mite infestation in terrarium

[musamusa1975]

Hi, I seem to have a mite infestation in my terrarium. (Not sure it matters, but temps in 70s, humidity in upper 80s. One computer fan.) I'm not positive they're mites--I don't see any webbing. But my nepenthes has leaf damage that looks like it from the internet. Same for what look to be eggs on the leaves. I sprayed the nepenthes w a miticide and knocked off the eggs. They're little hard specks. I'll spray the other plants to be on the safe side. Bigger problem is the glass terrarium walls and plexiglass top. I've wiped them down repeatedly. Usually the hard little specks pop off, some times they smoosh and look a little orangey/red. But the next day they're back again in large numbers. Should I spray the walls with the miticide several times a week?

thx
Michael


Hi Hi

 

[hcarlton]

Mites that actually cause damage to plants are not going to be readily visible in a photograph without significant magnification; they are less than a quarter-millimeter small, and the eggs nigh-microscopic, not something you can see with the naked eye. Whatever it is that is damaging the plants, either isn't related to these lumps or they aren't mites.

 

[musamusa1975]

Mites that actually cause damage to plants are not going to be readily visible in a photograph without significant magnification; they are less than a quarter-millimeter small, and the eggs nigh-microscopic, not something you can see with the naked eye. Whatever it is that is damaging the plants, either isn't related to these lumps or they aren't mites.

Thanks! I did a little more online research and I think it's artillery fungus. I put in a geogenanthus in the terrarium which seems love it, but the top of the soil is loaded with the white spores. I didn't realize they shoot out like that. Apparently, it's not really harmful to plants--just an unpleasant appearance. So now I think the nepenthes leaf either has "rust," or odema. Neither seems fatal from what I've read, but if anyone has any further thoughts, I'd love to hear.