[APD] Mites, aphids , etc.

[Charles & Sue Harrison <csharrison at inkmaker_net>]

Thanks Nick,
And yes these little varmints are in my aquariums. The use of 
floating plants provide root growth which is helpful to hide eggs and 
fry of Killies and Rainbows. I enjoy a challenge and this has been a 
big one. I also enjoy the esthetic nature of these plants.

Remedy I have been applying:
Robert Meyer suggested I mix a small amount of liquid cooking oil 
with water in a hand held sprayer and give these guys a cover of oil 
once in a while. Three days later I have cut the population by an 
order of magnitude. The oil of choice is olive.

Thanks for your suggestions and I hope this can help others as well.

Charles Harrison in St Louis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

C. H. Harrison, Ph. D.
319 Martigney Dr.
Mehlville, MO  6319

Home 314- 894-9761
work 636-677-5353

At 6:20 AM -0400 5/18/04, aquatic-plants-request at actwin_com wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Date: Mon, 17 May 2004 16:47:08 +0000
> From: nickplummer at att_net
> Subject: [APD] re: mites
> To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
>
> Charles Harrison wrote:
> >  I have searched the archives and I don't find any remedy there. Does
> >  any one have a method to deal with mites.
> >  I can't get Frog Bit to live, most all the other floating plants
> >  don't live long.
>
> Are these open top tanks?  With terrestrial plants, there are four 
> basic options:
>
> 1.  increase humidity and spray plants with water
> 2.  Use a non-specific pesticide like soap, oil, or isopropyl alchohol
> 3.  Use a systemic acaricide
> 4.  introduce predatory mite species.
>
> Options 2 and 3 are probably ruled out in an aquarium.  Most mites do not
>  do well in warm, humid condtions, which is why I wonder if you have open
>  top tanks.  The solution may be as simple as adding a tight cover glass. 
>
> I doubt whether the commercially available predatory species will like
> the surface of an aquarium, but if you have already tried the cover glass,
> they may be your only option.
>
> Nick
> --
> Nicholas Plummer
> nickplummer at att_net


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