Another mite problem...

Not mites themselves, but their eggs can lay dormant and hatch later during the right conditions. So that can be possible they're from your rats.

Why would you treat 3 changes worth of paper towels ahead of time??? All you're doing by doing it this way is reducing the effectiveness of the PAM. I don't remember if it's 2 weeks or 28 or 30 days they say between treatments, but it's not like the PAM is at full strength that whole duration and then just suddenly loses its effectiveness.

I change the paper fairly often- especially Jacks' since he's the one with the mite problem. I wanted to be able to have some ready that I wouldn't have to wait for to dry just in case of spontaneous cleaning. (Poo, for example.) I will def use them within the week. (I also wanted some to keep in the empty tubs, for the traveling/hiding mites.) Do you think the effectiveness will have diminished too much to use them by then?

Well, I don't see any more live ones on my boy... and there are plenty of dead ones on the paper. I intend to treat again next week to make sure the little nasties are gone. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

Good news!