Tiny, tiny sliver insects in my feeder discoid roach colony?

Impawsiblesquad · Jun 17, 2021

I was feeding my discoid roaches and I noticed TINY sliver/white insects accumulated on the scraps of food from the last feeding. They're too tiny to take a photo of. I think they are springtails (I never introduced springtails to the colony) but even if they are, do they pose a threat to my colony? There already is a whole bunch of them now that im looking so I really hope not. Theres been no sluggish roaches or roach deaths in my small colony

CooperDragon · Jun 21, 2021

It's possible that they are springtails or similar. In that case, they shouldn't pose any harm. Are they accumulating anywhere else? Are they sand like consistency? It's possible they are grain mites (also harmful, but a pain to get rid of).

Impawsiblesquad · Jun 25, 2021

They are also in the substrate. I found a roach that had either chewed or shriveled wings today also. Could that be because of a deficiency or mites? They don't seem to look alot like the grain mites in my opinion but they could still be. What are other ways to tell if they are?

Gail · Jun 26, 2021

The chewed on roach was probably eaten by other roaches after it died. If the colony is protein deficient, they will chew each others wings.

Grain mites are small and round, springtail are more long and skinny. Both are harmless. I wouldn't worry about them unless you see them on the living roaches.

Tiny, tiny sliver insects in my feeder discoid roach colony?

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