BHB reptiles/ Brian Barczyk

I want to get a het albino from them, but I've been hearing some stories about them and wondering if it is true. I hear that people have gotten sick snakes and mites. I saw one guy on youtube that showed one of his snakes from BHB had mites. Are these rumors true that BHB has had some mite problems or ship sick snakes? I'm a huge fan of Brian and his snakes but when I see at least two people saying that they have had mites from a reputable breeder it worries me. He is the only one that has a adult female het that I know of. I know another breeder that has one but she doesnt have the paperwork to prove she is a het, but she has produce albino babies from her. So I'm leaning more to BHB because he would have paperwork for this snake.

I know a breeder who told me a story about a snake he got from BHB...

He said he bought an adult female cinnamon and he had to run it through the shower to get the mites off. It was like a stream of black coming from the snake as the water and his hand brushed them off. He warned me never to buy from them because their snakes have mites.

I looked over BHB's sale stock at Tinley Park NARBC and I didn't see any mites, though granted I didn't ask to pick any of them up. I only looked at them through the plastic containers.

I've heard the same thing you have, though, so maybe there's some truth to it.

I have 2 rat snakes I got from BHB. I got them in August. I won one in his auctions (albino black rat snake) and the other (Kunsir Island rat snake) I bought off his site. Neither of them had mites, but I was afraid the Kunsir might had a respiratory infection because it was making a popping nose.

I immediately e-mailed them, but I described it as a popping/clicking nose, because that's what it sounded like to me. I asked them if it was possible it had an RI or if it might be something else. They are my only venture into the world of colubrids and I'm still not completely familiar with them. My best guess is that it was stressed induced from shipping because he's been fine since, but I got a response from Lori basically saying she had no idea what I was talking about and she had never heard of a popping nose being a sign of an RI.

Overall, I have two healthy mite free snakes, but I don't think I will buy from BHB again. Brain seems like a great guy and I love SnakebytesTV, but I'd personally rather take my business elsewhere. My experience with BHB wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either which is what I have experienced working with other breeders.

I note heard of mites from bhb ( but then again I not purchased any snakes from them.)

I know most people will provide paper work with their hets. I know I do and I don't print them out until I about to sell the snake(s) in question.

I've got 7 of my snakes from BHB, and none had mites. I went to his shop in June, and didn't see any mites there, although I wasn't really looking for them.

He gets shipments all the time so it expected to have mites come in, whats unacceptable is shipping snakes back out with them.

I talked to someone who used to work there, He told me there was a neglectful crew at the time and poor quality control on his part and snakes were getting shipped out with mites.

Brian appears to have stepped up the quality control on his animals and also he has a new crew. Last time I was at his shop was about a year ago, I looked at 100's of animals. Never saw mites.

I personally would buy from him again, to me it appears he had a bad streak at a point, but I haven't seen anything personally to make me say "don't buy from this person"

I got my Pinstripe from BHB, he had great customer service, called me personally to talk about the snake I wanted and he shipped a great snake with no problems what so ever. Really good guy and I would recommend him to anyone.

i see, it still bothers me though because there are some who had mites and some who did not and right now im seeing a 50/50 answers. I want to buy from them because i'll have a guaranteed het but i'm worried when it arrives. Either it will be healthy or harm my other two snakes, especially my albino which i want to breed to the het.

I bought a ball python from them. They were really nice on the phone, and my snake was healthy. No mites. Call them and when you place your order ensure that you are getting a guaranteed healthy snake. They have a good name that they do not want to tarnish, I doubt they would send a snake knowing it had mites.

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

Either it will be healthy or harm my other two snakes, especially my albino which i want to breed to the het.

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A word of advice....no matter who you buy from...ALWAYS quarantine your animals. A minimum of three months. If everyone is still healthy after three months of being in a new environment, then they're most likely safe to include with the rest of your collection and breeding project.

The thing about a business the size of BHB...there WILL be negative reports. Period. No one is perfect and mistakes will happen. When you have as many different customers as someone like BHB, then those mistakes are that much more likely to make it to the public ear.

More often than not, we hear bits and pieces of such stories and rarely ever get a full picture of exactly what happened and what was done to correct it.

I've met Brian on several different occasions and seen his animals at those shows. They're beautiful and healthy, from everything I've ever seen. I've known people that have visited his facilities and never heard a bad report from any of them.

