How to fight a complete mite infestation EMERGENCY!!

Hello everyone,

Im posting this time to see if i can get any tips on how to fight a mite infestation in my collection,
i found that all my 17 snakes have mites some are more infested than other
but, i need some input on how ro get rid of them.
is anyone here that can assist me in the process?
i have the Reptile Spray mite killer and Provent a Mite

Yikes! ! All 17 snakes.

To start off with you need to create some sort of safe haven . So disinfect a rack/set of cages from top down . Use bleach or something strong and be sure to give it lots of time to dry and air out. I would personally move this to another room after if possible. The problem being that mites move fast.

Then the process of treating each snake and moving them over to the enclosure that has already been treated. I've heard of various products working, like frontline etc. Spray a little on a towel or clothe of sorts and let the snake slither through. Make sure to avoid the head! Also do not provide a water bowl in the enclosure for a short time frame after treating the snake. You want to avoid the snake soaking and/or possibly ingesting any of the mite treatment.

You may have to do this a few times unfortunately.

I have never experienced this before so I'm speaking from what I've read. Anyone is welcome to correct me if and where i be incorrect.

Good luck and I hope you get the little pests!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by che

Yikes! ! All 17 snakes.

To start off with you need to create some sort of safe haven . So disinfect a rack/set of cages from top down . Use bleach or something strong and be sure to give it lots of time to dry and air out. I would personally move this to another room after if possible. The problem being that mites move fast.

Then the process of treating each snake and moving them over to the enclosure that has already been treated. I've heard of various products working, like frontline etc. Spray a little on a towel or clothe of sorts and let the snake slither through. Make sure to avoid the head! Also do not provide a water bowl in the enclosure for a short time frame after treating the snake. You want to avoid the snake soaking and/or possibly ingesting any of the mite treatment.

You may have to do this a few times unfortunately.

I have never experienced this before so I'm speaking from what I've read. Anyone is welcome to correct me if and where i be incorrect.

Good luck and I hope you get the little pests!

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Yes all of them some are more infested than other but i want to treat all of them
this is so frustrating to me because i try to keep everything safe for them i dont know where they came from :mad:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fLako0aGuiiLaR

Yes all of them some are more infested than other but i want to treat all of them
this is so frustrating to me because i try to keep everything safe for them i dont know where they came from :mad:

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Have you made any new additions to your collections?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by che

Have you made any new additions to your collections?

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Yes i did
I brought in a pair of butter het clown
I was thinking that maybe they were infested i did quarantined them for a month tho

When you're dealing with an infestation in the entire collection you basically have to go chemical warfare on the little buggers. You can treat everything with provent-a-mite but make sure you follow the directions on the can exactly. I pretreat quarantine enclosures and have never even had to apply a second time - potent stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fLako0aGuiiLaR

Yes all of them some are more infested than other but i want to treat all of them
this is so frustrating to me because i try to keep everything safe for them i dont know where they came from :mad:

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This is not your fault, you did nothing wrong. Snake mites live anyplace there are snakes, so there is always a wild resevoir of them. The important thing is to treat with PAM right away. Spray the substrate of every cage, with the snake removed, allow to dry completely, before putting the snake back in. Follow the instructions on the bottle exactly and PAM is safe and effective.

To relive discomfort of the snake you can use dilute Betadine baths, to kill living mites. Some mites will survive by crawling to the head. You can use vegetable oil on a Q-tip to remove these stubborn mites. Do not treat the entire snake with oil.

A line of borax one inch wide around the outside base of every enclosure can provide a barrier to mites. They cannot spread past it. Keep in mind Borax is toxic and must never be put in a tank. Do not use this method if you have children or pets that could accidently ingest the stuff.

If you use tubs in a rack, a strip of double sided tape on the outside of the tank around the vent holes will also provide a barrier.

You are going to see the mite problem be dramatically reduced by the Pam, but you may need to re-treat at least once. Some tanks will clear immediately, some will have a lingering problem, so it is important to keep mites from spreading from contaminated tanks to clean tanks. Also you have mites in your house, they will live for quite a while and they can re-infect your snakes if you do not form a barrier.

David

Mite Eradication 101:

*** Permethrin ***

Permethrin comes in many forms - Provent-A-Mite (PAM), NIX/RID, Permethrin-10 from a livestock supply store, etc. Its half life is 30 days if kept out of direct sunlight.

PAM has several advantages. It has been tested for use with reptiles, and it comes ready to use. The disadvantages are that it's expensive and most reptile stores don't have it in stock, so you have to wait for it to be shipped to you if you don't have any on hand. Meanwhile the mites are busy breeding.

NIX/RID is cheaper than PAM and is readily available at WalMart, CVS, etc. It is also easy to dilute: mix one two ounce bottle of the cream rinse with one gallon of water.

At a dollar per ounce Permethrin-10 is the cheapest of the three options; one eight ounce bottle will make 240 gallons of solution, as only 6 milliliters of it are needed per gallon of water to make an effective mite spray. The downside is that it's all too easy to make too strong of a permethrin solution which can harm your snakes.

No matter which product you use, it must be used correctly. I've never sprayed any permethrin product onto my snakes as it's not needed for mite treatment, and permethrin poisoning in a snake can cause irreversible neurological damage.

