Help! Found mites on my new suriname boa!!!

Oh and I just bought if from pangeareptile! Thank you so much! I'll check petsco for the Natural Chemistry De Flea Reptile Relief!:(

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Originally Posted by MissterDog

Not too sure about where you can get it quickly. Pro-products is where I prefer to get mine as it's directly from the maker (Bob) but I find shipping speeds with him can vary. Only other sites I know where you can buy PAM are http://www.pangeareptile.com, http://www.lllreptile.com and http://www.snakemuseum.com

Sorry I can't be anymore help! I hoping one of the options will have faster shipping than the other. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by alice40604345

Thank you so much! I was feeling like the end of the world and feel so sorry for him and also putting risk on my other two snakes. I just move one of them to the kitchen but there's no door of the kitchen... another one on the opposite of the boa in the room... Sadly I live in a studio....May I know where did you get the Provent-A-Mite? I believe I have wait for days buying them online... Hoping there's a store somewhere...:( My new tub tools will come tomorrow and I'll move him there, hope it could help keep a 65-80 humidity with paper towel... Thank you so much!!!

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I just went out to Bean Farm and picked up a few cans as i live close to them. You can order it from Reptile Basics, Bean Farm or any other reptile place. What you might want to do also is since you cant move the snakes, just spray PAM on a rag and wipe down the outside of the cages of your other snakes as well as any cords or cables and table legs etc. Anywhere mites can crawl up to and reach the snakes. Then again, wipe down the outside of the cages especially around vents and doorways. This will give you a double layer of protection. I would also just give the the other snakes a one time treatment. You can spray it directly onto substrate but i would avoid plastic plants and stuff where it wont be absorbed and dried fairly quickly. Also i would leave the water bowls out overnight after treating the cages. The snakes wont die without water but if they find a spot that wasnt completely dried and crawl through it and then into their water bowl and drink, you will have problems. I had to take my JCP in on an emergency to my vet when that happened. Luckily the vet flushed her system with saline and saved her. But just leave the water bowls out overnight.

And again, i wouldnt worry about the humidity. You want to get rid of the mites first and foremost. Having 50% or so humidity for a couple months wont hurt the snake as long as it has access to water.

I wrote this after my second battle with mites for people in the US. While other treatments, such as ivermectin injections and wiping the snakes with Frontline, do exist, I have not tried them so I've not included them in my own writeup. You can find out about Frontline at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwCA...&feature=share

Mite Eradication 101:

*** Permethrin ***

Permethrin comes in many forms - Provent-A-Mite (PAM), NIX/RID head lice treatment, Permethrin-10 from a livestock supply store, etc. Once mixed with water 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 feeding and breeding.

NIX/RID is cheaper than PAM and is readily available at WalMart, CVS, and other drug stores. It is also easy to dilute: mix one two ounce (59 ml) 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 upside is that if you have a lot of snakes to treat this will do it very economically. The downside is that it's all too easy to make too strong of a permethrin solution which can seriously injure or kill your snakes.

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

Permethrin use: spray the enclosure, paper substrate, and hides with the diluted solution or PAM. 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.

*** Natural Chemistry 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 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 place 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 sealed 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 snake 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/dubias, crickets, etc. do not use the No-Pest Strip as it can kill them too!!!!

*** Mild Dish Soap ***

One or two drops of mild dish detergent in your snake's bath water will break the surface tension and 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 a temperature of 135*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 temperature gun I heated the surfaces and crevices of my racks and enclosures to kill off any mite eggs that may have been laid outside the tubs. Don't get your enclosure surfaces and joined/glued areas too hot or you can damage them.

Mite treatment should continue for 30 days after you stop finding mites on your snake, 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 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.

This worked for me:

https://youtu.be/zHXq3oV_JkA

RID has the same active ingredient at Provent-A-Mite and it isn't $30.00 a can...

Thank you so much!!! That's really really helpful!! I just got reptile spray today and will wipe them when I got back and take the boa to his new tub home. The Provent A Mite will arrive in around three days. May I know that are these two product safe for a 2-month old baby? Thank you so much!!!

