Le sigh...

[Anya]

Lice.

Picked up some really nice (all things considered) feeders this evening, and actually held back a couple for my own breeding stock. (blue dumbo, hooded dumbo, and something pretty not-sure-what-it's-called) Anyway, as I was rinsing off the ones I euthanized (LONG story...let's just say, they smelled like vinegar.) I noticed the little buggers on their bellies. Sure enough, Lice. And I didn't think to look BEFORE I contaminated my nice, healthy breeders. greeeat.

Guess I'll be picking up some Ivermectin, too.

Grrr!

[Mephibosheth1]

You try pyrethrins?? If you use the straight pyrethrins (no other chemicals added; usually bird mite spray...safe on pinkies) the residue they leave us inactivated by the time it dries up.

I use it on my mice to treat mites/lice on a regular basis (being housed at a pet shop my mice pick up mites occasionally from the other ones there) and have never had to stop selling to the public. I just wait until they dry off and they are good to go.


EDIT–are you using baking soda and vinegar for your CO2 generator?? Welding supply shops sell CO2 tanks for about $80 and on a tank exchange program...you only pay 15 bucks or so (don't quote me on it) for the new gas and just swap the tank out

[Anya]

You try pyrethrins?? If you use the straight pyrethrins (no other chemicals added; usually bird mite spray...safe on pinkies) the residue they leave us inactivated by the time it dries up.

I use it on my mice to treat mites/lice on a regular basis (being housed at a pet shop my mice pick up mites occasionally from the other ones there) and have never had to stop selling to the public. I just wait until they dry off and they are good to go.


EDIT–are you using baking soda and vinegar for your CO2 generator?? Welding supply shops sell CO2 tanks for about $80 and on a tank exchange program...you only pay 15 bucks or so (don't quote me on it) for the new gas and just swap the tank out

Thank you for the tip! I'll try to pick up some bird mite spray asap. In the meantime, I built a quarantine tub, and all is right in the world.

Bleh...I'd rather just use dry ice. Thing is, after I pay for all that, I might as well buy rats. My purpose in breeding is definitely to cut down on cost. I wasn't expecting these guys to be live, so I had to use what was on hand. Local grocery store doesn't carry dry ice, but I'm sure my dad can pick some up on his way home from work in the future. I just had NO place to put 25 lives rats tonight. They had to go, and baking soda and vinegar did the trick, albeit...messily.

[Anya]

@Mephibosheth1

http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Miracl...ird+lice+spray

Will this work?

http://www.amazon.com/In-Pet-Product...ords=bird+lice

Or this one? Which would you buy?

[Mephibosheth1]

i think either one should work....I buy my own pyrethrin extract and mix it up myself, that way I don't have the extra ingredients (like piperonal blahblahblah)

Not that there's anything wrong with them (it helps stabilize the pyrethrins and make them more effective) but I just wanted pyrethrins straight up.