PAM enroute :(

Turns out the snakes my boyfriend bought me for Christmas are covered in mites (NOT the ones from Patrick Jackson!). I've ordered a can of provent a mite already so I'll let everyone know how it goes. I'm not happy about this but I guess it happens :tears: gonna go soak my poor critters now...

sorry to hear that, im suprised you did't already have some PAM on hand, i for one have a 3/4 full can of pam and i will be buying another one soon, JUST as back up. I dont ever want to go thru the mite problem i went thru a few months back, So i spray the enclosure down once a month now.

Either ways good luck and i feel your fustration, mites just mess everything up.

I've always bought snakes from people I know personally and trust so I wasn't expecting to need it...but my boyfriend didn't know BHB had a mite problem when he ordered them for me for Christmas...so I was caught off guard I guess. Hopefully once the PAM gets here they'll be history.

whoa, wait, what? PAM helps prevent mites? that stuff has like a million and one uses.....i use it instead of wd40 for squeaks.....animals and kids abound in my house and it is safe if they eat it.....but the mite thing is a new one for me. Is it something that one needs to worry about if they have a clean snake already?

Not PAM the cooking spray...its PAM aka progeny a mite by pro products...its always good to have on hand.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CuddlztheBP

whoa, wait, what? PAM helps prevent mites? that stuff has like a million and one uses.....i use it instead of wd40 for squeaks.....animals and kids abound in my house and it is safe if they eat it.....but the mite thing is a new one for me. Is it something that one needs to worry about if they have a clean snake already?

---

Different PAM. Provent-A-Mite, not cooking spray.

Ugh...provent a mite* dang autocorrect

Quote:

---

whoa, wait, what? PAM helps prevent mites? that stuff has like a million and one uses.....i use it instead of wd40 for squeaks.....animals and kids abound in my house and it is safe if they eat it.....but the mite thing is a new one for me. Is it something that one needs to worry about if they have a clean snake already?

---

sorry i tried to hold it in by i cant... LOL

Mites are a huge pain. We had it run through us earlier this year from a snake purchased by my wife at a show for me. She put her with the colony and when I got home it was too late. I had to treat everyone and all species susceptible to snake mites. Not fun but had everything resolved in about a week (where I knew they were all gone). Good luck on yours and hope you can stop it early.

Awww! I'm so sorry to hear this Leah! I hope you eradicate the little PIA's!

That sucks! I hope you notified BHB. Been hearing a lot about their mite problems lately. Hope you get rid of them soon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LGray23

I've always bought snakes from people I know personally and trust so I wasn't expecting to need it...but my boyfriend didn't know BHB had a mite problem when he ordered them for me for Christmas...so I was caught off guard I guess. Hopefully once the PAM gets here they'll be history.

---

BHB?

Hopefully they will reimburse you for the PAM....if you haven't done so already you should give the community a heads up about this ongoing mite problem of theirs.

Maybe it's time they did a Snakebytes episode on mite control.

Yeah. I'd be livid if someone knowingly shipped mites to me. They need to stop sending out snakes until they fix their issues.

i have gotten two snake from bhb over the last year and never had mites from them but i also have been reading alot of post from people saying that they have mites who know hopefully they get it fix asap

ok ok so guess what.....i am new at this.....good thing i asked.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skiploder

BHB?

Hopefully they will reimburse you for the PAM....if you haven't done so already you should give the community a heads up about this ongoing mite problem of theirs.

Maybe it's time they did a Snakebytes episode on mite control.

---

I just emailed them today and let them know, hopefully they'll reimburse me for the PAM if I'm lucky. My boyfriend did get a killer deal on the three that came from BHB so, I can't really be too picky. I mean, I know if you buy quality animals you're gonna pay a lot of money, he didn't really know about this concept when he bought them, and also didn't know about the mite problem they've had. I'll keep everyone updated on any responses.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by spitzu

Yeah. I'd be livid if someone knowingly shipped mites to me. They need to stop sending out snakes until they fix their issues.

