Just got over RI and now...

&&@&@@&!$&@ MITES, idk where they came from but I've already got rid of the forest bark, cleaned the tub and bowl, and put down paper yield, now I'm gonna do the water betadine bath, and hope it works, any tips?

Actually after some thought I feed him last Monday a live rat from a pet store and that's were I think he got it from, btw that was the first time I've ever fed him so I will attempt ft and hopefully he'll take to it like my other two snakes

Hi,

Order Provent-a-Mite and follow the directions exactly.

It works.

The female mite can travel a long distance before laying her eggs which then hatch and re-infest your snakes.


dr del

So I ordered the prevent o mite, in the meantime I just got done with a first nix treatment, hopefully it works he doesn't have very many mites, but I had to do something I don't want him to get a disease

FYI the Mites that feed on warm blooded critters don't get on reptiles, and visa versa.. are you sure the snake didn't have them and you're just now noticing?

FYI the herp specialist that I take my animals to says that he got it from the rat and yes I do know because he did not have them at the last vet visit and after he fed is when they showed up, I may be fairy new to snakes but I'm not stupid this animal came to me sick and he done nothing but get better, aside from the mites, which are already clearing up, after I noticed them the other day, sorry If I sound upset but I came to this forum to get help and better knowledge of snakes, not to be lectured at by peep with "experience" just because someone has done something for years doesn't mean they know it all, the fact is
Things change research proves things that everyone knew to be true false every day, all I ask for is help not criticism

Hmmm,

Pardon me for being obtuse.

But if the experience of others is of no value to you how are you planning on getting a better knowledge of snakes? Via any medium that is the primary method of learning.

Serious question.

You are right that the fact someone has done something for twenty years doesn't mean he knows everything - but it absolutely means he knows more than someone who has been doing it for 6 months. I don't want to sound mean but that is simply the truth. Practical experience helps.

Here is some excellent information on the life of snake mites. If you read that you will see that only treating one enclosure/ animal in the manner you have so far will be ineffective. You will also see why it is possible for the snake to have mites or mite eggs under its scales and be extremely hard for someone to spot even if they are looking for them.

Your PAM should solve it as said if used on all your enclosures and repeated 20-30 days later but the NIX idea, while recommended by some, is a little more demanding to make sure you do not kill the snake as well as the mites.

It is, to be honest, an example of the kind of "old school" home treatments that you are seemingly accusing us of perpetuating by not knowing the latest information.

And, while information is indeed discovered every day, online forums are more likely to be up to date than most of the other sources you will find.

A less risky alternative to NIX for immediate relief might be to let the snake soak (always supervised though ) in 84f water with a spot of dish soap in it to break the surface tension.

There are many ways you could have caught the mites as I'm sure you know - including from the vets ironically. Anywhere with reptiles in attendance recently is a potential source. It's why people can take extaordinary precautions after going to a reptile show or even to see a friends collection.


dr del

Rodent mites and reptile mites are host specific parasites. This means, that rodent mites will use rodents as a host, reptile (snake) mites will use reptiles as a host. For an extra fun fact, wood mites feed on wood and are not necessarily harmful to your animals but most keepers prefer their animals enclosures to be pest free (of any kind).

If you ordered your Prevent A Mite, waiting the few days it will take to arrive won't harm your animal. If you want to give him some relief, soak him in some tepid (lukewarm) water with a drop of dish soap. The dish soap will break the surface tension on the water so the mites will drown. Always supervise any animal in a soak.

PAM will work wonders, I LOVE that stuff. Pre-treat any new arrival (that is not an insect eater) and you are good to go. :)

Apparently people missed the point, I wasn't saying experience isn't valued, in fact I am a firm believer in experience, and although I don't have alot of experience in reptiles even before I got into it I could have told
Anyone that being as it may rodent mites are different then reptile mites, as someone stated above I was taking it as I am wrong and that basically I don't know what I'm talking about and that my snake couldn't have got mites from a rat, well infact they can, just because they don't "feed" off the rats doesn't mean a rat can not carry them an give them to a snake, it seemed like a shot at my ability to care for my animals, Im not asking for the newest thing I just want to know what works if u tell me Pam works then as a vet I believe you that is why I ordered a can yesterday, but since that's all you said and most people say the inshore products don't work, I figured I would try what other people say has worked. I'm not trying to pick a fight I was just asking for help not criticism, as previously stated.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dryates

I was just asking for help not criticism, as previously stated.

---

I failed to see where you were criticized by anyone. (maybe you are reading too much into what is posted ;))

Anyway

PAM is the best way to go regardless of the type of mites, if you have more than one snake treat them all.

