mites in my softtop well

[davestlouis]

I was going to fold the softtop down, popped the well it folds into, lo and behold, dozens of little white mites running around in there...tiny little guys. I aired it out and spritzed some insecticide in there, but is this a common problem?

[Strife]

You must have a leak, or you or someone put the top down when it was wet. The seal on the top is crucial, as is the lip it rests on. My seal was bad and I had a small amount of rust on the top lip preventing a good seal; I fixed the rust and replaced the seal (first with an aftermarket one that fit like c$%; later with a genuine seal).

If the top got put down wet, I'd put it up and leave the top up a few days and let it air out and kill any mold.

[davestlouis]

The top has been down a total of about 30 minutes the whole time I've owned the car...water must be dribbling into the well from a bad seal...if my wife saw those mites she'd lose her mind!!!

[GermanMarque]

Originally Posted by davestlouis

I was going to fold the softtop down, popped the well it folds into, lo and behold, dozens of little white mites running around in there...tiny little guys. I aired it out and spritzed some insecticide in there, but is this a common problem?

Don't know how mites evolve out of a wet soft top being put away. Must be water beetles! They are definately not a factory accessory unless they speak German! Goes with the wet top theory.

If the buggers are in there, is there a nest? These little critters must have crawled in somewhere and would have been healthy until you gassed them. What were they living on? Not being up on entomology, have you had, an up close dekko at one of the wee beasties? A magnafying glass or microscope will at least help in ascertaining how many legs said creature has and what it has in the way of dentures. A search of bugs and other crawling mites on the net may provide a mug shot of said grub.

If you know what it is, you will be able to find out what he/she eats, perhaps carpet? (No offence to otherwise inclinded persons of the female gender). But they were apparently quite happy in there until you turned their home into a gas chamber, they must be eating something to stay healthy. Sorry for not being of any help, but this "mite" help.

[davestlouis]

Yeah, I have been pondering this...I don't park under a tree of near any vegetation, not sure what they are living on, have never seen one on the exterior or interior of the car. Hopefully they're gone, we'll see.