# Ball Pythons > BP Husbandry > Advanced BP Husbandry >  PETCO advises treating mites with vinegar water?!

## mirau9

Hi, I am wondering if anyone can shed some light on this issue I am having with a chain pet store that sells ball pythons, PETCO.... some one who works there and supposedly has several of these snakes advised me recently to bathe the snake in vinegar water as a means of ridding the snake and its cage of the mites. I cannot find out anything on line about spraying the cage and submerging the snake in vinegar water as a means of treating and preventing  mites. I am not sure what vinegar does to a snake. Is toxic or poisonous to them??? I cannot imagine why some one working as a "snake expert" in a chain pet store would advise doing some thing to a snake that was not suitable. Please let me know if you have ever heard of this vinegar bit.

I was also advised upon entering the pet store not 2 hours after spotting a mite on my new baby pet snake, Diamond, against purchasing their commercial mite product and that it would not work but that vinegar water is the best way to solve the problem of the mites.

I think that the mouse I bought from them had a disease or mites, the employee also stated that a mouse was a possible source of the infestation. My snake ate its first meal after weeks of not eating anything when offered and was fine before I fed it that mouse. After that is when I began to notice that it seemed sick. It had diarrhea and was leaking several times a day, there was also like some lump thing toward the end of its tail. I am thinking that maybe it was a cluster of mites or eggs or some thing. I just don't know where the mites might have come from because I had the snake several weeks and did not notice a mite until after it ate. 

I read earlier on a blog post some where that snakes can be poisoned from eating mice that have been over treated for pestilence or sprayed for any kind of diseases or mites or some thing before being sold to the public.


Please let me know if you can provide any insight here as I am very fond of Diamond.


Thank you,

Mi. :Devilish:

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## blackcrystal22

I don't think vinegar would do anything. Even if it did, it would not get rid of the eggs inside the enclosure itself.

PAM is what you need.
http://www.pro-products.com/index.ph...d=53&Itemid=59

I would not risk it, because they're respiratory systems are very sensitive, and vinegars fumes make me queasy. 

It's advised to soak the animal in water with a drop of soap to break the tension to get rid of some of the mites on the animal and relieve the animal temporarily, it is not a permanent solution though.

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t6venom (06-10-2009)

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## kc261

In the short run, I'd be more worried about the diarrhea and "leaking several times a day" than I would the mites.

Also, if you post a pic of that lump you mentioned, someone might be able to identify it for you.

PAM is an excellent product for mites.  That stands for Provent-a-mite; it is not the cooking spray.  As far as where the mites came from, it is likely your snake had mite eggs on it, and you are just now noticing them because they just hatched.

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## Calift

PAM is the best!


I was told a million ways to get rid of mites by different people. One store told me to soak the snake in regular, anti-bacteria soap. Another said to use human lice-killer.  :Wag of the finger: 


Anyway....just go with the PAM and you'll save yourself a lot of headache  :Salute:

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## mumps

One word: Nix

Chris

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## Freakie_frog

First  the people that told you this are MORONS!!! Your snake can't get mites from the mice you feed it the mite that preys on Reptiles don't bother with warmblooded animals. Second the only proven way to rid the snake of mites is by using (properly by instructions on product) a produce that is geared for such a purpose..However there are some great other uses for Vinegar

1: cleans coffee pots very well.
2: makes great salad dressings.
3: Help the kid-o's dye Easter eggs.
4: De-glaze grittles or frying pans. 

My suggestion buy a mite treatment product like Black Knight or PAM (prevent-a-mite) and laugh as the mites die and the snake thrives..  :Very Happy:

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_Seneschal_ (06-13-2009),_waltah!_ (06-10-2009)

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## RebelYell83

i've had good resualt with reptile relief

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## MarkS

Vinegar and water?  I've got a great comeback line for that but I'm not sure it would be family friendly enough.   

This won't work, it may drown a few mites but if you follow this advice you'll never be free of them.  Every now and then you'll see someone recommend a 'safe alternative' to killing mites.  These NEVER work.  The only way to eradicate a mite infestation is to use poison.  Prevent-a-mite or Black Knight will both work fine as long as you follow directions.  Other poisons will also work as long as you know how to use them correctly so you don't hurt your snakes.

