Bugs?!?!

[Plasmoc]

Eeek! I love bugs outside, but hate them inside out home. What kind is this? Can they fly? Dangerous to human kid?

I cleaned up the food & removed the dirt around where they were and I vacuumed in case I dropped any. But I’m nervous there are more and they’ll make it out of the tank.

It must have been the freeze dried crickets. This is only the second time I’ve given them to them.





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[soilentgringa]

They are food mites and are harmless. They didn’t come from the crickets. They just like to eat old food.

Just feed dry foods for a bit and remove it every morning and they’ll die off a bit.


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[Plasmoc]

Where did they come from? I’ve never seen them before and the crickets is the only new thing in the tank.


You’re saying there’s lots more in the substrate I can’t see? ::shiver:: Will they go away if I change the substrate in the tank and rinse everything off?






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[Plasmoc]

And what kind of dry foods- dried beans, seeds, popcorn, etc? How do I give them balance feeding only dry?


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[wodesorel]

They very likely came from inside your home - these guys are native and are drawn to the warmth and food of the crabitat. I can tell you I severely injured myself cleaning the first time I found them, tore the entire tank apart and cleaned and sterilized everything. They were back three days later! Think of them as a tiny clean-up crew, they eat just about anything.

[Plasmoc]

I am shocked. Do they fly?


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[wodesorel]

They climb really really well.

[Plasmoc]

even up glass?

I covered the rest of my tank lid with Saran Wrap.


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[Plasmoc]

So, I saw more bugs and kinda panicked and decided to clean out my tank . Not ideal
Dive I had 2 crabs down, but I worried the bugs could be munching on my crabs.

3 are good now, exploring, but 1 was molting. He’s pretty far along, but his big claw and a few small legs of the exoskeleton were left. I isolated him in a 10” x 5” container with moist eco earth, a little bit of sorghum moss, a few shells, and fresh water. I dug a shallow put him in it with his exoskeleton fragments and bee pollen.

Is this ok? What else should I do? It’s so cramped because I wanted to give him substrate to dig down into. Does he need salt water now or should I wait a few days?






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[Plasmoc]

To clarify, I rinsed off the exoskeleton fragments in a container of dechlorinated saltwater. That’s what the first photo is.


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[GotButterflies]

Just so you know, the bugs might come back. It's a normal part of crabbing. Also, hermies sometimes don't eat their big claw. It's not necessary to give water until you see him/her moving around. You can give a little bottle cap to him/her of dechlorinated msw and dechlorinated fw - that would never hurt.

[Plasmoc]

What does msw stand for? Some type of salt water I assume. He’s moving around a bit, I saw him eating some of the exoskeleton last night and he’s moved back to the little ditch I made before. I added salt water and royal jelly. I think another day or two and he can go back in with the others.

I hope the bugs don’t come back. How do I keep them contained to the tank if they do?


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[GotButterflies]

MSW - marine saltwater

TBH, a few years ago I ordered the hypo miles mites for my garden, and threw some in my crabitats. Haven't seen ANY springtails or food mites since! That is the only way to 100% get rid of them - but those aren't cheap. Other than that - it comes with the territory.