Re: Preventing mites, "old school" method?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
wolfy-hound
Keeping the (insert whichever method) in your regular collection's cages to "prevent" mites seems rather ridiculous. Mites don't just appear. They come from somewhere. If you aren't bringing in animals, you shouldn't suddenly have mites appearing in your cages, right?
Also, some flea collars are really fumey and chemical-ly. Just keeping the snake from touching it wouldn't seem to be enough to me. I don't want my reptiles exposed to a lot of the chemical fumes coming off some collars, breathing that stuff. I'd prefer to make certain to practice good quarentine procedures and treat with a approved reptile mite treatment than a home remedy.
I don't think anyone here is suggesting this method in treating a mite infestation or preventing mites. The OP was just asking if anyone knew about it and if it was still practiced.
It worked for me personally but, if given a better option, I would not have used it nor would I ever suggest someone using it. There are too many factors that if done incorrectly could result in a dead or sick animal. Also, I removed the flea collar pieces after the last mites were witnessed. No need to expose my snakes to it for longer than needed.
And I agree, mites shouldn't "just appear" in a collection. As long as the keeper practiced QT with mite treatment and has good hygiene practices when dealing with other peoples' collections or pet stores, a preventative chemical shouldn't be needed. I can see, however, a large breeder/importer using a constant preventative because of the volume of animals being brought in.