Dave, I had the same problems with mites for ages, but I have now had some grindal cultures going for a little over a year, and have not had a problem with mites. I got the original culture from one of our club members and it was mite free. He raises them on coir. On his advice I switched to coir and voila! no mites. I feed the worms on kitten chow the same way you do, but I nuked it in the microwave first to make sure nothing could possibly be alive in it and I store it in small jars I labeled "grindal chow" I don't know what you use for media, but I love the coir. If I ever get mites again, I will definitely try the mosquito bits. Actualy, when starting a new culture it might be a good thing to put in some mosquito bits vas a preventive measure. If you would like some mite free worms, I could send you some of mine. Let me know. Sincerely, Carol Ross

Hello sir! I think if you use a paper towel and attach it to the hole in the lid with electricians tape, you'd be better protected against mites. Because they can crawl through the sponge but not through the paper towel. I do the same with my white worms culture and I've never had any problems. Put the tape on the outside and on the inside.

Hey David, getting rid of mites is easy!!! Put in a few dry roasted peanuts (no salt, no oil, just peanuts.) in the culture. Wet them and wait a day. The mites climb on the peanuts the fist day. The worms wait for the peanuts to start rotting (three or four days.) Just take out the peanuts and replace them each day for a few days and the mites will be gone. BTW if you drop the peanuts in water the mites will float and you can feed them to your fish by just pouring them into the aquarium.

@christinacastine4355

2 жыл бұрын

I’m going to try this! Just found mites in my culture.

@christinacastine4355

2 жыл бұрын

This sadly did not work and my worms covered the pnut soon as I put it in.

I was concerned also. I have been using the mosquito dunks outside in my tubs with the gold fish and live bearers for several years. No sign of any problems. Mostly I think because it is not a pesticide, it is a hungry little organism that only eats certain things. There have not been any problems feeding the grindal worms to the fish, nor any change in how the grindal worms look. So far so good. But it pays to watch out.

You’re a madman! You’re a genius? Never change, sensei.

Thank you so much for this Dave!

Hi David, thank you for sharing this method with us! i had problem with my white worm culture too. they were tiny little bugs much smaller than the bugs in your video.so I'm not sure if they were mites.but that was the main reason I gave up the culture completely. Now im only feeding my tetras dry food and baby brine shrimps.

nice video with a lot of good info. thank you!

Great idea! Mosquito bits/dunks work great on gnats in houseplants, too... just soak some overnight and water your plants with it.

I will definitely try this!!! Putting the culture into the fridge killed my grindals quickly. This worked so well for my white worms but the grindals are even more cold sensitive than the mites are, as it turns out. The next thing I was going to try was Phytoseiulus persimilis, Spider Mite Predator Predatory Mites, which I think would work, but they are expensive.

Tanks you very much for this very interesting video. I will try. I an french. And i haven,t the same product in france. Is it possible to have de activ molecular ?

Great video, how long will one culture last?

Wow, I've tried a lot of things. This I'll have to try. I hear there's a parasitic nematode that kills mites but it's pretty expensive.

Dave, I was doing a little youtube surfing tonight and found your old fruit fly video. If you're still dealing with that messy excelsior, you might want to try nylon netting. You can buy a short piece of it from a Walmart or any store that sells cloth on bolts. It costs very little. Cut it up into pieces that will fit in your jars. Just crumple it up and stuff it in. I use a pale color so the flies are easy to see. No mess. Sincerely, Carol Ross

@OutdoorsAndBotanical

Жыл бұрын

I use coffee filters. Been using them for a few years now with great success!

Ive never tried to grow worm cultures like that but now Im thinking twice LOL

Hi Dave! Thanks so much for all the amazing videos that you share- they are so incredibly helpful. I was wondering if you have an update on the mosquito bits? You're awesome!

@GrowAndEatThis

2 жыл бұрын

The only update is you only need a couple of little mosquito bits and can take them out after a day or so. Too many or left too long takes a toll on the worms. But it works. And the mites stay gone!

@tinyfarminthemaking6127

2 жыл бұрын

@@GrowAndEatThis fantastic! Thanks so much

I tried the food grade diatomaceous earth, it works so far

Mites are the bane of my existence. It doesn't matter whom I purchase the grindal worms from, what substrate I use or where I got it...sooner or later the mites appear. I've done so much testing & experimenting to no avail. I even isolate my cultures in styro coolers. The weird thing is that I use the same substrates for my whiteworms and they don't get the mites. I wonder if it has something to do with the way the catfood is processed that might include mite eggs? I will definitely give this a try. Thank you for sharing.

Try scourer pads for grindal worms

The main reaso you get this issue is because we left the container on your room. Get a styrofoam chiller use it as storage that will keep temperature and also don’t put too much food and feed them every day. Small amount just the amount the consume in 20 hours.

Just came across this video when looking for info on geindal and white worms. I had read someplace to sprinkle some diatomaceous earth in the culture of you get mites. Have you tried that?

@GrowAndEatThis

2 жыл бұрын

I have tried that and did not find it helped much. The mosquito dunks work well but only a little and only for a day or so then get it out.