Also consider changing supplier whether you have rodent or snake mites this is not acceptable.

I'd like to add that it is possible for one even a vet to miss the presence of mites as all it takes is one single mite to end up with an infestation 30 days later.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dryates

FYI the herp specialist that I take my animals to says that he got it from the rat and yes I do know because he did not have them at the last vet visit and after he fed is when they showed up, I may be fairy new to snakes but I'm not stupid this animal came to me sick and he done nothing but get better, aside from the mites, which are already clearing up, after I noticed them the other day, sorry If I sound upset but I came to this forum to get help and better knowledge of snakes, not to be lectured at by peep with "experience" just because someone has done something for years doesn't mean they know it all, the fact is
Things change research proves things that everyone knew to be true false every day, all I ask for is help not criticism

---

No your right just because I've done this for years doesn't mean I know it all..Good luck to ya. :gj:

Look I was nit trying to pick a fight as I said before it seemed like you were insinuating that I could not take care of my animals because I don't know all about mites or that he couldn't possibly gotten them from a rat, if u did bot mean that then I am sorry if my previous comment offended u or anyone else but thanks for everyone for the help

So you have alot of advice and all sounds good, or great. The provent-mites stuff works so does soaking. 30 years I have used mineral oil. I soak the snake for about 30 minutes, never used the soap thing but have friends who have and swear by it, anyways, I just soak in water. Then I use the mineral oil, and coat the animal in it doesn't take alot but you will want to make sure the entire animal is coated, After cleaning and treating the enclosure, then you can add the snake, no water for about 24 hours, in case you didn't know mineral is a natural diaretic, in other words a laxative by not adding water you make sure the oil becomes diluted on the scales and skin, without the animal drinking any and then having diarrhea.

I agree, you can go wrong with PAM. I'd recommend applying it monthly to help prevent any future breakouts (and for peace of mind)

Good luck!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jadonh

So you have alot of advice and all sounds good, or great. The provent-mites stuff works so does soaking. 30 years I have used mineral oil. I soak the snake for about 30 minutes, never used the soap thing but have friends who have and swear by it, anyways, I just soak in water. Then I use the mineral oil, and coat the animal in it doesn't take alot but you will want to make sure the entire animal is coated, After cleaning and treating the enclosure, then you can add the snake, no water for about 24 hours, in case you didn't know mineral is a natural diaretic, in other words a laxative by not adding water you make sure the oil becomes diluted on the scales and skin, without the animal drinking any and then having diarrhea.

---

Coat the animal in mineral oil? :O I would not recommend this as a treatment, my experience when following this advice as a noob was that it caused my snake to shed scales ONE BY ONE, it was a nasty mess, stressful for the snake and completely unnecessary (I was helping her shed, I have never had mites).

The PAM solution works effectively and continues working for a period of time, which means that it continues killing mites without daily treatments.

Someone mentioned "pretreating any new arrival." I am sure they misspoke and meant to "pretreat any new enclosure/substrate." I suggest that no one ever spray PAM on any snake, as it is toxic.

Good luck to the OP getting rid of the suckers.

PAM works if used properly...remember you must treat ALL your reptiles! Mites will travel. For temperary relief I suggest Reptile Relief, it will kill exsisting mites on contact. PAM will kill any new mites hatched from eggs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by broadude

Coat the animal in mineral oil? :O I would not recommend this as a treatment, my experience when following this advice as a noob was that it caused my snake to shed scales ONE BY ONE, it was a nasty mess, stressful for the snake and completely unnecessary (I was helping her shed, I have never had mites).

The PAM solution works effectively and continues working for a period of time, which means that it continues killing mites without daily treatments.

Someone mentioned "pretreating any new arrival." I am sure they misspoke and meant to "pretreat any new enclosure/substrate." I suggest that no one ever spray PAM on any snake, as it is toxic.

Good luck to the OP getting rid of the suckers.

---

You are right it does create a mess, however when a snake is hit with mites, especially hit hard, then the snake sheds anyways. I use this treatment and beyond the mess I have never had to retreat, it stays on for awhile and will suffocate all external parasite. to include any eggs. Now I know that mites will not usually lay eggs on the snakes but I have seen it before, I have seen eggs on the snakes, rare yes but possible. I guess the way i look at it is either clean a mess and kill anything that will hurt your animal, or hurt the animal. This is not a daily treatment. Its a one time treatment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dryates

Look I was nit trying to pick a fight as I said before it seemed like you were insinuating that I could not take care of my animals because I don't know all about mites or that he couldn't possibly gotten them from a rat, if u did bot mean that then I am sorry if my previous comment offended u or anyone else but thanks for everyone for the help

---

No one is calling you incompetent. I would, however, call your "herp specialist" an incompetent. It's very common for new people to be told something by a "specialist" that is total bull. I've been there myself, I have no qualms about admitting it! If your specialist was found at a store, that's the problem. They are salesmen, not specialists. If they were a vet, that's a bit harder to believe because they should know the difference between parasites and their hosts. All you have to do is look up the information yourself. Arguing with people that deal with live rats, reptiles, and mites regularly is not a good way to go about things. You may think some of us sound smug, but many people on here are ball python specialists. They have way more experience and exposure than any vet, pet store specialist, or whatever your specialist was, I can guarantee that.