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I just went out to Bean Farm and picked up a few cans as i live close to them. You can order it from Reptile Basics, Bean Farm or any other reptile place. What you might want to do also is since you cant move the snakes, just spray PAM on a rag and wipe down the outside of the cages of your other snakes as well as any cords or cables and table legs etc. Anywhere mites can crawl up to and reach the snakes. Then again, wipe down the outside of the cages especially around vents and doorways. This will give you a double layer of protection. I would also just give the the other snakes a one time treatment. You can spray it directly onto substrate but i would avoid plastic plants and stuff where it wont be absorbed and dried fairly quickly. Also i would leave the water bowls out overnight after treating the cages. The snakes wont die without water but if they find a spot that wasnt completely dried and crawl through it and then into their water bowl and drink, you will have problems. I had to take my JCP in on an emergency to my vet when that happened. Luckily the vet flushed her system with saline and saved her. But just leave the water bowls out overnight.

And again, i wouldnt worry about the humidity. You want to get rid of the mites first and foremost. Having 50% or so humidity for a couple months wont hurt the snake as long as it has access to water.

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Just make sure to follow the directions on the Provent a Mite and you should be fine.

Thank you soooooooo much!! I'll save all these methods!! That's really really detailed and professional !!! So many methods!!!!! I've got reptile spray, Can I use both reptile spray and frontline for the snake? May I know that for the Hot Shot No-Pest Strips, is it correct that I just leave one in his tub and remove the water bowl for 24 hours? The heat method looks also great!!!!! I'll see if I can heat their enclosure for some way to 135F! Does this also kill mites eggs?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

I wrote this after my second battle with mites for people in the US. While other treatments, such as ivermectin injections and wiping the snakes with Frontline, do exist, I have not tried them so I've not included them in my own writeup. You can find out about Frontline at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwCA...&feature=share

Mite Eradication 101:

*** Permethrin ***

Permethrin comes in many forms - Provent-A-Mite (PAM), NIX/RID head lice treatment, Permethrin-10 from a livestock supply store, etc. Once mixed with water 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 feeding and breeding.

NIX/RID is cheaper than PAM and is readily available at WalMart, CVS, and other drug stores. It is also easy to dilute: mix one two ounce (59 ml) 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 upside is that if you have a lot of snakes to treat this will do it very economically. The downside is that it's all too easy to make too strong of a permethrin solution which can seriously injure or kill your snakes.

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

Permethrin use: spray the enclosure, paper substrate, and hides with the diluted solution or PAM. 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.

*** Natural Chemistry 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 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 place 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 sealed 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 snake 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/dubias, crickets, etc. do not use the No-Pest Strip as it can kill them too!!!!

*** Mild Dish Soap ***

One or two drops of mild dish detergent in your snake's bath water will break the surface tension and 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 a temperature of 135*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 temperature gun I heated the surfaces and crevices of my racks and enclosures to kill off any mite eggs that may have been laid outside the tubs. Don't get your enclosure surfaces and joined/glued areas too hot or you can damage them.

Mite treatment should continue for 30 days after you stop finding mites on your snake, 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 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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Thank you so much!!! I'll also take a look of RID!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

This worked for me:

https://youtu.be/zHXq3oV_JkA

RID has the same active ingredient at Provent-A-Mite and it isn't $30.00 a can...

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Sure! Thank you so much!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Just make sure to follow the directions on the Provent a Mite and you should be fine.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by alice40604345

Thank you soooooooo much!! I'll save all these methods!! That's really really detailed and professional !!! So many methods!!!!! I've got reptile spray, Can I use both reptile spray and frontline for the snake? May I know that for the Hot Shot No-Pest Strips, is it correct that I just leave one in his tub and remove the water bowl for 24 hours? The heat method looks also great!!!!! I'll see if I can heat their enclosure for some way to 135F! Does this also kill mites eggs?

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I would use either Frontline or Reptile Spray, not sure how well they would interact. Frontline uses alcohol as a carrier, Reptile Spray is a salt solution. In combination they might be too drying to your snake's skin.

Since you're in a studio apartment I would forego the no-pest strips.

Mite eggs die if kept at 135*F for five seconds. Just be careful applying heat to your enclosure, as too much too soon can crack glass, or too hot can melt glues and plastics, cause warping, etc.

Again, these are all options for killing mites and eggs. I listed everything I could because what you use to treat will depend on what you can find locally, versus having products shipped, versus how many snakes you have to treat and your budget.