---

Not sure they knowingly sent them out with mites. I looked them over carefully when he told me where he got them, and I saw no signs of mites. They may have just been shipped with eggs on them, but regardless I know what you mean. I just now noticed the mites last night and I've had them since Christmas...

Good luck with the mites, always a huge PITA

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CuddlztheBP

ok ok so guess what.....i am new at this.....good thing i asked.....

---

Don't worry, I thought it was the cooking spray also when I first joined this forum. :rofl: Until I found out what it really was, then I bought 2 cans of it (Provent-A-Mite).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LGray23

My boyfriend did get a killer deal on the three that came from BHB so, I can't really be too picky.



Not sure they knowingly sent them out with mites.

---

Even if he got a killer deal, let me go out on a limb here and suggest that you can be picky about the mite issue.

As for them knowingly shipping them out - while I doubt they purposefully sent you a snake with mites, several people over the past month have come forward with their issues with BHB and mites. In that sense, the staff over there should be either extra vigilant, or as Spitzu stated, cease shipping until whatever control measures they are implementing have taken effect.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skiploder

Maybe it's time they did a Snakebytes episode on mite control.

---

Thanks for making me laugh today!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skiploder

Even if he got a killer deal, let me go out on a limb here and suggest that you can be picky about the mite issue.

As for them knowingly shipping them out - while I doubt they purposefully sent you a snake with mites, several people over the past month have come forward with their issues with BHB and mites. In that sense, the staff over there should be either extra vigilant, or as Spitzu stated, cease shipping until whatever control measures they are implementing have taken effect.

---

I agree 100%, and I'll be updating when I get a reply back from them.

And the hits just keep coming form BHB:rage:

One of the snakes i got from BHB had mites..I always have a can of Pam on hand so it was no big deal 2 me. It happens ..just be ready when you bring in new snakes to your collection..

that sucks...i too learned the hard way to have a can on hand and a treated tub when a new snake comes home. mine mites, i mean snake, also came from bhb a month ago.

later, dave

I am sorry to hear that. :[
Well PAM works well for the substrate but if you need to treat your animals directly you can use reptile spray. We use it and i love it. we rub it on the snake itself and kinda massage it into the scales. From tail to head.

Let us all know how it goes :/

Quote:

---

Until I found out what it really was, then I bought 2 cans of it (Provent-A-Mite).

---

x2

i'am so freaking afraid of mite issues i overstock on PAM aswell, in my BP owning past, i have been traumatized by the mite problems i have had, can never have enough pam!

Well figure I will chime in as well... I have been lucky enough to avoid this issue until now :(
I unfortunatly am also dealing with this problem as I offered to recieve Leah's snakes and hold onto them until her boy friend was able to pick up them along with the ones he had purchased from me. I had purchased snakes from BHB in the past and had not had any issues although I was unaware that they were coming from there. I received them and look them over all looked healthy and no signs of mites or any other parasites, thankfully I am very careful and put them in my quaratine rack. They ate a couple of times and I checked them again before boxing them up to go to Leah still no signs of mites. It wasnt till a couple days ago when Leah called to warm me that I went back and checked my rack and low and behold I too now have mites. Thankfully it only has affected my quarantine rack and the 2 other snakes I had in the rack but I am still treating my whole collection. This goes to show even though the snakes apear free of parasites doesnt mean they are and all should be treated. I know I should have been treating all new animals but I had been very careful who I got animals from, well I learned my lesson the hard way thakfully it was caught early enough before it got out of hand...

damn that sucks so damn much. I know first hand how much of a pain it can be. Like I said before if you need a hand soaking or dealing with the fallout let me know and I would be glad to help out. Hopefully this is cleared up quickly for both of you!

Sorry to hear about your mite problem. But at least you got PAM. It works like magic.
I got a mite infested lesser from a breeder a while back. After PAMing the tub, the mites were gone over night. Haven't seen one ever since.

Wait, so the snakes went through a third party? Not direct from BHB?

