Weird question about mites.
So I noticed Luna soaking more than usual. When I went to change her water, I saw a few black specks in there. I grabbed my jewelers loop and upon inspection it looks like a few mites. So I took her cage outside, cleaned it all the out and the hides, threw the thermometer in a zip lock bag with a shot of PAM. I then took the cage upstairs to a separate room and put down paper towels and her hides and sprayed it all with PAM. Then I went and got Luna. Well when I picked her up, I noticed 1 little bug. I squished it with my fingernail and it squished with blood. So I'm guessing mites.
Anyways it's been a week now and I haven't seen a mite in sight. She isn't soaking and everything looks fine. I couldn't even find a mite the day after in her water bowl or anywhere. Anyone have any idea how this could have happened and how long I should keep this quarantine and treatment up. She is getting a new T8 in a month so I figured i'd keep her quarantined and treated for a month. I just have no idea how she could have gotten mites. The only new thing was ReptiChips but I used that on all my snakes and everyone else is fine.
I checked my other snakes and they all look ok. I do wipe down their cage stack every 2 months with PAM and also spray completely around the AP base/stand for the cage stack as well as spray around the carpet directly around the cage. So I create a triple barrier. Plus I also gave them a treatment on paper towel for a week as well.
I'm just more floored how she had mites with the ReptiChips and was soaking but the day after I threw everything out and cleaned and treated the cage, I couldn't find a single dead mite in the water or on the paper towels and she isn't soaking anymore. Anyone have this happen to them? And like I said, everyone else is ok as I'm kind of OCD about mites and like I said, wipe down the outside of the cages, the table legs, stands and spray the carpet around the cages all every 2 months as preventative.
But I'm guessing it would still be a good idea to keep treating Luna for the next month or month and a half even though I cant find any dead mites anywhere.
Re: Weird question about mites.
Hey Sau, it's best to treat all of your collection as if they all have the mites even if you don't see them. It's a exposure nonetheless and at the end of the day, you and them will be more protected. Just be careful not to over spray. Do you also have the "Natural Chemistry Reptile Relief" ?