CO129197 Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Ok...I read through a BUNCH of other posts on a few different forums and gave this a shot...I Tried 3 different methods using my hissers (3 of them, all of which are still alive..No deaders!) and Here's what I've found... SETUP! Here's what I've got - 1 - Small Cereal bowl 1 - Full Bottle of H202 1 - Sprayer (full of warm water) Paper Towels Empty container for the individual Roaches, Sectioned off into 3's for observation TRIAL #1 - Warm Water Bath/Soak I filled the small bowl with just enough water to coat the underside of the roach, figure about 1.5" deep...Maybe less, I didn't measure it to get an exact. I placed the roach in the water (which he REALLY didn't like that much just an FYI, and hissed the whole time LOL!) and agitated him back and forth for about a minute. While a LOT of the mites came off...Most of them migrated to the front of my roaches face, and onto its back. I picked him up and sprayed him off and that removed a lot of the little buggers, but not all of them. After sitting in time out for about an hour, I didn't notice any of the mites in the container I put him in, but he still had a bunch on his underside... I'd give this method about an 80-90% success rate TRIAL #2 - H202/Water bath/Soak (1/1 Ratio on the dilution) Same testing process as above, but I filled the bowl with H202 that was warm, and warm water...I used a large female for this, and she did okay...but about the same reaction, just hissing constantly...Seems the H202 works PRETTY well...It took a bunch off the roach, but not all of them as the mites migrated to the back of the roach again. Due to the nature of H202, I did not spray this girl off...and just placed her into the container. I did notice SOME of the mites off of her, but they were alive and moving around. I'd give this method an 85-95% Success rate TRIAL #3 - H202 Pure Bath/Soak (Straight H202, Warmed up) Again, I used the same method as above in the first trial to test this, BUT I video taped this one! The video might be a bit fuzzy, it's kinda hard to agitate the roach and hold the camera at the same time, so I'll apologize for that..But The video is posted in here too..It SEEMED to work a little better than just the H202/Water, but didn't remove all the mites. After I removed the male from the bowl in this test, I added a little Isopropyl alcohol (91% pure) to the water, and That didn't kill the mites at all, rather just made the little critters scramble to the sides of the bowl and start climbing out. After the bath, more of the mites DID drop off the roach, but about the same as above... I'd give this method an 85-95% success rate as well I have a couple other ideas that I want to try...IE the Flour, MIGHT (big MIGHT) try using Veggie oil as I used that to suffocate the mites on my snakes back in my younger years, And I WANT To try the stuff called "Mite Off"...Its primarily used for reptiles, but I think it MIGHT work for the hissers...I'll test the other theories and report back later on...For now, This is what I've found. Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
likebugs Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I don't know what kind of mites that you have. But... There is a species of mites that is beneficial to the MHC, it keeps them clean. I wish mine had some of those mites, cause my roaches get cruddy(it looks kind of moldy), especially at the ventral mesonotal and metanotal areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanchantress Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I like your experimental efforts... Sounds like something I would do - haha! Thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO129197 Posted October 9, 2011 Author Share Posted October 9, 2011 100% EFFECTIVE REMOVAL of Mites off Hissers! FYI! Do this at your own Risk....out of 200 Roaches, I lost 5 of them... Here's Whatcha do! Use a sink in your house that ISN'T one you use every day! I have a spare bathroom that worked PERFECT and really made my wife have the jitters! Ha ha! Turn your sink on FULL POWER, Make the water Luke Warm (I tested the temp at 70 degree's with a regular thermometer) You'll also need a container to put the "clean" roaches into...HAVE that ready! You want to be quick about this! Place the roach, belly up under the stream of water for a couple seconds...Then take the roach out and give it a "breather for about a minute...While you are doing this, PLACE the roach in your "clean" container and start on another one...I only did this with 2 roaches at a time...But this has worked FLAWLESSLY for me as of right now. I have the first "tester batch" hanging out above a heat light to make 100% sure that the roaches are gone and off of them, but right now this looks to be the MOST EFFECTIVE method to remove the mites! Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindy Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Be very careful with the flour. I had a friend that was told to use the "shake and bake" method with her Madagascars that had a case of the mites (non communal mites) and it killed them all. She thinks it smothered them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibiscusmile Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Oil would prob smother them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO129197 Posted October 11, 2011 Author Share Posted October 11, 2011 Oil does not work..I hate to even post this, but I LIGHTLY brushed an adult this morning ..It did get the mites off (which I've noticed seem to be gathering right at the joints of the roaches...telling me they are more than likely a parasitic roach) but the roach didn't survive...After a rinse in warm water, the roach went to my bearded dragons....So DO NOT use the oil method! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibiscusmile Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 yo, no likie that! hey, could u come over and show me how to do it I only have a few to 500 and I know I can get the hang of it at say....499! I'm a stinker! I hate mites, but I don't like the roach grabbing me either, so mites win! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO129197 Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 Maybe if ya lived a little closer!!! It really is simple...I promise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CO129197 Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Another 100% effective method is to use a spray bottle filled with warm water. I tried this last night and it proves to be much more effective than rinsing. While both methods removed the mites...Less risk of drowning the roach with a spray bottle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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