That's correct. My boyfriend had them shipped from BHB to my friend Patrick who quarantined them there until Christmas for him. I know for a fact they did not come from Patrick, as I've personally seen his entire collection many times and in the 15 or so years (correct me if I'm wrong Pat) he's been into reptiles he's never had a mite.

Edit: I must add that the two I got from Patrick that were not in contact with the 3 BHB snakes are mite free....

I got 1.1 yellow bellies and 0.1 fire from BHB, and 0.1 lesser and 0.1 pinstripe from Patrick, only the 1.1 yb and 0.1 fire have mites.

so whats the time line? shipping date, arivel @ action reptiles, departure from A.R, , arivel @ L Greys pad?
spooky

My boyfriend said he had them shipped about 2 weeks before Christmas, when they arrived to Patrick's (I think, still not sure 100% since he only mentioned it briefly) and I got them on Christmas day.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LGray23

My boyfriend said he had them shipped about 2 weeks before Christmas, when they arrived to Patrick's (I think, still not sure 100% since he only mentioned it briefly) and I got them on Christmas day.

---

Maybe I'm just super tired (I am), but it doesn't seem like the mites could have come from BHB. The mites must have come from Patrick's home or from yours.

What I've read of snake mites says that eggs hatch between 24-50 hours after being laid.

So either both you and Patrick completely overlooked the fact that your snakes had mites when they arrived from BHB, or the mites are from a different source entirely.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by meowmeowkazoo

Maybe I'm just super tired (I am), but it doesn't seem like the mites could have come from BHB. The mites must have come from Patrick's home or from yours.

What I've read of snake mites says that eggs hatch between 24-50 hours after being laid.

So either both you and Patrick completely overlooked the fact that your snakes had mites when they arrived from BHB, or the mites are from a different source entirely.

---

I've heard that mite eggs can lay dormant until it finds a sufficient host?? So maybe it could have been carried from BHB?

I could have potentially missed them when they arrived for all I know. All I know is they definitely couldn't have come from me since the only 3 snakes that are infested are the ones that came from bhb. I also got two other snakes from Patrick's personal collection whom were kept separate from the bhb snakes that also are not showing any signs of mites.

I have also heard it can take a few weeks for eggs to hatch...which is why you're supposed to re-treat with PAM after about 3 weeks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LGray23

I have also heard it can take a few weeks for eggs to hatch...which is why you're supposed to re-treat with PAM after about 3 weeks.

---

Its not that the eggs last that long is that they are so small and hard to confirm if all have been eradicated. see this link here for life stages and other info. Regardless I would treat them for 90 days. once the 90 days of treatment is done i say start another fresh 90day quarantine time frame where you no longer need to treat them but just keep them separate from the others.

thats just my :twocents: and again i am super paranoid

I also haven't had any new additions in months. I don't believe Pat has had any in quite a few months either. Ive personally seen his collection, even cared for them while he was in Daytona this summer...not one mite from his collection. Unless he's had additions I don't know about its just not realistic that it came from either of us.

I'll also link my BOI thread. I posted the emails from me and Brian where he mentions hes had a sudden explosion of mites that hes trying to get a handle on. I don't want to bash Brian and none of this is intended to because I think he's an awesome guy...but the last thing I want is for anyone to think any kind of issue, mites included, came from Patrick. Its my fault he has mites in his quarantine rack now...for his kindness to take them in so my gifts from BHB could be a surprise. http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=295233

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by satomi325

I've heard that mite eggs can lay dormant until it finds a sufficient host?? So maybe it could have been carried from BHB?

---

I haven't come across anything that suggests the eggs will lie dormant, but if you find the source of that info I'd be interested to see it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LGray23

I could have potentially missed them when they arrived for all I know. All I know is they definitely couldn't have come from me since the only 3 snakes that are infested are the ones that came from bhb. I also got two other snakes from Patrick's personal collection whom were kept separate from the bhb snakes that also are not showing any signs of mites.