There is ALWAYS a small risk when buying live animals...no matter who you buy from. I trust that buying from Brian is a sure way to keep those risks very small.

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Originally Posted by JLC

A word of advice....no matter who you buy from...ALWAYS quarantine your animals. A minimum of three months. If everyone is still healthy after three months of being in a new environment, then they're most likely safe to include with the rest of your collection and breeding project.

The thing about a business the size of BHB...there WILL be negative reports. Period. No one is perfect and mistakes will happen. When you have as many different customers as someone like BHB, then those mistakes are that much more likely to make it to the public ear.

More often than not, we hear bits and pieces of such stories and rarely ever get a full picture of exactly what happened and what was done to correct it.

I've met Brian on several different occasions and seen his animals at those shows. They're beautiful and healthy, from everything I've ever seen. I've known people that have visited his facilities and never heard a bad report from any of them.

There is ALWAYS a small risk when buying live animals...no matter who you buy from. I trust that buying from Brian is a sure way to keep those risks very small.

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Of course I will quarantine but the thing is I rather have a good looking healthy snake during the first two weeks that I had it instead of having mites or RI during the first two weeks. The other two snakes that I have so far have been from breeders and I got them perfectly healthy, no mites, or RI during the quarantine process (finished now). But if I see a snake from a breeder like BHB and during the first two weeks I see all sorts of problems, I would lose total respect for BHB.

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

But if I see a snake from a breeder like BHB and during the first two weeks I see all sorts of problems, I would lose total respect for BHB.

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Well sure....who wouldn't? So...because you're afraid you MIGHT "lose respect" for someone, you're afraid to buy from them? Sounds like the respect is already gone? Or the trust, which in business amounts to the same thing.

I mean, it's entirely up to you. Your money and your animals. I'm just trying to point out that your risk of getting a sick snake from Brian is just as low as it is getting one from any other well respected, high profile breeder. Is it possible? Yeah...anything is possible. If even that tiny risk is too much, then I wish you all the luck in the world on finding the right snake from the right person. :)

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Originally Posted by JLC

Well sure....who wouldn't? So...because you're afraid you MIGHT "lose respect" for someone, you're afraid to buy from them? Sounds like the respect is already gone? Or the trust, which in business amounts to the same thing.

I mean, it's entirely up to you. Your money and your animals. I'm just trying to point out that your risk of getting a sick snake from Brian is just as low as it is getting one from any other well respected, high profile breeder. Is it possible? Yeah...anything is possible. If even that tiny risk is too much, then I wish you all the luck in the world on finding the right snake from the right person. :)

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I didnt lose respect just after hearing all these rumors all of sudden I'm really wondering is it really worth buying the het from BHB. Right now I'm stuck because I need a het albino female breeder that has the paperwork and stuff, but the only one that fits the description is BHB. But is it really a risk to take because I dont have enough room to quarantine my snakes and so far my quarantine process has been separating the snakes as far as possible in my room. So far this has been going well and all my snakes are healthy. But if I bring in the het, there will be the chance that it might have mites and that the mites can spread and infect my collection.

:O Well..that's why you make sure you have good quarantine for your animals before getting more I guess! I've seen too many horror stories when it comes to not quarantining snakes. Could be a lot worse than mites spreading.

I knew a guy who knew a guy who had a pink snake that was like a 100 feet long.

When someone sells 100s, 1000s? of animals there are going to be stories but until someone says I bought a snake from ___ and it had mites and they did nothing to help me then I'd place more credence on it. He has a big operation could a snake leave with mites... it is possible sure. The only way to be 100% sure of the animal is to see it in person, and have visited the breeders facility a few times in the past before the purchase. It doesn't sound like a BHB or not question to me it sounds like order or not, question. If you are really that concerned find a local breeder and go see the facility if they will allow it many will not. Make a decision on what you see.

got my ghost male from bhb(447 grams)very healthly,no mites,and ate a small rat after 3 days of being in my house and has been doing very well ever since,now(637 grams)i would definantly do business with them again.

I have several snakes from Brian, all purchased at the White Plains show at various times. All are healthy and doing very well. Brian is very helpful and more than willing to spend some time to talk if you have any questions. Call him directly with your concerns and see what he says. If you're still not comfortable, just walk away.

Good luck.

I know somebody very well that recieved an animal from them that was covered in mites. I won't post his name, but, I will let him know about this thread and see if he wants to reply...