I find the mites boom when I feed foods including grains. When I just feed cooked veggies I don’t get mites and numbers of mites drop in infested cultures fed veggies

Have you tried using sterilized media? (Either from a mushroom supply, or sterilizing your own with heat.) I used to have so many problems with mites in my fruit fly cultures until I started sterilizing them in the microwave before introducing the starter flies (allow to cool, first!) The problem was the media always had microscopic mite eggs in it that “activate” with the moist environment.

@GrowAndEatThis

Жыл бұрын

I have done the sterilized media both in the microwave and cooked in a pot. I think some of the mites come in the dog or cat food. Thankfully a couple of mosquito dunk 'bit' for a couple of days or so kills the mites and only mildly sets back the grindal worms. Just do not leave too long. Have to repeat in a couple of weeks to get the eggs that will hatch.

David, now that I grow white worms using your tried and true method I get so many, SO MANY baby white worms I wouldn’t consider growing grindals. Why do you? Are they different nutritionally? As always enjoy the content.

@GrowAndEatThis

2 жыл бұрын

Grindal worms are about 1/3 the size of white worms. Perfect for fry that are getting too big for brine shrimp and still small for white worms. The mosquito bits seem to be solving my mite problem and now I have more grindal worms than I know what to do with. I probably will not keep them because I to have so many white worms. I was just always 'challenged' by the mites.

So are these mosquito bits not harmful to the grindal worms then so on to the fish? I actually found my Kubotai rasbora lub to eat the mites that when put in water will float at the surface. Whether they are the same mights I, not sure as when I get them they are much smaller than yours. My problem is gnats laying in the peat moss then the cocoons n larvae infesting the culture. I’ve sat for hours tweezeri g out both cocoons and gnat worms, can feed the larvae to some of my fish but not all will eat as they don’t wriggle much. I tweezer out the cocoons n place in water where they won’t hatch. I’m going to use the boiling water method I’ve just viewed on KZread, so I’m starting new cultures with new peat moss, will place in large bowl n use boiling water and actually do this procedure twice just to make sure. So tell me, do mites kill the grindal worms or are they harmless? I’m not bothered is I find mites, it’s the gnats n worms that do my head in. I’ve also discovered micro worm shimmering away in my culture obviously from being too moist. Oh I also use cat biccies soaked in hot water as culture food, does anyone use anything else? I’d like to hear . Anyone wanting to reply would be welcome … Cheers n take care Lisa , Perth West Australia

@GrowAndEatThis

2 жыл бұрын

Check my later video updating on the bits and grindals. They should get the gnats too.

Does the culture container have to that big?

@GrowAndEatThis

11 ай бұрын

Does not have to be that big. Need some size. A pint container would work if you are careful to not let it go sour.

Are they bad for your fish though ?

So trying grindals for first time got a good culture however i noticed this white mold . So is this an issue or common? its a starter culture split in half so i have two like that .any help would be greatly appreciated

@GrowAndEatThis

2 жыл бұрын

The white mold comes from the media. Big cottony balls. I spritzed them down with water or pull them off. The bacteria you want in the media will take over in a few days and be the end of the white stuff. Not bad, just a nuisance

I would be concerned with the mosquito dunks causing health issues with our fish. How long have you been doing this and have you had any mysterious dieoffs with your fish?

@barbaraday7662

2 жыл бұрын

The container says it’s safe for fish. It’s an organism that eats specific things only.

Why not feed the mites to your fish?

@djrramsey

2 жыл бұрын

No way to collect the mites and they out compete the grondals.

@denislacasse5514

2 жыл бұрын

Dip you cover in aquarium or place a piece of cardboard in your culture, the mites will gravitate to the cardboard.

Tried it, didn't work.

@NguyenAnh-qi4lm

11 ай бұрын

same, no matter how hard you try how long you wait mites will come at last and defeat all the worms. Only way is to start a new culture but the mites will invade faster and faster.

Those 'mites' are springtails. They float on water and small fish will eat them. Fungus gnats are tiny brown flies, their larvae live in soil and that is what the mosquito bits kill, when you mix it with water and pour it into the soil. I'm planning on making a mixed grindal worm/ springtail culture. Springtails can be beneficial to all soil cultures because they eat mold and fungus. Fungus gnats are usually the problem with all soil cultures and it's a real challenge trying to keep them out. I water my house plants with mosquito bits water so they don't breed in there. I just started my first grindal worm culture and I'm using the scourer method, so I don't expect gnats will be breeding in them, but I'm still going to cover the air holes with paper towel so they can't get in.

@GrowAndEatThis

Жыл бұрын

The mites are mites. I know what springtails are. These are mites and they will take over a culture. The fish will not eat the mites.

Is this safe for a white worm culture as well

@GrowAndEatThis

Жыл бұрын

I don't get mites on my white worms for some reason. I would take a section of your white worms and put them into a smaller container. Then add a couple of grains of the mosquito dunks for a couple of days. Then take the dunk pieces out. That would give you a safe test without possibly destroying your white worm culture. Mites in a white worm culture usually means it is either too damp or needs to have some of the old media taken out and replaced with fresh.

Can you feed the fish the mites? Lol.

@GrowAndEatThis

Жыл бұрын

Sure, you can feed them. They do not eat the mites so they just crawl around on top of the aquarium plants or up the sides of the tank.