help....mites

[mackattack]

I just did my daily check in on my bp and saw that she is getting clousy and ready to shed. I then looked down on my hand and saw little bugs to then realize that they are on her body trying to dig into her scales. I have already ordered the mite off or am looking for it right now and i just cleaned out the tank that had a substrate of repti bark with water and have put in newspaper..is there anything i need to know about mites? is she going to be able to get through a shed? this is the fist time i have ever seen mites and im kindof scared for my baby. shes about 7 months old and is moving around fine and eating healthybut if people can reply to this fast that would be great!!
-michelle

[Shelby]

I would buy a can of provent-a-mite from Matt (mgreptiles.com) Other mite sprays are pretty lame compared to provent-a-mite.. that stuff will kill ALL of them, and it keeps working so when any eggs hatch, those mites die too.

To help your snake feel better (at least temporarily) you can soak her so she's mostly submerged (not her head of course and supervise her) the water will drown the mites that are on her and make her feel a bit better. She should be able to shed ok.

[elevatethis]

Provent-a-mite is the stuff! You use Provent-a-mite to treat the enclosure, while Reptile Relief (made by deFlea) also quickly knocks out any adult animals on the snake itself.

LLLReptile sells a package deal of Provent-a-mite and Reptile relief for less than $30 shipped to you door. That's probably going to be your best value right there. I ordered from them and received it about 5 days later, I'm in VA and LLL is in Cali if I'm not mistaken.

In the mean time, you can soak your snake every other day or so in a mild mild mild soapy solution, the soap in the water helps kill more mites faster. Clean and disinfect the enclosure as well. The more you stay on top of them, the easier it will be to erradicate them. With the right tools, its pretty easy to get rid of them in a small collection. Its a decent learning experience to have, although I'd never wish it upon anyone.

Let us know how it goes!

[mackattack]

I cleaned out her enclosure tonight and ordered some prevent a mite. i also soaked her in water and quite a bit of mites came off. i will keep doing that until the prevent a mite comes in

[amg20102006]

I am glad that you are trying to get everything right. SOme people will just let the ball live with mites until it dies. How sad but at least you are doing the right thing.

[OhKnows]

I am glad that you are trying to get everything right. SOme people will just let the ball live with mites until it dies. How sad but at least you are doing the right thing.

Are you serious? Why buy the snake if you're just going to let it suffer? Those people are better off buying a stuffed animal version of a snake.

[frankykeno]

I've never dealt with mites or ticks personally, so please take this as just a simple piece of information I've gleemed from others' posts.

Please read and follow the directions for the proper use of Provent-A-Mite exactly. If you are at all unsure of what to do, please ask or check the suppliers website/800 number. It's the right product to use but needs to be used correctly both to get ride of the problem and protect your snake from harm.


~~Jo~~

[gamebred26]

provent o mite hands down the best stuff ever they will stay gone....just let the tank air out before putting the animal back in...spray the substrate....hide everything...

[mackattack]

I have decided to switch the substrate since i think thats what caused these mites. I had reptibark and now need help on decideing on which substrate to use now. I have newspaper until the prevent a mite gets here in the mail but i would still like a substrate that looks pretty and is good for the animal.

[Shelby]

You can try aspen for a substrate. It's natural looking.. also bed-a-beast, or eco-earth (whichever your pet store carries)