I've only had one dealing with Brian/BHB when I purchased a hatchling albino from him. I have no complaints at all. My snake came to me healthy and no mites. She, in fact, has always been one of my best feeders.

Brian even stopped to meet me on his way to a show in Texas last year to deliver her in person. When he dropped her off, he forgot to give me the paperwork/receipt so Lori mailed it to me. A very good experience.

In my opinion, he is an awesome person to do business with.

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

I have several snakes from Brian, all purchased at the White Plains show at various times. All are healthy and doing very well. Brian is very helpful and more than willing to spend some time to talk if you have any questions. Call him directly with your concerns and see what he says. If you're still not comfortable, just walk away.

Good luck.

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I agree with you 100%, The guy has and sells 10s of thousands of reptiles, he is the BIGGEST breeder of reptiles probably in the world, "that I know of at least". You don't get to be the biggest or one of the biggest breeders by selling mite infested sick snakes. Now that being said, i think you should just call him, and tell him that you have heard some horror story's about mites, and see what he has to say about it. I am sure if you do that you will end up getting the snake you want, and end up very happy. GL to ya!

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

i see, it still bothers me though because there are some who had mites and some who did not and right now im seeing a 50/50 answers. I want to buy from them because i'll have a guaranteed het but i'm worried when it arrives. Either it will be healthy or harm my other two snakes, especially my albino which i want to breed to the het.

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You can't look at just the numbers. If I asked your best friend and some great aunt who hasn't seen you since you were 3 I might get a 50/50 poll on whether or not you wet the bed. I am certainly not questioning the statements that someone got a snake with mites from BHB. With an operation as large as his there is bound to be a snake or two that got out the door with mites at some point. Unless you have pictures or videos its hard to say how bad any case might be. Its also entirely possible that the errors that allowed those snakes to get out have been corrected. You then have to ask yourself if those bad reviews are relevant to your current decision. They may be, but you need to review the accounts one by one in context.

Are we sure these mites are snake mites? They use cypress mulch, if I recall correctly, and that can lead to wood mites (which are harmless to snakes).

I have purchased a total of 12 ball pythons from BHB this year. I noticed one mite on one of them shortly after I got her. I used provent a mite on the tubs and never saw another one, dead or alive (and I keep on unprinted newspaper). I believe if it were a snake mite, there would've been more than one.

All 12 snakes I purchased were healthy and are doing well.

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

I didnt lose respect just after hearing all these rumors all of sudden I'm really wondering is it really worth buying the het from BHB. Right now I'm stuck because I need a het albino female breeder that has the paperwork and stuff, but the only one that fits the description is BHB. But is it really a risk to take because I dont have enough room to quarantine my snakes and so far my quarantine process has been separating the snakes as far as possible in my room. So far this has been going well and all my snakes are healthy. But if I bring in the het, there will be the chance that it might have mites and that the mites can spread and infect my collection.

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sounds to me like you've made your decision. The fact of the matter is, you can contact Brian and and talk to him personally, to guarantee the health of the animal you wish to purchase. With that option available, I don't see why you're still here asking. You've gotten a plethora of different answers so the only person who will decide is YOU. NOt to mention if he guarantees the health of the animal, I very highly doubt you'd receive an ill, or mite-infested snake. BHB isn't one of the biggest, if not the biggest breeding company in the US because they've been selling sick animals for 20 years. He's done something right, and he has lots of satisfied customers.

I bought a few snakes from bhb a few years back, one of them after 3 weeks in my care developed a severe RI. I took it to vet and after a week of treatment it died. I contacted Brian and told him so in the tiny chance it wasn't my fault, he knew to keep an eye out in his own collection or if he wanted he could have the body for testing. I wasn't looking for replacement, I didn't expect anything. He emailed back told me he would send a replacement as soon as I was ready.

I will absolutely buy from him again I think he its a stand up guy that will stand behind his products

~ Karl

Most of my collection has been purchased from BHB. All of them have been healthy and mite free. As a matter of fact I was there yesterday and picked up a male cinnamon enchi for future projects. I must have gone threw 200 tubs, and did not see a single mite. :D

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Originally Posted by CapeFearConstrictors

Are we sure these mites are snake mites? They use cypress mulch, if I recall correctly, and that can lead to wood mites (which are harmless to snakes).

I have purchased a total of 12 ball pythons from BHB this year. I noticed one mite on one of them shortly after I got her. I used provent a mite on the tubs and never saw another one, dead or alive (and I keep on unprinted newspaper). I believe if it were a snake mite, there would've been more than one.