I have also heard it can take a few weeks for eggs to hatch...which is why you're supposed to re-treat with PAM after about 3 weeks.

---

It would be easy to miss just a few mites on a snake. If you're not certain of your examination, then that's probably what happened. Just a few mites that ended up laying eggs and producing more mites. The life cycle that was linked is similar to what I've read, and I've never seen any information that suggests the eggs will lie dormant.

Sorry to hear about your problems, I haven't had to deal with mites yet, but I'm sure it isn't fun. :( Hope they get cleared up soon!

Ok, I am going to clear some stuff up. I have never had mites in my collection, ever!! I had agreed to hold onto the 3 snakes for Leah's boyfriend as he didnt have anyway to properly care for them until he gave them to her. I received the 1.1 yellow bellys and 0.1 fire 2 weeks before christmas. All 3 were checked out upon arrival and appeared healthy and there were no visible mites on them. They were placed into one of my quarentine racks. The day before christmas I packed up the snakes (none of them showing any signs of mites) and gave them to Leah boyfriend. It wasn't until she contacted me telling me the yellow bellys and fire had mites that I went back and checked my QT rack with a fine tooth comb that I found about 10 mites combined between the 3 tubes those snakes were in while they were in my possesion. I have since treated the QT rack and all tubes, water bowls, and hides. Any mite that was introduced to my collection and hers came with the 3 snakes from BHB. Yes I should be treating all animals coming in with PAM, as this was something I over looked in the past, it will be corrected imediatlly(sp).

Have a can of PAM on hand, even if you DON'T get new snakes in. I've had mites turn up twice in the past 5 years--caught them very early each time, but the first time taught me that you want to keep the stuff handy, so you don't have to spend days worrying about them spreading while you wait for the package to arrive (no one sells it locally).

The first time--the origin was entirely mysterious. The second time, I suspect a wild garter snake that got into the house brought them. You could pick them up walking through an area where wild snakes have been present--on a bag of bedding from a pet store...or even just visiting a pet store. They can be a vector for disease, so always be alert--but don't expect that quarantine will save you from ever having them show up. I've never had snakes in quarantine turn up with them (so far).

Check for them routinely, just as you check for other issues.

The PAM came in the mail today and I started treating, starting with the 3 with mites. I got about 9 out of 15 snakes done, I'll finish the rest after work. Hopefully by tomorrow we'll be mite free, I'll retreat in about 2-3 weeks to be sure. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LGray23

The PAM came in the mail today and I started treating, starting with the 3 with mites. I got about 9 out of 15 snakes done, I'll finish the rest after work. Hopefully by tomorrow we'll be mite free, I'll retreat in about 2-3 weeks to be sure. :)

---

Good luck! Hope this does the trick and I hope it doesn't spread to the rest of your collection.

this is a must read by 2 of the most intelligent keepers in the hobby.
http://www.vpi.com/publications/the_...of_snake_mites
adam jeffery

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by babyknees

Good luck! Hope this does the trick and I hope it doesn't spread to the rest of your collection.

---

Thanks! I hope so too, I am treating everyone just to be sure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by adamjeffery

this is a must read by 2 of the most intelligent keepers in the hobby.
http://www.vpi.com/publications/the_...of_snake_mites
adam jeffery

---

Thanks for that article, good read.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by meowmeowkazoo

I haven't come across anything that suggests the eggs will lie dormant, but if you find the source of that info I'd be interested to see it.

---

According to SnakeBytesTV, "Mite eggs can lay dormant for 5 weeks".

Candoia.ca states,"mites can lie dormant or fly in under the radar, remaining unapparent for months".

AnimalHospitals-usa.com, "immature stages of mites may lie dormant under scales or just inside the eye cavity".

I don't have access to many scientific journals, but I'll be sure to post more credited sources if I find any.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by satomi325

According to SnakeBytesTV, "Mite eggs can lay dormant for 5 weeks".

---

Oh the irony.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skiploder

Oh the irony.

---

Yup. Lol

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk