Mites

[Jdrum6]

So I was checking on my BPs this morning and noticed one of them has mites. I was wondering what the best way to treat them is?

[Bogertophis]

This question comes up rather often, so I'm going to let you read this first, then ask questions if you have any.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...=1#post2708936
BTW, among the options discussed, if I had a snake with mites right now, I'd personally buy the Natural Chemistry's "Reptile Relief"- it's the safest option, & while I've never used it, it has many good reviews from those who have. The pesticides like "PAM" (Provent-a-mite) & others, are not without risks.

Bear in mind that you'll probably need to buy one or more products, & with baby (or small) snakes, or snakes that may have had mites for a while, it's critical that you minimize the # of mites as fast as possible FIRST, then do what you need to fully eradicate them using a method discussed above.

Mites are tiny & escape most people's notice- by the time we see them, it's usually a pretty big problem, so for that reason let me suggest that you FIRST (ASAP) give your snakes a 20-25 minute "bath" in shallow barely-warm water (not deeper than their body)- you need to stay right there & make sure they remain submerged as much as possible (BUT NOT THEIR HEADS- don't drown them!)- they should not have to be swimming, just gently support them- again, they should be able to touch the bottom, so the water is not deep, BUT MUST have a couple drops (no more is needed) of mild dish soap or shampoo. The soap is only there to break the surface tension of the water, so the mites cannot swim on top of the water & get back on- that tiny bit of soap in the water will make them drown. (don't let the snake drink the water- the soap may upset his tummy) Your snake may not care for having a "bath" but it won't hurt anything & can be done daily until you get another method on hand to use.

***Don't be surprised if your snake is stressed during this entire process of eliminating mites, so you might hold off feeding them- they probably won't eat anyway, & it's okay.

It's UN-likely that this (bathing) will be the end of all the mites- some will survive on their face/heads, but this WILL get rid of many of them to buy you some time to use another, more effective method. Snakes really do die from mites- it seems impossible, they're so tiny, but they're truly deadly, & can also spread diseases. They dehydrate snakes by removing tiny amounts of their blood, & since snakes don't have much to spare, this ends up causing shock, heart failure, circulatory collapse, & organ failure. So don't delay treatments- please don't underestimate the harm mites can do. They also spread easily, so it might be best to treat all your snakes if they're at all close to each other.

Keep your snakes on clean white paper towels for a while too- so that mites show up- & remove any wood furnishings & other substrates- use only plastic hides & bowl (or glass bowl), because mites & their eggs will hide in all textured materials. Sorry, but you need to throw those away. keep in mind that mites also have a life-cycle- many think they're rid of them, only to have them show up again after several weeks or a month, because some eggs were missed & hatched to become the next generation. So plan to stay on top of this- that's the only way to win the battle.

[KMG]

When I had mites delivered free with three snakes I ordered I put them on paper towels and used Reptile Spray. The main reason was I could but it local so I didn't have to wait to get treatment started. It worked great. I sprayed the snakes, their tub, the area around, and even the carpet they were near.