Mites

Hello- so my snake I recently got a week ago has mites. :( I did a lot of research online. Last week for 3 days I did the olive oil rub. I saw that online and read that it worked for some people's But it didn't get rid of them all. So last night I got some of the natural chemistry reptile spray. I've also read a lot of reviews on that. That people have have that work great and has gotten rid of them with the first try. So this morning I sprayed a paper towel with it and wiped him down,trying not to get his head. Then I sprayed his tank with it- let it sit a few min and then wiped it out.
I then soaked him for a few min in warm water as I was that spray can dry them out and some people suggested soaking them after.
So after his soak I dried him and was handling him and saw a mite in his head :( what can I do about that? The bottle says not to use on their heads but that's where the mites are retreating to? And he absolutely hates his head messed with. I tried to get that mite I saw off his head but he flipped out and I ended up not see where the mite went.
So I don't know what to do.
He doesn't have an infestation- just a small case of a few mites. This is my first snake. So it's all a learning process for me....
Also- he was fed on Tuesday of last week. Should I have seen him poop or pee by now? I'm just worrying that something's wrong...or is this normal?
Thanks


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Stop rubbing oil on your snake.

Buy Provent a Mite. http://pro-products.com/provent-a-mite/

A few mites can easily turn into an infestation. Provent a mite is the best way to get rid of them for good.

Sometimes they take over a month to poop out a meal. Don't worry about it unless his butt looks swollen and firm. Then maybe a warm soak to help him along.


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I would get some Provent A Mite and follow the instructions. That seems to be a tried and true method to get rid of mites.

Olive oil is the worst thing you can do, unless of course your goal is to have a scaless snake ;) (oil loosen scales and then they fall off) so I would suggest to discontinue this type of treatment.

On the top of that while it may take care of the adults on your snake it does NOTHING for the other stages and you are guaranteed a re-infestation in 30 days.

Reptile spray addresses the adult stage and the mites on the snake again in 30 days it will mean re-infestation.

The best thing since you have limited experience (which is why I will not recommend a home made brew) is to buy Provent A Mite (PAM), you use it as directed (spraying the enclosure, removing the snake and water dish first), it will work on contact and take care of ALL stages from egg to adults.

As long as you have a mite or 2 you will have mites, all it takes is one adult to lay hundreds of eggs.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...it-with-AaronP

The only thing I do differently is I do not spray the permethrin solution on the snake as permethrin poisoning can cause neurological damage or death so I do not want to take the chance of the snake ingesting it. Instead I spray a white paper towel with Reptile Spray and use that to wipe the snake after its bath and before returning it to the treated and dry enclosure.

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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No one is bashing you. Please forgive the bluntness. No one expects you to know everything. This is just one of those subjects that comes up often and there are some people that insist on trying all kinds of things that in the long run do not work. PAM always works and done correctly the mites are not coming back. Just read the instructions and don't get it on your animal while it is still wet. Please remember it is hard to tell people's "tone" on the board.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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I'm sorry you feel like you've been bashed here. I don't think anyone intended to make it a personal attack on you as a person, they're just telling you what they know will work best for the animal being discussed based on decades worth of experience. Sure some of us come across as more blunt than others but I think a lot of that can be attributed to having encountered these types of questions more than they can count. At a certain point folks just get right down to brass tacks and tell you what works best based on first hand experience. This forum is an invaluable resource, if you do a bit of searching for answers to your questions they are here somewhere. Don't let that stop you from starting new threads by any means. Just letting you know that there is a wealth of knowledge to be unearthed in the forums if you know how and where to look for it. The best reptile keepers are ones that are continuously looking to learn more about how to do things better/more effectively/efficiently/economically/etc. I've kept snakes for 20+ years now and never grow tired of looking to do the best for my animals. Hope you stick around and best of luck with your PAM treatment!


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My advice is use the PAM as directed. But I also would like to add, leave the water bowl out over night after treating the cage. Also I would wipe down the outside of the cage with PAM sprayed on a rag. I use 40 gallon breeder tanks for my QT and I just wipe the top rim, bottom rim as well as the table top with PAM on a rag. This will keep any mites from escaping into the room just to later re infest your animals. Plus it creates a barrier in case you happen to bring home hitchhiker mite from a pet shop or reptile show. I wipe down my cage stack, the stand and spray it on the carpet around the stand once every 2 months as preventative.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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Since when recommending a certain product based on someone’s limited experience an insult? YOU mentioned yourself you have limited experience, who said there was anything wrong with it.

Would you rather have had recommendations made for advance keepers such as a homemade brew that could potentially kill your snake?

When someone tells you that something you do should not be done it’s not bashing (the fact that you see it that way is on you), don’t you want to know if /when something you do is wrong?? I know I do.

So some food for the thoughts and that will be the end on that subject be a little less sensitive and stop reading things between lines that are not there.