Permethrin use: spray the enclosure, paper substrate, and hides. DO NOT SPRAY THE WATER BOWL. Allow everything to dry completely before returning your snake to its home. Also keep a supply of treated and dried newspaper or paper towels and treated hides available so that when a snake makes a mess, you replace the soiled paper and hides with treated ones. Treat the enclosure every two to three weeks.

*** Reptile Spray ***

Reptile Spray kills mites on contact while wet, once it dries it loses its effectiveness pretty quickly. Reptile Spray is a solution of salts rather than an insecticide; it kills mites by dehydrating them. I don't spray the snakes as more ends up on the floor than on the snake. Instead, I spray a white paper towel with a little of it and wipe it on the snake. That way you get even coverage on the snake, you can work it into the area under their chin really well as that's a favorite hiding plate for mites, you don't stress out your snake, and you can look for mites on the paper towel to see how quickly they're being eradicated. Apply twice a week. Note - this stuff hurts like hell in an open wound.

*** Hot Shot No-Pest Strips ***

Some people take a Hot Shot No-Pest strip, cut it into pieces, put each piece into a small container, poke some holes in the container, and put each container into the snake's enclosure. I've used the No-Pest strip but I just hang it in the room and close the door. Either way is effective, especially if you have a major outbreak.

If you do use it, remove the water bowls as the insecticide is strongly attracted to water and you don't want the snake drinking it. After 24 hours remove the strip (or pieces), put them into an airtight container for future use, air out the room, and put the water bowls back. Repeat treatment weekly.

Important! If you also keep tarantulas, feeder roaches, crickets, etc. do not use the No-Pest Strip as it will kill them too!!!!

*** Mild Dish Soap ***

One or two drops of mild dish detergent in your snake's bath water will prevent mites from floating in the water so they drown. No more than that is needed, your snake should not look like it is taking a bubble bath.

*** Heat ***

Don't laugh, but temperatures of 150*F for five seconds will kill mites and the eggs. I purchased a heat gun used for stripping paint that can be set to blow hot air from 180*F through 1200*F. Using the heat gun and a temp gun I heated the surfaces and crevices of my melamine enclosures to kill off any mite eggs that may have been laid outside the tubs. Note you don't want to get your enclosure surfaces too hot or you can damage them.

Mite treatment should continue for 30 days after you stop finding mites, as an egg can take that long to hatch.

*** FINAL NOTE ***

Effective quarantine means that you treat every new arrival as if it has mites, and new snakes are kept as far away from your established collection as possible (mine go to a friend's house) for at least 90 days. I treat the quarantine enclosure, hides, and paper with permethrin a day or so before the new snake arrives, and I wipe it with a paper towel soaked in Reptile Spray as part of my inspection process when it comes out of the shipping box. If it has mites I will know it within a day or two at most. This also goes for snakes from "trusted" sources, my first mite outbreak ever came from someone I trusted.

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Originally Posted by fLako0aGuiiLaR

I did quarantined them for a month tho

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We all learn at different speeds. I will be a paycheck you pull at least a 90 day next time. :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Now Reptile spray EVERYTHING and stay on top of it. Paper towel for all bedding.
Takes a little time but you don't have to worry about any harm from the Reptile Spray.
Don't forget the carpet and drapes in the room too. Clean and spray every corner of the rack too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Mite Eradication 101:

*** Hot Shot No-Pest Strips ***

Some people take a Hot Shot No-Pest strip, cut it into pieces, put each piece into a small container, poke some holes in the container, and put each container into the snake's enclosure. I've used the No-Pest strip but I just hang it in the room and close the door. Either way is effective, especially if you have a major outbreak.

If you do use it, remove the water bowls as the insecticide is strongly attracted to water and you don't want the snake drinking it. After 24 hours remove the strip (or pieces), put them into an airtight container for future use, air out the room, and put the water bowls back. Repeat treatment weekly.

Important! If you also keep tarantulas, feeder roaches, crickets, etc. do not use the No-Pest Strip as it will kill them too!!!!

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This is the kind of thing old timers like me used to do in the dark days before PAM. We all lost snakes because of it. When there were no safer alternatives it was permissible. Now, it is not. Do not use any sort of pest strip.

Hot Shot STATES IT CONTAINS Active Ingredients

Dichlorvos (2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate) ....... 18.6%
Related Compounds ...................................................... 1.4%

We have no idea what the related compounds are, or if they are safe for snakes. Also permethrins are a complex family of organic compounds with various isomers of various toxicity. Do to inadequate labelling practices in the US, it is impossible to tell if products are safe to use on snakes or not.

Also, with pest strips, you cannot control the dose the snake receives. PAM is designed to be used at a specific dose. Pam is also on the substrate, not in the air. Pest strips are designed to work through the air. This changes the way the snake processes the poison. Skin absorption is poor in snakes, but respiratory absorption is much higher. Pest strips mean more exposure for the snake, and unknown chemicals that may be dangerous.

Do not under any circumstances use pest strips inside of a snake's enclosure.

David

P.S. In a digital world, it is also getting harder to get film canisters to put no pest strips in.