom of my heart...
take a few minutes and stop, reason and think! It really makes
for much Happier Crabbing for all! Happy Crabbing!
Don
P.S.: I urge
each of you crabbers old or new to think about investing in
a good crab care book... there are a few better than others,
many are very 'out of date' but have some good information...
One recently published one I highly recommend is:HERMIT CRABS:
A Complete Pet Owner's Manual...a "Barron book"...
written by Sue Fox. Both Amazon.com and Barnes and Nobles offer
a discount on online orders... in the store it costs around
$6.95. Sue has some great information in there plus the pixs
are fantastic!
=====
Kritterlandusa....
Home of Some of the Happiest and Greatest Little Creatures of
God....
Gone but far from forgotten: SKRIPER, DUKE and KING, along with
the others waiting at the Rainbow Bridge!
(Cralover Don AKA Don
Drenning. Read his archives here
If
your hermit crabs have lost limbs, please visit the
LOST LIMBS page. [ Previous
] [ Next
]
References:
William F. Lyon, W. Calvin
Welbourn. Mites Annoying Humans
HYG-2101-95. URL : http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2101.html
Linda
J. Mason and John Obermeyer, Department of Entomology.
URL: http://www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/GQ/GQ-13.html
Vera
Krischik, USDA FGIS and the Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Wendell Burkholder, USDA ARS and the University of Wisconsin
URL: http://ipmworld.umn.edu/chapters/krischik/index.html
Insect Publications Oklahoma Cooperative Extension
Service
Home and Garden Insects
URL: http://agweb.okstate.edu/pearl/insects/home/
Alternatives
to using chemicals on mites and insects can be found here
If
your hermit crabs have lost limbs, please visit the
LOST LIMBS page.
[ Previous
] [ Next
]
