mites, just in time for my hatchlings.

[hungba]

Well, today I noticed one of my ball pythons had mites, in the main collection (snakes in quarantine seem mite free, go figure), so I guess I will have to treat them all.

What I am worried about, is that just my luck, some of my eggs are pipping...

I am nervous about treating snakes out of the egg like this.
Seeing the babies will be on wet paper towels till first shed too, I don't even know how I would do so. Also, some of my females are gravid.

Also, I live outside the USA, and we can not legally import PAM. Even my friend who owns a reptile shop said he isn't able to import it because of licenses required to import pesticides not registered here.

In the past, I have treated mites for the couple new snakes in quarantine with Frontline spray, but being so labor intensive I don't see how I can for the main collection.

We have a permethrin formula here, 0.25%, in a pump spray just like Sawyer's in the USA. It is called BIOKILL universal insecticide. I read in Italian reptile forums, that it is widely used. In the forum, some guy said he knew it was safe because he sprayed it directly onto a normal male, including the head, just to see if it hurt the snake and sort of boasted that the snake is still alive and well a year later (this is what I READ, I didn't and wouldn't do it, and think it is bad.) So, I take it if this is true that it can be used?

I also don't know, if the treated substrate, even though dried, and water bowl kept out 24 hours, if later some substrate gets knocked in the bowl, will the toxicity "reactivate"? Or if the bowl is spilled etc.

I have also heard people using Frontline spray as they would permethrin. Frontline does say that its residual effects last several weeks. But usually it is recommended that snakes ate treated directly with diluted Frontline.

I would like to ask advice on this. I'd especially like to hear Skiploder's view, as I respect.his opinion greatly.