Provent A Mite

I have a question about Provent a Mite. I've read a lot of articles about getting rid of mites once and for all and I bought provent a mite as well as the Natural Chemicals Reptile Relief. My question is this. I have thoroughly cleaned the tanks, decor, etc. Threw away all substrate and made a new brick of eco earth. The Eco earth was still damp when I replaced it in the tank and sprayed the PAM. Do I have to wait for the EE to dry completely now? It's been about 11 hours since I sprayed the PAM. The snakes have been in rubbermaids in a different room.

As long as the fumes have diminished, it's safe to place the snake back. The biggest risk is if the snake inhales the fumes.

If you have mites it is much better to use paper towels as substrate until they are gone.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

If you have mites it is much better to use paper towels as substrate until they are gone.

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Heh, I agree with this actually. It didn't click in my head that if you are treating you should use newspaper or paper towels, but it's okay for a preventative.

Yes you do not want to put new substrate in until you know the mite problem is taken care of. The reptile relief is all i would use. It doesnt contain poisons like pam. It works great.

I'm going by what LLL told me. The PAM is supposed to be so you can keep your normal set up while still preventing mites. I understand the whole paper towel thing. But still, that's not what I'm asking.

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Originally Posted by earthberry

I'm going by what LLL told me. The PAM is supposed to be so you can keep your normal set up while still preventing mites. I understand the whole paper towel thing. But still, that's not what I'm asking.

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I never heard that you should keep your normal set up while using PAM. When dealing with mites you need to get rid of them as quickly as possible. You just going to have to get rid of the Eco-Earth anyway

*that is if you already have mites. I personally don't agree with "Pre-treating" for mites. PAM is dangerous stuff and I see no reason to put a snake at risk without reason.

"To actually clean the cage you can use any mild cleanser, Zoo Med's Wipe Out #3 cage cleaner, or even better, the Reptile Relief can be used directly on the cage surfaces. Wipe down all surfaces thoroughly, and rinse with water if you suspect any residue. To get your cage glass sparkling clean use a non-toxic glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol. Avoid products with strong fumes or ammonia. After all (if any) fumes have dissipated, refill the cage with fresh substrate.

Rinse your cage

Now you can replace all of your cage decor back into the cage EXCEPT for the water dish. That will go in last. Once the enclosure is all set up and looking great, it is time for the Provent-A-Mite. This stuff works great, but it is strong, so do not use any more than recommended. (See the directions on the Provent-A-Mite can for further information) Once it is dry, it is completely harmless to your snake, but in a liquid or gas form, it can be harmful (that is why you do not want the water dish in there when you spray.) You will now spray the Provent-A-Mite all over the bedding and decor at a rate of about one second per square foot (that's just over a second of spray for a 10 gallon tank). Allow the enclosure to air out for at least 15 minutes, or longer if you think you may have sprayed too much."

Directly from LLL.

My decor and tanks have been completely treated. The substrate is brand new, from a sealed, wrapped brick of EE.

LLLreptile isn't exactly a good example of "great husbandry advice" :rolleyes:

Do yourself a favor, if you want the mites gone, use paper towels or newspaper. That's all.

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Originally Posted by earthberry

"To actually clean the cage you can use any mild cleanser, Zoo Med's Wipe Out #3 cage cleaner, or even better, the Reptile Relief can be used directly on the cage surfaces. Wipe down all surfaces thoroughly, and rinse with water if you suspect any residue. To get your cage glass sparkling clean use a non-toxic glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol. Avoid products with strong fumes or ammonia. After all (if any) fumes have dissipated, refill the cage with fresh substrate.

Rinse your cage

Now you can replace all of your cage decor back into the cage EXCEPT for the water dish. That will go in last. Once the enclosure is all set up and looking great, it is time for the Provent-A-Mite. This stuff works great, but it is strong, so do not use any more than recommended. (See the directions on the Provent-A-Mite can for further information) Once it is dry, it is completely harmless to your snake, but in a liquid or gas form, it can be harmful (that is why you do not want the water dish in there when you spray.) You will now spray the Provent-A-Mite all over the bedding and decor at a rate of about one second per square foot (that's just over a second of spray for a 10 gallon tank). Allow the enclosure to air out for at least 15 minutes, or longer if you think you may have sprayed too much."

Directly from LLL.

My decor and tanks have been completely treated. The substrate is brand new, from a sealed, wrapped brick of EE.

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Do you have mites or are you Pre-treating?

If you are Pre-treating then this is fine (I still don't agree with Pre-treating) but if you do have mites it will be easier to moniter them and will be gone faster if you use paper towels.

