Mites frequently occur in captive snails. Their diminutive size often renders them invisible to the naked eye during routine inspections. This compact size also facilitates their easy transmission into tanks via food and pet transfers. But does this raise the question, are mites bad for snails?
Mites are bad for snails, posing a significant threat to their health. Mites infiltrate a snail’s body, damaging internal organs. While no known remedy can extract mites from snail organs, predatory mites, like Hypoaspis miles, can control infestations, preventing further internal penetration.
The remainder of this article delves into the world of snail mites, examining their spread, the damage they cause, and the most effective solutions to combat these diminutive destructors. Continue reading for valuable tips on controlling mite infestations in snails.
What Mite Species Infest Snails?
In the realm of snails and slugs, the mite species most commonly encountered are:
These species, often called snail mites, are minuscule, white, and swift creatures that sustain themselves on blood. Growing to approximately 0.3 mm, they reproduce rapidly and pose significant threats to snails and slugs.
Snail mites are characterized by quick movements on the host’s surface, particularly under the shell rim. Through a microscope, these tiny beings appear like miniature demons with peculiar, elongated bodies, tortoise-like shapes, and scaly exteriors.
Equipped with two pairs of sensory bristles, four pairs of legs, and numerous attachment tentacles, they easily cling onto adult animals. Snail mites thrive in dry, high-temperature conditions, so their prevalence increases during summer when temperatures rise and humidity drops. Their survival rates significantly decrease during winter, though.
However, it’s crucial to note that these mites can swim, which explains their resilience within a tank environment. But how do these tiny entities inflict harm on a snail, an organism several hundred times their size?
How Do White Slug Mites Spread?
The primary mode of mite transmission from one host to another is via direct contact, which means high-density snail populations are more susceptible to mite infection. Additionally, due to their microscopic size, mites can easily be introduced into a tank via the following added elements:
- Food
- New pets
- Decorations
- Substrate
Unbeknownst to many aquarists, mites are often transported when snails are shared between individuals. Once in the tank, mites primarily locate snails through their slime trails, with a marked preference for fresh slime.
They traverse these mucus trails until they encounter a new host. Hence, you should exercise caution with any new additions to your tank; that new fish or snail could be a costly mistake.
How Do Mites Harm Snails?
Mites are silent assassins, gradually consuming snails from the inside, leading to a slow, painful death. As blood feeders, mites bore into the snail’s body to feed. They are especially attracted to the lung system or mantle cavity located near the front end of the shell.
Recommended Reading: Can Snails Feel Pain?
Mites hide in the pneumostome, an opening to the lung system, and feed on blood from the capillaries and muscle fibers in the lung system. If the mite population is large, the snail could quickly succumb to anemia and tissue damage.
However, even a few mites can cause irreparable harm to the delicate lungs, leading to the snail’s eventual demise within months. The damage that mites inflict on the internal organs of snails and other animals is called acariasis.
Mites are one-host pests, meaning they can be born, live, mature, and die in the same host. Female mites lay eggs in the host snail’s lungs, which hatch into larvae after three days. These larvae then metamorphose through three nymph stages into young mites.
The entire life cycle lasts approximately 20 days under ideal conditions. These minuscule beings reproduce in large numbers, and your snail will likely perish within a few months.
Recommended Reading: Are Gnats Bad for Snails?
How to Identify a Mite Infestation in Snails
While mites are tiny and often challenging to notice, carefully observing your snail can reveal their presence.
- Pay particular attention to the shell aperture and mantle, where you might spot minuscule white creatures darting across the surface. A magnifying glass can assist in this examination.
- Be wary of stunted growth and decreased activity levels as well. Mite-infected snails tend to display growth inhibition, weight loss, and low energy levels, appearing lethargic and unhealthy.
These symptoms, however, generally manifest in the later stages of mite infestation. Regular inspections can help you detect mites early enough to take swift action.
Snail Mite Treatment
Unfortunately, there’s no known definitive treatment for snail mites. The most common strategy is to introduce a predatory mite species, Hypoaspis miles, which preys on snail mites.
If a substantial population of these predatory mites is released, they can eliminate snail mites from the tank and your snails within days. Many aquarists have found these predators effective, as they even remove snail mites from the pneumostome. These beneficial mites can be purchased at your local pet store or online via Amazon.
I particularly recommend Nature’s Good Guys Adult Predatory Mites, which have proven effective against fungi, root aphids, thrips, and springtails. Just a few of these mites can free your snails from mite infestations. However, these mites cannot eliminate those already within your snail’s mantle.
For these, experimenting with parasite treatments such as API Melafix may be beneficial. Maintaining a clean tank is crucial for preventing mite infestations, so always keep your tank clean.
Are Slug Mites Harmful to Humans?
Slug mites, while problematic for commercial and hobbyist snail breeders, pose no direct harm to humans. These tiny critters can compromise the health of snails, with as few as six mites capable of causing illness and predisposing the mollusks to infections from threadworms and bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Nevertheless, the risks to humans are virtually non-existent. As a preventative measure for snails, regular cleansing and incorporating Hypoaspis miles, a predatory mite species that preys on slug mites, can be beneficial in controlling and reducing the population of these harmful mites.
Closing Remarks
Mites pose a significant issue for aquarists. These minute creatures damage and kill snails by ravaging their internal organs, particularly targeting the snail’s respiratory system or mantle. They cause damage to blood capillaries and muscle tissue as they feed and reproduce.
The most effective solution for snail mites is the introduction of predatory mites that prey on them. Additionally, maintaining tank cleanliness can also aid in the prevention of these harmful pests.
Sources
- Buglogical: Hypoaspis Miles
- CFSPH – Iowa State University: Acariasis
- iNaturalist United Kingdom: White Snail Mite
- Nature Spot: Riccardoella
- OSU College of Agricultural Sciences: Slug Parts
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Water Mite