Mites are fairly easy to bring home, especially if you go to a pet store. Pet stores are often teaming with mites and they can get on anything, lay eggs, and hatch in your home. If you use bedding from a pet store, that's an easy way to carry mites or mite eggs home since bedding is kept in the reptile area. Pet stores get their reptiles from shady places infested with mites and they use crappy pet store brand mite killer, so it's no wonder they have mites. Once the PAM shows up your problems will be solved.

So here's what I've done so far, about four days ago I soaked him in betadine/ water, and cleaned his cage with listerine as it is suppose to kill 99% of germs. Two days ago they weren't gone so I did the nix treatment on him and the cage changed substrate to paper towels took water bowl out for 24 hrs and cleaned it good to, well today I pulled off like two mites but I can only notice one or two more I couldn't get to on his neck to head transition that I couldn't get but they might be dead and be stuck but I can't tell, he's albino green so mites are relatively easy to see, and I just feed him an hr ago, so what do I do now just wait for the Pam or should I try the mineral oil, I've had him for almost a month and he hasn't had any signs of shedding, I was told the antibiotics might make him shed but he had his last shot today out of seven, so I am going to go back for a re eval in a few days, so what should I do

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dryates

So here's what I've done so far, about four days ago I soaked him in betadine/ water, and cleaned his cage with listerine as it is suppose to kill 99% of germs. Two days ago they weren't gone so I did the nix treatment on him and the cage changed substrate to paper towels took water bowl out for 24 hrs and cleaned it good to, well today I pulled off like two mites but I can only notice one or two more I couldn't get to on his neck to head transition that I couldn't get but they might be dead and be stuck but I can't tell, he's albino green so mites are relatively easy to see, and I just feed him an hr ago, so what do I do now just wait for the Pam or should I try the mineral oil, I've had him for almost a month and he hasn't had any signs of shedding, I was told the antibiotics might make him shed but he had his last shot today out of seven, so I am going to go back for a re eval in a few days, so what should I do

---

You have done enough wait for PAM given the snake history you want to limit his stress, also I would not recommend oil as a mite treatment either it will contribute to nothing but loosening up scales which can result to scale loss.

Hi,

I would probably just try and wipe him down with baby wipes to see if you could get those mites off - the ones that irritate them most are usually in the heat pits and in the edges of the eyes etc rather than on the open skin areas.

As he has just eaten however I would allow him the usual 48 hour digestion period before trying anything at all and the Provent-a-Mite may have arrived by then. :)

Be very sure to read and follow the instructions on the PAM exactly - I know that sounds like repeating the blindingly obvious but this is a very effective poison so if you have any doubts about how to use it just ask on here and someone should be able to help. It's tempting to use too much of it but it really needs very little.

This is a post about the product.

Just make certain it has fully dried and aired out before putting the snake or waterbowl back in and you should be fine.

Good luck getting the lil guy back to full health on both fronts. :)


dr del

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

You have done enough wait for PAM given the snake history you want to limit his stress, also I would not recommend oil as a mite treatment either it will contribute to nothing but loosening up scales which can result to scale loss.

---

Your not using cooking oil, It is Mineral oil, You can drink this, safe for pregnant women to take to help them give birth, safe for kids and animals. In 30 years I have never seen it remove scales. I have seen cause messy sheds, but never scale loss. As I said I have never used PAM, but As I understand you have to use it again a fe weeks later, what is it 20-30 days later, Mineral oil one time. I treat the snake with the Mineral oil, and treat enclosure, with provent a mite. Then i put the snake back in the enclosure and when he sheds I clean the tank. Before they shed any of the mites that may have made it through the initial treatment starve to death b/c they can not get through the oil to get to the snakes skin. They, the Mites, can smell the blood through their skin and the oil so they stick around trying to get at it instead of breeding or looking for other host, and end up starving to death. You will end up using what works for you and I will use what works for me, but please get facts straight before you have a newbie on here and he wants to know how to treat them, It seems like he has found away and if it works,As long as it works, Good for him.