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## icygirl

Well, you said Petco advises this treatment, but really it's just this one associate from this particular store. Actually, on the Petco BP care sheet it just says to take the snake to a vet if they have mites. Every Petco is a little different, and it doesn't seem like this particular store takes very good care of its ball pythons or its mice for that matter.

What did the mouse look like when you bought it? Did it appear alert and healthy, or lethargic/sluggish? Did you notice any abnormal feces? How about the mouse setup as a whole?

Snake mites are not the same as mouse mites. I don't think snakes can get mites from mice... but correct me if I'm wrong.

I'd go to the vet ASAP, or if your animal is still under warranty (15 days from Petco), I'd take it back and get a refund. You're better off buying a snake from a reputable pet store or breeder.

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## JeffJ

> Well, you said Petco advises this treatment, but really it's just this one associate from this particular store. Actually, on the Petco BP care sheet it just says to take the snake to a vet if they have mites. Every Petco is a little different, and it doesn't seem like this particular store takes very good care of its ball pythons or its mice for that matter.
> 
> What did the mouse look like when you bought it? Did it appear alert and healthy, or lethargic/sluggish? Did you notice any abnormal feces? How about the mouse setup as a whole?
> 
> Snake mites are not the same as mouse mites. I don't think snakes can get mites from mice... but correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> I'd go to the vet ASAP, or if your animal is still under warranty (15 days from Petco), I'd take it back and get a refund. You're better off buying a snake from a reputable pet store or breeder.


Correct Snake mites are not the same as mites that rodent may get. Although a rodent that ahs been exposed to snake mights can and will carry them with it to where ever your taking it. they hitchhike. 

As for taking the snake back. i find it hard to return an animal after you have purchased it. especially for something as easy to get rid of as mites. if you know what your doing. Keeping the snake and starting it in a new life being cared for properly is a better idea to me then taking it back to a sub standard situation.

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Valve (08-08-2009)

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## kc261

The OP PM'd me the day after making this thread.  I was hoping they'd come forward and share this info, but since it sounds like they only had one snake and it is now dead, I wouldn't be surprised if they never come back to BP.net.  Since according to the PM, the snake died due to the vinegar treatment, I thought it was important to share.  I do also want to mention that I have no idea if it is in fact the vinegar that killed the snake, or even if any of it is true at all.  In the PM, it states the snake died "about a week ago", but that was only a day after this thread was made, and it sounds like the snake was alive then, so some things don't add up.  Anyway, here is the PM.




> Hi,
> 
> The leaking seemed very strange to me. My snake died while I was holding it about a week ago. After 4 days ( 2 vinegar water treatments). I think that the vinegar made the whole thing a lot worse. I am still considerably upset. I feel like I murdered my snake. I didn't have it that long. It was just a baby and so cute. It seemed like it new what I was doing if I was reading or the TV was on. It would look at the pages while I held it like it was paying attention to the book. Also knew how to watch while the TV was on. I loved it so much. 
> 
> It is my fault. I just freaked when I saw the mite and called the pet store that sells ball py's. I bought my snake from a guy at a flea market who claimed to have personally bred and hatched the snake that I bought from him. Unfortunately, I overheard his son later on that following week telling a lady that they do not breed the snakes themselves but rather buy them from other snake dealers.
> 
> It just seems like everything was fine with the snake until I fed it that mouse. After that is when all of the problems started. That is why I am pretty sure that the mouse was ill or carried some thing to the snake.
> 
>  Thanks very much for your time as it is much appreciated. 
> ...

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## dc4teg

thats sad

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## guambomb832

I have used nix for mites,

it got the job done RIGHT JUST LIKE PAM.

I would suggest nix, just remember to dilute it in water, preferably 2/3 water and 1/3 nix.

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## WingedWolfPsion

I doubt it was the vinegar, that snake sounded deathly ill to begin with.

Of course vinegar isn't an effective mite killer.

Only use products designed for use on reptiles or in reptile cages.  This is important because many other variations of the same chemicals are tested for efficacy against cold-blooded animals (like mites), and are only tested for safety around warm-blooded animals.  As a result, many of these products will poison your pet, not just the mites.  "Pyrethrin" is not necessarily just "pyrethrin"--there are different variations and concentrations.
A person might get lucky using some mite, flea, or tick poison that's not made for reptiles, and have no problem, but you can't recommend it!  It's not worth the risk.
Stick to Provent-A-Mite or Black Knight.

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