Mites in Saddle?

[ellerslie83]

Due to health/life getting in the way my saddle had been somewhat abandoned in a cold tack room until a few days ago when I brought it home covered in mould. I've been spraying and wiping the mould off gently with distilled white vinegar spray.
Then tonight I went to do a bit more and lifted a flap and saw what looked like lightish particles/specks which was odd as they'd not been there when I'd cleaned the mould off that bit and then realised that they were moving!! Are they mites?
It had a cover on it and was on a rack on a wall with a load of other saddles in the room that are actually used regularly. Nobody has mentioned any issues with theirs.

Never encountered this issue before and not sure what they are or how to solve the problem. Any help or info appreciated.

 

[Barton Bounty]

It will probably be spores

 

[holeymoley]

I think you have what I had on my hay a few years ago. We later discovered them on some objects too. I can’t remember what we decided they were. Sorry completely useless!

 

[poiuytrewq]

We had them one year in the feed shed at work. We emptied it all, including throwing all feed away and disinfected but easier on hard solid surfaces.
Maybe Oz on her can advise?
I’d be thinking a mite powder but obviously need to check it’s ok on leather

 

[poiuytrewq]

@cremedemonthe? Any suggestions?

 

[ellerslie83]

They're definitely living and moving and after wiping all of them off yesterday that I could find I got home from work and lifted the flap and they all seem to be coming out from the seams of the knee rolls? Not sure what that's stuffed/padded with? Also unsure where they came from as there's no feed kept in that tack room. Am continuing to spritz with white vinegar and wipe them off as I find them. Might just have to carry on until the stop coming out?!

 

[HollyWoozle]

I cannot say if it’s safe for your leather but I would be inclined to apply something permethrin-based, such as stable louse powder, to kill them off. It sounds like mites and they can hide in the tiniest places and wiping them away may not be sufficient.

 

[holeymoley]

I think they’re mould/damp mites. I sprayed hard objects with a mixed dettol and fairy liquid spray. My hay gets soaked so wasn’t too fussed about that but I did spray it with apple cider vinegar. Thankfully they seem to have all disappeared. That was a few years ago now. I think people thought I was mad.

 

[sbloom]

A drop of tea tree into your conditioner may help a little, hopefully cremedemonthe will look in, they'll be to do with the panel filling (flocked I presume?) rather than the leather I'd have thought.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

If its in the panels, check with a blooming good saddler like Oz, freezing the saddle can kill off any weevils but you'd need a chest freezer and specialist advice as to how to prepare the leatherwork and how long to subject it to.
In the mean time isolate it from anything else like rugs, carpets etc etc

 

[cremedemonthe]

A drop of tea tree into your conditioner may help a little, hopefully cremedemonthe will look in, they'll be to do with the panel filling (flocked I presume?) rather than the leather I'd have thought.

Thanks, I don't come in very often so only just picking this up. Yes, you can get leather mites, we were warned about them when we trained although I must be lucky as never seen any!