Invader identification please?

[Otterwoman]

I found these "eggs" in two of my whiteworm cultures this morning. I am new to whiteworm culturing, so can someone tell me what they are? Are the part of the whiteworm life cycle, or are they invaders? One of the cultures had little mites, I threw it out, but two of them had these "eggs." They almost look like little white ticks in that although they are white, they appear to have tiny tiny legs (?) or hairs (?) at one part, and the "egg" part is round looking. Like little bloated creatures, if they aren't eggs.

Also, I don't remember but I think I remember reading somewhere that mites are very bad to have around, which is why I threw out the one with mites and I separated the ones with these "eggs" in case I have to throw them out, pending the results of this inquiry.

thanks!

 

[Mark]

They're soil mites by the looks of it.

Eggs with legs... lol

 

[Otterwoman]

Rats, I was hoping they were whiteworm eggs, I'd be rolling in them! Finally!
Now they're just containers full of stuff to dump on the compost pile.

 

[Mark]

If you stare long enough at them you’ll realise they’re strolling along – albeit very slowly. These largish round white mites turn up occasionally in my terrestrial enclosures. It’s normally a sign that the substrate needs changing. They cluster around decaying organic and faecal matter and bloom in large numbers when a food source is found. They’re different to the tiny brown mites that infest my fly cultures. You could start again with sterilised soil and cultures placed on anti-mite paper.

 

[michael]

Sometimes if I have mites in a culture I really want to keep I put a few isopods in. Some isopods eat some mites. It doesn't always work. Sometimes mites show up in some isopod cultures.

 

[Otterwoman]

mites make me itch just looking at them.

 

[John]

mites make me itch just looking at them.

Don't go fieldherping then - you might make some new 8-legged friends.