Help with ticks

oh and how to look for tick eggs because i cant find any even though i'm sure there is. Just a thought, would you use a neon light or uv or something bc either i'm blind or this tick buried it's eggs, aaaand if i have a bioactive setup should i be taking out substrate and putting in new.

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Originally Posted by DatBoiAJ_

cool thx..i did mostly everything you said to do on my second snake, so im glad i've learned a lot. But i do have a question, or a few, does the tick/mite spray stuff kill isopods, and why do my isopods keep drowning themselves, and how long to leave poops in for isopods. Thx :)

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No experience with isopods as to how long they need to clean-up fecal material, but yes, I would guarantee that tick/mite spray will kill them.

For that matter, if you use pesticides incorrectly, it can KILL your SNAKE, so make sure you read & follow directions carefully- please? (I don't use them. > > >)

For quick, SAFE, cheap & easy relief, the first thing I'd do for a snake is a 20-25 minute supervised soak (SHALLOW water- NOT over the snake's body or head- they should not have to be swimming- lukewarm water with only a drop or 2 of mild dish soap like Ivory Liquid or Dawn). The tiny bit of soap makes it so parasites will drown- the soap negates the water's surface tension (on which some insects can float or swim to avoid drowning). You can & should do this daily to rid as many parasites as possible before using other methods to finish the job. Soaks will NOT get them all, because you cannot put your snakes head under water, so some will likely remain on the part that cannot be submerged under water- but this soak WILL get many, quickly- while you acquire another product. Sooner is better for the health of your snake (also for their comfort!)- mites & ticks can and DO KILL snakes- it seems impossible but trust me- snakes cannot spare much blood loss before they go into shock, heart & organ failure & die. Never underestimate ticks or mites. And the longer they stay on a snake, the more likely they can transmit diseases too.

The next thing I would try (I've never needed it, but based on safety & what others have said after using it) is Natural Chemistry (brand) Reptile Spray-
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcos...-reptile-spray I use & like some other products they make- it's much safer than
pesticides to kill mites & ticks. (it kills by dehydrating them, while being safer for the snake) Actual pesticides would be my very last resort. ;)

A snake with external parasites must be kept on white paper towels for the duration of treatment- otherwise, mite or tick eggs will be throughout the substrate & keep coming back to infest your poor snake. Get the job done right the first time- nothing in the cage with your snake except plastic hides & plastic (or glass or ceramic) water bowl- ie. NO "decor", wood or branches or even fake plants should be thrown away- there will be eggs hidden, no way to find (see) them.
Sorry.

Actually, ALL new snakes should be kept on white paper towels (without extra "decor") UNTIL you know for sure they have no parasites. At least a month+, since mites take that long to hatch out the next generations - not sure how long for ticks. NO "bioactive" enclosures until a new snake passes quarantine- proving there are no mites or ticks. Again- sorry. I would assume your bioactive set-up is contaminated at this point- toss & start over.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DatBoiAJ_

cool thx..i did mostly everything you said to do on my second snake, so im glad i've learned a lot. But i do have a question, or a few, does the tick/mite spray stuff kill isopods, and why do my isopods keep drowning themselves, and how long to leave poops in for isopods. Thx :)

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Isopods are not going to be able to handle large snake feces. You will have to spot clean/remove the feces when you see them. You'll also have to watch the population density of them; there's nothing to keep them under control, unlike say a dart frog enclosure. Personally, I don't think they're very useful in a "bioactive" snake enclosure. IMO, of course.