How do I know if I see a mite? What do they look like?

Do Mites kill your BP? Or eat their food and nutrients or anything? What exactly am I up against?

They are a parasite, like flees on your dog. They make life very misearable.

The congregate in the areas between the scales and near exposed soft tissues, such as eyes and mouth.

That literally BITES! Where do they get them from?

They're generally a tropical parasite, if I remember correctly. Most likely, if you have mites, you bought them with your BP or got them from contact with someone else's reptiles.

Back in the day when I was keeping Iguanas I found them on my buddies about 4 months after I bought them. When I bought them I didn't see any, but after a few sheds and giving the mites an opportunity to breed up their population it was quite obvious. My big boy, Max, was literally laying submerged for as long as he could hold his breath 24/7. It took me 3-4 treatments to get rid of them.

They're like head lice or cockroaches... Even when you THINK they're gone, you've only killed most of the population. If you see even one, there's probably hundreds more...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CntrlF8

Don't you also need to re-treat after a few days with PAM?

---

You can do another treatment 2 weeks later if necessary however in most cases one treatment is enough.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tat&Tu

Do Mites kill your BP? Or eat their food and nutrients or anything? What exactly am I up against?

---

Yes a severe infestation could kill your BP.

ok I just saw a post that something called Repel PermaNone is the same thing as provent a mite has same ingredients and is for same usage just locally sold and little lower price. anyone heard of it?

if anyone wants to check it out here is some of the talk.....

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/arch...p/t-23198.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tat&Tu

ok I just saw a post that something called Repel PermaNone is the same thing as provent a mite has same ingredients and is for same usage just locally sold and little lower price. anyone heard of it?

---

Trying to save money is not worth the health of your snake is it?

This was about PAM VS Equate but it would apply here to with Repel PermaNone



Here is what Jamie posted a while ago in the following thread http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=42297&page=12&pp=10

Quote:

---

A. The same product in a different can
B. Equally as safe for reptiles
C. Equally as effective

Take it as you will, but this information is pretty damn convincing in my mind (which may not be on par with some of the insta-experts that reside here).

Here you go (his direct information will be in quotes):

Claim: Equate is the same product in a different can and is equally safe for reptiles as Provent A Mite

"The word permethrin is a generic name of a group of pyrethroid chemical isomers. This is like saying everything with the word soap is the same thing. Put your wet hand into a box of powdered laundry detergent and see if it is the same as a bar of ivory, but they are both "soap".

---

Quote:

---

Without exception, these other products use a much more toxic isomer as they are all designed to be applied to material that maybe will have the potential for contact with mammals, which have a completely different physiology than reptiles do. These products are designed to be as toxic as possible to get a quick "knock down". These higher toxicities will not harm mammals, but are documented to harm lower vertebrates, including reptiles, fish, amphibians, mollusks and so forth and therefore can be used for these other uses. Also, only a very small percentage of what is in the can is the "active" ingredient, the rest is always a trade secret of the company, so will never be disclosed (only the generic active name has to be disclosed under EPA regulations). Different isomers have differing toxicities and again, only a range of the cis-trans ratio is given on a label, so one can never find out what is really in the can (again trade secret).

Since a product is only approved by the EPA for the uses listed on the label, chemicals in the formula that are not toxic to the host for the testing submitted, doesn't mean they would not be toxic to a host not listed. If fact many of the "inerts" used in these permethrin formulas are toxic to reptiles. If the company tried to receive EPA approval with these formulas for use on reptiles, they would not, as the EPA would not allow a product to be sold that would harm the host listed on the label. This is why the EPA regulations state that it is a federal offense to sell or use a product inconsistent with the label, not only because of the risk to the host, but also because such usage can create resistance.

Many products for example, use a more toxic isomer and then use a synergist such as PBO. PBO breaks through the insect's defense and its synergistic activity makes the insecticide more powerful and effective. With the high cost of insecticides, PBO effectively reduces the cost by allowing the product to use les s active ingredient to obtain the mortality rate desired. The problem with this is PBO is absolutely toxic to reptiles with several published studies regarding using PBO for the killing of brown tree and other snakes confirming this.

Despite anyone's claim to the contrary, many of these other "identical" products have injured and killed many reptiles as we get the phone calls from people telling us after the fact. Also many times, the exposure can lead to chronic health problems instead of an acute reaction, so if the animal dies at a later date, no one looks back and understands the actual cause of death. This is a classic example with no pest strips. No clinical studies were ever performed and people just started using them, using their animals as guinea pigs. Only after many years of usage were the risks associated with them disclosed. This has been established by many leading zoos and vets, but even now, many people still swear they are the best thing to use and do not pose any risk."

Provent-a-mite™ is the only product that has been approved by the EPA and USDA], has undergone extensive clinical and field studies to insure that will eliminate, not just control a mite or tick problem and is unique enough to have received a patent. No other product is more effective or can make these claims and certainly no other product is the same as Provent-a-mite™”


Claim: Equate (and other similar products) are equally as effective in killing mites and their eggs


"Provent-a-mite™ is the only product that will create residual protection that will not drop down to levels that can create resistance. We use a proprietary "time" release that ensures that it will create a long term residual effect at a high enough concentration to prevent the potential t o create resistant pests. Since mites and ticks can carry several diseases that can be harmful or fatal to the host, just getting an infestation is already too late if the pest was infected. Applying Provent-a-mite™to a cloth and then wiping around any openings in a cage will provide a barrier that will last a minimum of 30 days (usually 60 to 180 days). This will kill any ectoparasites before they can infest and potentially infect an animal. None of these other products can do this as their formulas are designed to break down very quickly, often in as little as 48 hours.

Provent-a-mite™ is also one of the least expensive methods when one compares the cost per application and the number of applications required. To treat an average 4' x 2' cage is approximately 50¢ with usually only one application required. To use the product preventatively, the cost for an average cage is about 5¢. The product has an average shelf life of 7 years. One of the biggest problems is that many people overuse the product, so the can will not treat as many cages as it actually should, costing more to use it than necessary.”

---

Here's a pic of what mites look like in a snake's water dish.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...nWaterDish.jpg

(used with the kind permission of this snake's owner....who now has a happily mite free snake :) )