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Bugs in my Grindal Worms...

JasonC

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
166
Location
Laurel, MD
So my grindal worm cultures have lots of little white dots in it and I noticed a few moving tonight. Is this some kind of mite or flea? Should this be considered the end of the culture, or is there a way to rescue it, or am I worrying about nothing?
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Sounds like mites, I usually get them in the older cultures. I probably would re-culture them, you will find the mites float, so you can rinse some Grindal worms in a beaker and pour the mites of the top of the water.

cheers Darrel
 

wethumbs

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
476
Do they look like this under the microscope? If so, they are mites. You can use 0.03% Pyrethrins to control their population by spraying on the underside of the cover. However, reculturing is the only way to completely rid of them. The mites are probably all over the area where you put the culture already. You may want to clean the area with a mild bleach solution before putting new culture there. I put all my grindal worm culture containers on a paper towel that has 0.03% Pyrethrins to keep all crawling bugs off the culture. Fungus gnats are a different story.

208680_1679904676566_1206021231_31432992_8070251_n.jpg
 

wethumbs

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
476
Are you using potting soil or other soil mix? You may want to microwave the medium to kill all the bugs in it first. Otherwise, they will just reappear again.
 

JasonC

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
166
Location
Laurel, MD
Are you using potting soil or other soil mix? You may want to microwave the medium to kill all the bugs in it first. Otherwise, they will just reappear again.

Actually, I am using coir... think thats the name... shredded coconut husk. Supposedly sterile... but would it be worth the time to go ahead and nuke it?
 

wethumbs

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
476
Coir should be free of bugs, so you dont need to put it in microwave. I have tried all sort of media for grindal worms. Coir, peat moss,and scrub pad are the only types that are free of bugs. All others I would highly recommend putting it in microwave on HIGH for a minute or two.
 

JasonC

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
166
Location
Laurel, MD
So how do Grindal worms reproduce? are they egg/cyst layers? asexual budding/splitting? Just curious, cause I am already seeing tiny white dots (not moving) that I thought may have been the mite eggs.. but am I mistaken? FYI, the re-culture was done as advised... washed a bunch of worms into a container of water and let them settle, pouring off almost all the water and any floating whatever. thought I got a very clean culture that way, but now I am not sure.
 

wethumbs

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
476
I seriously doubt that you can see mite's eggs. Having a microscope would help to identify the 'white dot'.

Grindal worm is similar to white worm therefore reproduce like earthworm. Typical lifespan of a grindal worm is several months. They reproduce in hermaphroditic fashion (just like earthworm). Reproduction starts around 20 days old once the clitellum is developed. The function of the clitelllum is to produce the egg case to protect the eggs.
 

MartialTheory

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
22
Do they look like this under the microscope? If so, they are mites. You can use 0.03% Pyrethrins to control their population by spraying on the underside of the cover. However, reculturing is the only way to completely rid of them. The mites are probably all over the area where you put the culture already. You may want to clean the area with a mild bleach solution before putting new culture there. I put all my grindal worm culture containers on a paper towel that has 0.03% Pyrethrins to keep all crawling bugs off the culture. Fungus gnats are a different story.

208680_1679904676566_1206021231_31432992_8070251_n.jpg

Can you please elaborate? Where do you find Pyrethrins and how do you apply it?
 

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