I've eliminated the mites. The PAM is to make sure they don't come back. Everybody has been dancing around my original question. I'm not here for lectures on how other people keep their animals or any of that. I would like a simple answer to my question, instead of having my husbandry called into question.

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Originally Posted by earthberry

I've eliminated the mites. The PAM is to make sure they don't come back. Everybody has been dancing around my original question. I'm not here for lectures on how other people keep their animals or any of that. I would like a simple answer to my question, instead of having my husbandry called into question.

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Your question was answered in the very first reply...

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LGray23
As long as the fumes have diminished, it's safe to place the snake back. The biggest risk is if the snake inhales the fumes.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

As long as the fumes have diminished, it's safe to place the snake back. The biggest risk is if the snake inhales the fumes.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Heh, I agree with this actually. It didn't click in my head that if you are treating you should use newspaper or paper towels, but it's okay for a preventative.

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Hmmmmm...I answered your question here and here. If the mites are gone and you are using it as a preventative, then just be sure the fumes are gone and it's fine to replace the substrate/snake back in. And I'm pretty sure no one lectured you.

I was waiting for a second opinion on your first answer and instead I get all of you saying that I'm not doing things right. Yes, I appreciate the first answer, but don't need everyone else ignoring the topic completely to tell me that I'm not doing things the way they think it should be done.

Look, I'm sorry if you took my posts the wrong way. I was just trying to help and wasn't judging you or anything like that. I agree with LGray23 that as long as the fumes are gone that you should be fine.

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Originally Posted by earthberry

I was waiting for a second opinion on your first answer and instead I get all of you saying that I'm not doing things right. Yes, I appreciate the first answer, but don't need everyone else ignoring the topic completely to tell me that I'm not doing things the way they think it should be done.

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Well, I believe we stated that if you were treating mites, which you did not specify, then keeping the cocofiber in the enclosure is not correct and will make your life much more difficult. Regardless of what LLLReptile believes and states.

However, as stated, since we discovered that you are only using it as a preventative, then we also stated that the question was already answered. Your posts came off as an attack after asking for help, people don't usually appreciate that. No one once said "you're husbandry is wrong" we were simply stating facts to help you.

Since it seems that the question has been answered (and I, too, agree with LGray), I'm going to hijack just a little relating to concerns about not wanting to treat until mites are actually a problem. I treat the tub any new arrival will be going into, as well as treating all tubs about once every six months (with fresh bedding). **Knock on wood** I have never had a mite problem. I treat the QT tub because I don't want to find out AFTER there's an infestation that a new snake had eggs on it that then hatched a week later. I treat my established collection twice a year as a precaution against anything hitching a ride on me after going to a show or another breeder's facility/house. Again, I'd rather go through the extra work on the rare occasion than find out I have mites after they are rampant enough to be noticed. On the other hand, I don't treat every time I change substrate, because that does seem like an unnecessary overapplication of toxins into my BPs' environments.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Since it seems that the question has been answered (and I, too, agree with LGray), I'm going to hijack just a little relating to concerns about not wanting to treat until mites are actually a problem. I treat the tub any new arrival will be going into, as well as treating all tubs about once every six months (with fresh bedding). **Knock on wood** I have never had a mite problem. I treat the QT tub because I don't want to find out AFTER there's an infestation that a new snake had eggs on it that then hatched a week later. I treat my established collection twice a year as a precaution against anything hitching a ride on me after going to a show or another breeder's facility/house. Again, I'd rather go through the extra work on the rare occasion than find out I have mites after they are rampant enough to be noticed. On the other hand, I don't treat every time I change substrate, because that does seem like an unnecessary overapplication of toxins into my BPs' environments.

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My issue isn't the extra work, I'm more than willing to put the time in. My issue is that it is a very dangerous chemical compound that not only is dangerous to my snakes but also to my family. I keep a very close eye on my snakes and I would notice mites very quickly then treat the snakes for mites (already have PAM on hand). I haven't had mites yet, and I just can't justify the risk to my snakes without any need for such measures. I can understand post treating like the OP is doing since there was a mite issue.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

My issue isn't the extra work, I'm more than willing to put the time in. My issue is that it is a very dangerous chemical compound that not only is dangerous to my snakes but also to my family. I keep a very close eye on my snakes and I would notice mites very quickly then treat the snakes for mites (already have PAM on hand). I haven't had mites yet, and I just can't justify the risk to my snakes without any need for such measures. I can understand post treating like the OP is doing since there was a mite issue.

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I certainly wasn't implying that you'd skimp the effort to take care of your animals. :) I've read a lot of your posts, and you obviously care for them and have a good head on your shoulders. It's just a personal choice on which risk is the lesser of two evils. I always treat tubs outdoors, so there is no fume danger inside my home.