All 12 snakes I purchased were healthy and are doing well.

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Can you use provent a mite on newspaper?

Sure. I spray the tubs, wait 15 minutes and then put the paper in. Sometimes I'll spray the paper and let it dry for a while before using it. Never had any problems. As long as it dries and doesn't get in their water, there shouldn't be any issues.

I've been a member of this forum for a little while now and have lurked without posting (maybe did a long, long time ago) until now.

I purchase a female albino spider ball python from BHB weighing 600 grams to arrive Thursday November 10 during my week vacation from work. Originally the snake was listed at 900 grams and Lori checked the weight and confirmed it was 600 grams, no big deal, I was interested in the snake moreso than its weight.

I was able to get a birth date after about the second request from Lori (I think there were about 14 emails back and forth total throughout the purchase, I don't just blindly buy things typically). It seemed difficult to get answers outside of purchasing/shipping and I don't know if it was innocently over-looked or possibly the answer unknown (birth date, feeding record, what it currently was feeding on: frozen/thawed or live, etc.). Again, no big deal that the informationw was not all provided - I've found that it varies based on breeder, she did respond to all of my emails in turn and although brief was kind.

The BP arrived Thursday on time and after a few hours cooling down I took her out to take a look at her. I found around 3-4 mites on her. I've dealt with wood mites in the past (used to have pet rats) and these were not wood mites. I spayed her enclosure and aspen bedding with Provent-A-Mite but wanted to let her calm down for the first week before doing anything further. I gave her a bath the following weekend and then followed up with a Betadine bath as recommended in my online research. Removed the bedding and then layed paper towel and re-sprayed the enclosure with Provent-A-Mite.

I emailed BHB on November 21 to notify them of the goings on, that I had found mites, what I had done to treat them, and asked if they had any help/advice to offer. After all, I assumed paying over 1k I would receive some form of apology or advice/even thanks for notifying them to keep an eye on their collection that they may have an infestation. I've yet to receive a reply and at this point don't expect one.

I've only been in the hobby a couple of years now (3-4), owning only 12 snakes myself - 3 boas, 2 centralian pythons, and 7 ball pythons, so I'm still new to the hobby. However of the 10 or so breeders I've dealt with, this is the first to sell me an animal that had mites or any health defect. Part of me can look past it and say, "well they are a big company with thousands of snakes, quality control must be tough;" and part of me feels that the first half of me is letting them slide. If you purchase something you expect it to arrive in the condition garaunteed on the site and to meet standard of other "mom and pop shop" breeders. How can I not hold a big breeder accountable and expect more from a small time breeder? Shouldn't the big name breeder have better preventative measure/control?

My greatest concern at this point is that the mites may spread to the remainder of my collection. As I said, I've never dealt with mites before and have no idea how resilient, persistent, or invincible they are. Even with quarantine, Provent-A-Mite bathes, etc, will they still spread through my collection and stress or even kill my pets? I'm doing the best with what I've found online, I'm just frustrated to have been put in this predicament by a breeder who is probably the best known, or one that is greatly looked up to by small-time breeders and enthusiasts alike.

I used to be a huge fan of BHB but now I'm up in the air on it. Sad to say, that once being a huge supporter of theirs (from being a small town guy as I am) and their show, to hesitant to recommend them, makes me disappointed in this hobby.

Hopefully this helps others and although I'm not known I hope it does not damage my credibility. I gain nothing from bashing a good name nor do I breed or have any financial gain from doing so. I simply wanted people to be aware of the possibility and frustrations of a fellow enthusiast.


Sorry for the long write and good luck.


Z

I'm really sorry to hear that, Z. Don't worry too deeply about the mites. Provent-A-Mite, used according to directions, will kill them, and prevent them from spreading. Take care what you did with the packaging the snake came in, as obviously the bag may also have been infested with mites.

If you're super-worried, just give every bin in your collection a light treatment with Provent-a-mite, and that will eliminate the risk. The stuff absolutely works, and it works great.

I wouldn't excuse them for that, either. It's saddening to hear that someone who's done so much for the community may be sliding when it comes to basic husbandry and customer service. It is one of the perils of being a big company--employees who may not be as knowledgeable are relied on to do daily tasks.

Mites can happen, obviously--they can come in on bedding, items from reptile suppliers or pet stores, other animals, your pant legs....etc. They're not that difficult to deal with, and you can eliminate them fast simply by paying attention and using PAM the moment you see one.

It's really not excusable for any breeder to actually ship a snake that has mites. Any snake being shipped should at least be given a brief exam before you put it in a bag. If it's not perfect, then tell the customer what happened, and treat the problem before you send it.

The primary problem with mites that makes them more than a nuisance is that they can spread viral diseases, so prompt attention when you spot them is the smart thing to do.

I just got a blizzard corn snake TODAY from BHB and no mites what so ever :D

Oh, I wouldn't even hesitate to buy from them, but no matter who you're buying from...always remember, quarantine.

i bought a hypo rtb from him...no mites no issues healthy snake and a very nice hypo imo...i would be very happy to do busniss with him again

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Originally Posted by zee-man

I emailed BHB on November 21 to notify them of the goings on, that I had found mites, what I had done to treat them, and asked if they had any help/advice to offer. After all, I assumed paying over 1k I would receive some form of apology or advice/even thanks for notifying them to keep an eye on their collection that they may have an infestation. I've yet to receive a reply and at this point don't expect one.

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Z: You sent an e-mail Thanksgiving week. They had to prepare for the holiday plus they had to pack for the reptile expo in NY that weekend.

Did you use this address - bhb@comcast.net? Call Brian directly - 586-263-4686.

BTW, I checked out the snakes they had at the show on Sunday and did not see mites. I'm not sure how they could select only the mite-free snakes to bring to the show if they did have an infestation at their facility.

Good luck.

As far as I know hes got a good name,has lots of animals some are bound to be a issue on pure volume of sales

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

I know another breeder that has one but she doesnt have the paperwork to prove she is a het, but she has produce albino babies from her. So I'm leaning more to BHB because he would have paperwork for this snake.

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Not to derail the discussion about BHB, but bear in mind that het paperwork is just that - paper that anyone can print out. It is only as good as the breeder it came from until the snake proves out for YOU.

I got a het albino female from him last year it was healthy with no mites I would buy from them again.

Brian is my friend and I can guarantee you that he would never KNOWINGLY sell a sick or infested animal.

They ship sometimes up to a hundred snakes in a single day. It's hard to check every single animal closely enough, and B isn't always the one packing them.

I got a Ball from him a long time ago, and I picked it out myself. I looked it over to make sure it was healthy. It was perfectly fine. When I got home and let her down, I noticed a mite. She had mites, but at the shop (their lighting isn't the best lol) I couldn't tell. They do a great job at hiding sometimes.

B gets shipments from all over the world from all manner of people. In a collection of his size, you have to realize how easy it would be to spread. Yet he is still able to produce healthy animals.

Mites aren't that big of a deal once you know how to deal with them. Provent-A-Mite does the job. It should, with a name like that.

A couple times while working a show with Brian, I've found a sick snake in our display. For instance, I found a Mojave that showed signs of RI. We pulled the snake from the display so that no one would buy it. He wasn't about to sell a snake to someone if it had a chance of being sick. When he got back to the shop, that Mojave was completely fine. It was just stressed from the show. I think they need to crank up the heat at the expos.

Brian is one of my best friends. If you ever have a problem, call him up. He wants to help you. He truly does. Now remember to take into consideration how insanely busy he is. Whenever we hang out, his phone is going off CONSTANTLY. Seriously. Every time we get into a good conversation, someone calls.

So, to put to rest these so called "rumors", yes, there's a chance a snake from BHB might have mites. If you proactively spray Provent-A-Mite, it will never be a problem. Plus, Brian is a great guy who will do whatever it takes to help you out. Trust me.




Now, Lori on the other hand.

Just kidding. But honestly, anyone that has met her knows that at times, she gets extremely fed up with the entire snake thing. Which means she can be a little curt. She's an awesome person, though, and everyone should bake her cakes.



-Kaleb LaFaive

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Originally Posted by Kaball

Brian is my friend and I can guarantee you that he would never KNOWINGLY sell a sick or infested animal.

They ship sometimes up to a hundred snakes in a single day. It's hard to check every single animal closely enough, and B isn't always the one packing them.

I got a Ball from him a long time ago, and I picked it out myself. I looked it over to make sure it was healthy. It was perfectly fine. When I got home and let her down, I noticed a mite. She had mites, but at the shop (their lighting isn't the best lol) I couldn't tell. They do a great job at hiding sometimes.

B gets shipments from all over the world from all manner of people. In a collection of his size, you have to realize how easy it would be to spread. Yet he is still able to produce healthy animals.

Mites aren't that big of a deal once you know how to deal with them. Provent-A-Mite does the job. It should, with a name like that.

A couple times while working a show with Brian, I've found a sick snake in our display. For instance, I found a Mojave that showed signs of RI. We pulled the snake from the display so that no one would buy it. He wasn't about to sell a snake to someone if it had a chance of being sick. When he got back to the shop, that Mojave was completely fine. It was just stressed from the show. I think they need to crank up the heat at the expos.

Brian is one of my best friends. If you ever have a problem, call him up. He wants to help you. He truly does. Now remember to take into consideration how insanely busy he is. Whenever we hang out, his phone is going off CONSTANTLY. Seriously. Every time we get into a good conversation, someone calls.

So, to put to rest these so called "rumors", yes, there's a chance a snake from BHB might have mites. If you proactively spray Provent-A-Mite, it will never be a problem. Plus, Brian is a great guy who will do whatever it takes to help you out. Trust me.




Now, Lori on the other hand.

Just kidding. But honestly, anyone that has met her knows that at times, she gets extremely fed up with the entire snake thing. Which means she can be a little curt. She's an awesome person, though, and everyone should bake her cakes.



-Kaleb LaFaive

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Right. Mites aren't that big of a deal.

Got it.

Bull Crap.

Mites are a big issue - whether you know how to deal with them or not. They take time, money and a considerable amount of effort to eradicate. The process of eradication carries a risk of poisoning to your snakes and they are a prime vector of disease.

I don't know Brian. It's nice to know that's he a great guy. I also don't know any of the people who have come forward to discuss the mite issues they are having with animals they have received from him.

It's also nice to know that a can of PAM will do the trick and that Brian will do whatever it takes to help a person out. But I can't figure something out.......... but hey, as long as you are shouldering that load of water, perhaps I can ask you why - when LGrey received three snakes with mites from BHB - he would not spring for a can of PAM and instead offered her a mere $5 to deal with a problem he inflicted on her? Doesn't sound like he exactly did whatever it took to help her out, does it?

These are not "rumors" that need to be put to rest. He has admitted that he had/has/is having a mite issue - period, end of story, fini. If we are to accept that this is the cost of doing business with a great guy like Brian, maybe he should ship out a can of PAM with every snake.

I agree with Skip here mites are a big deal. I get that a place the size of BHB will have them every now and again. It is very likely that they will. The part I have issue with is if you know you have mites, why are you still shipping animals out? The crappy pet stores near me will not sell fish from a tank with health issues why is BHB? They should stop shipping until they get the mites eradicated.

I'm with Skiploader here all the way. What was not mentioned by him though, mites are a perfect host for IBD. They can and will carry it from one snake to another. With BHB importing animals all the time it is possible for them to have some kind of transmittable disease that a mite could feed on and transmit to your "perfectly healthy" snake. Also, don't be too sure your het from them will prove out. Do a search on this site and the BOI about BHB...You will find a thread about somebody who recieved a snake from a real good friend of his who got it form BHB that never proved out. He recieved the run-around on the issue and last I checked, never was compensated. Yeah, a lot of people say he didn't purchase it directly form BHB and all(although he did get it form a good freind of his). I'm a firm believer of the fact that genetic gauranties should transfer from the person selling to the ultimate home of the animal. BHB is not the only person with an adult het Albino female, they are out there just make some calls to the guy who have been in for a while. I'm sure somebody will sell you a het Albino female along the line.

Brian seems like a nice guy who really cares but 30,000 snakes really? It is impossible to provide them with the care and attention that they need even with a staff. I personally will never do business with BHB simply because I know that I can get an animal that got the attention that it deserved else ware

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Right. Mites aren't that big of a deal.

Got it.

Bull Crap.

Mites are a big issue - whether you know how to deal with them or not. They take time, money and a considerable amount of effort to eradicate. The process of eradication carries a risk of poisoning to your snakes and they are a prime vector of disease.

I don't know Brian. It's nice to know that's he a great guy. I also don't know any of the people who have come forward to discuss the mite issues they are having with animals they have received from him.

It's also nice to know that a can of PAM will do the trick and that Brian will do whatever it takes to help a person out. But I can't figure something out.......... but hey, as long as you are shouldering that load of water, perhaps I can ask you why - when LGrey received three snakes with mites from BHB - he would not spring for a can of PAM and instead offered her a mere $5 to deal with a problem he inflicted on her? Doesn't sound like he exactly did whatever it took to help her out, does it?

These are not "rumors" that need to be put to rest. He has admitted that he had/has/is having a mite issue - period, end of story, fini. If we are to accept that this is the cost of doing business with a great guy like Brian, maybe he should ship out a can of PAM with every snake.

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Ya. I’m going to have to give this a x3. Mites are at the very least a huge Pain in the ass, and can quickly develop into a life threatening condition of anemia if not dealt with. Not to mention the potential spread of other blood born conditions that the mites could potentially spread. I thankfully have not had to deal with a might problem since 1995; and that was a complete Night Mare. Try treating almost 200 Animals with Mites (Many of them Hot’s) when the only treatment available was daily cleaning, Vapona strips and baby oil. What puzzles me most about this and other threads about BHB is why do people keep saying things like “with a collection that size” and “he has so many animals coming and going every day” as an excuse for why it’s O.K or understandable for BHB to be shipping Mite covered animals? His collection although very large should not be subjected to contact of any kind with his import/export etc, etc. Is he a breeder or a Wholesaler? Are the animals people are buying from BHB produced at BHB or not? The larger the collection the more important proper quarantine procedures are. If I was maintaining a collection that size not only would any animal have to clear at least 3 months Quarantine, but I would not even allow people that been near the non cleared animals in the building in there street clothes. Of course I wouldn’t keep adult giant constrictors in tiny freedom breeders either so maybe I’m just strange.

Has there been any statement directly from the BHB camp as to how bad the situation really is?

I know it is his business, but if I were taking a black eye like this I would probably say something on FB or the boards. Our hobby for the most part is financed by disposable income (most of us do not NEED that new morph), and there are quite a few really good breeders out there (I considered BHB one of them), but you have to do damage control when word like this starts to spread.

As to how the mites got there in the first place, it is speculation on our part (seems a lot of that in some of these threads). There are several ways for it to happen, so they just need to figure it out and safeguard against it as best they can.

It is not acceptable for large numbers of snakes to be sent out with infestations, but as had been mentioned previously, everyone should be pre treating and quarantining anyway.

One of my snakes that i got Brian had mites and i will buy from him again but only if he gives me the best price..I don't buy off the BIG NAME..When u have that many snakes its bound to happen..Seen mites from small breeders to some of the bigest names out there..

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Originally Posted by Maddumpling

I want to get a het albino from them, but I've been hearing some stories about them and wondering if it is true. I hear that people have gotten sick snakes and mites. I saw one guy on youtube that showed one of his snakes from BHB had mites. Are these rumors true that BHB has had some mite problems or ship sick snakes? I'm a huge fan of Brian and his snakes but when I see at least two people saying that they have had mites from a reputable breeder it worries me. He is the only one that has a adult female het that I know of. I know another breeder that has one but she doesnt have the paperwork to prove she is a het, but she has produce albino babies from her. So I'm leaning more to BHB because he would have paperwork for this snake.

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I wouldn't worry about paper work so much. Do you have a reason to think this person would lie to you. I have found people in the snake business to be honest. I would just take her word for it.

This thread was started about a year ago.... :)

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Originally Posted by snakeg

I wouldn't worry about paper work so much. Do you have a reason to think this person would lie to you. I have found people in the snake business to be honest. I would just take her word for it.

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then I have a bridge I'd like to show you.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Brian seems like a nice guy who really cares but 30,000 snakes really? It is impossible to provide them with the care and attention that they need even with a staff. I personally will never do business with BHB simply because I know that I can get an animal that got the attention that it deserved else ware

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Have to agree 100%.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Brian seems like a nice guy who really cares but 30,000 snakes really? It is impossible to provide them with the care and attention that they need even with a staff. I personally will never do business with BHB simply because I know that I can get an animal that got the attention that it deserved else ware

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Originally Posted by iCandiBallPythons

Have to agree 100%.

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x3 :gj:

They seemed more concerned at the Daytona Expo in videoing everyone walking by their tables. It was kinda odd how they had their tables set up..... they stood in front of their snake racks instead of behind their tables like everyone else??

Even with a staff I don't know how they get anything done. It seems as they just make senseless, amusing videos all day long to post on their website. It's like a sitcom :confusd:

Sweeping generalizations for the win?