Care sheet guide by DartFrogsAndGeckos.com

Introduction

Mites are a serious pest that can completely wipe out a fruit fly culturing program. Once they gain a foothold, they can be difficult to eliminate—even after discarding affected cultures and introducing new ones.

This guide explains how to prevent mite outbreaks and what to do if they appear in your fruit fly cultures.

Identifying Mites in Fruit Fly Cultures

Mites are tiny arthropods related to ticks, and they come in many species. The mites that infest fruit fly cultures are small, white, or off-white.

Signs of Mites in Cultures

• Small white specks visible on the inside or outside of the culture cup.
• A fine dust or sand-like texture on the outside of the cup.
• When viewed closely, mites move very slowly. You can circle a suspected mite with a marker and check if it moves after an hour.
• A magnifying glass can help identify their legs and slow movement.

These mites are also commonly associated with domestic cricket cultures used for reptile food.

Preventing Mite Outbreaks

Mites are widespread in the environment, and some may always be present at low levels. However, proper culturing techniques can prevent them from establishing in your cultures.

Best Practices for Mite Prevention

1. Use the newest cultures available. As soon as a fresh batch of cultures starts producing, use those flies to start new cultures. Mites reproduce more slowly than fruit flies, so using newly emerged flies helps keep cultures clean.
2. Freeze culturing materials before reusing. Ventilated lids should be frozen overnight before reused. Media and excelsior can also be frozen as an extra precaution.
3. Use insecticide-treated shelf paper. This special drawer-liner paper prevents mites from migrating between cultures. Store cultures on these sheets, ensuring that cups do not touch each other. This paper is sometimes available at hardware or general stores, and we offer it in sheets that hold nine cultures.

What to Do If You Have Mites

If mites have already infested your cultures, immediate action is necessary.

Steps to Eliminate Mites

1. Discard all affected cultures. Order new cultures from a clean source.
2. Thoroughly clean your culturing area. Scrub cracks and crevices with a brush. Use a normal dilution of bleach to kill mites or spray an insecticide labeled safe for indoor use. If using insecticide, allow a day for the area to dry before reintroducing cultures.
3. Freeze all culturing materials (lids, media, excelsior) for at least 24 hours before reusing.
4. Use insecticide-treated shelf paper under new cultures to prevent re-infestation.
5. Consider moving your culturing area to a different location as an additional precaution.

If mites persist despite following these steps, contact us for advice on chemical treatments available for eliminating mites from fruit fly culturing programs.