Betadine soak?

Noticed my new BP Thor has mites :(
Was looking up and beforehand when I had snakes I soaked them in warm water...I'm wondering if there is a cheaper way, as when I looked it up Betadine is about 20 dollars, unless someone knows where that is cheaper as well.

I'm bringing both my BPs to the vet Friday but that's just for a free sexing and to hopefully be taught for find someone to be taught by how to sex them.

Also, if I used the Betadine, how long would I soak and how long would I let the reptile dry out of the separate housing afterwards? I guess it takes a while from what I hear.

Just need some thoughts please, thank you.

Betadine will do nothing for mites. You need Provent a Mite.

Betadine really isn't what you want for mites... What you want is Provent a Mite.

You should soak him in warm water with a drop of dawn dish soap. This will help remove the mites, and the PAM will kill them.

You shouldn't take your snakes to the vet if they have mites as you could spread them.

Mites are a very serious issue, and can even kill your snake if not taken care of.

I don't like suggesting P-A-M due to health concerns in humans and that it is a derivative of a chemical designed to kill snakes. (brown snake on Guam)

The method to rid snakes of mite with out toxic chemicals is labour intensive.

You need some liquid soap (not anti bacterial) a mild dish soap will work fine careful of heavily scented ones. Soak the snake every day for 20 min in warm (83-86º) water. While the snake is soaking the enclosure must be completely cleaned out. I would suggest steam cleaning or boiling water. Just us a paper substrate. The heat will kill the eggs inside the enclosure. used paper must be bagged and sealed and removed from the room where the snakes are, I put a moth ball inside the garbage bag as well. The enclosure must also be isolated from the room. Mite craw up to 2m from the snake so I use diatomaceous earth around the enclosure to kill adults mites coming and going. This is a daily activity. rinse the snake and dry it and that is it. OH just a few drops of soap is needed the water should not be too deep 1/2 to 2/3 up the sides of the snake. Yes it is a lot of work but it does work. This needs to continue for 2-3 weeks. The humidity can be allowed to drop in the enclosure as well 40% for the treatment period. Mites don't to well in less than 50%.

If you do use PAM do not breath the vapours! They are linked to cancer in humans and it is regulated and or banned in a handful of countries and some states I believe.

Thousands of snake keepers have successfully used PAM, and most of us are still upright. Use the product in strict accordance with the directions and you will be fine.

As a slightly related side note, the US Armed Forces has issued cans of clothing treatment that uses the same active ingredient in PAM for years. Military members treat their uniforms with it prior to a deployment in order to repel pests. Again, thousands of us used the product on not only our uniforms, but our tents, cots, sleeping bags, and pretty much everything else we took with us. I've never heard of one problem from using the product.

I believe that is where the cancer cases are coming from. It is banned in NY and much of UK and restricted in canada. The EPA has classed it as “Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans”

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_...DIST_NR=073617

The suggestion is to avoid inhalation and through washing after application. It is a toxin and needs to be treated as such. Caution is needed with any pesticide. It can be used safely only if the user understands the risks and personal protection needed.

Interesting. When I go to the VA Hosp for my regular visits, I sit in the waiting room with beat up, broken down, shot up, busted up, ex G.I.s who have every form of cancer known to medical science, and about 40 different kinds no one has ever heard of, and yet, I haven't heard of a single case where any one thought Permethrin was the cause...

Burn Pits - yes
Hemacon Bandages - yes
Powdered Eggs - yes
Heat build up in armored vehicles - yes
Poly Pro underwear - yes
Kool Aid Powder - yes
Rifle oil - yes
Cordite smoke - yes

But never Permethrin :confused:

Yes you probably shouldn't huff PAM. Likely bad for you. I use Pam as a preventative and I've never had an issue not trying to breathe it in.
I prefer Pam for the fact that it's easy to use and convenient.
If there were mites in my collection at any point that daily routine with not using chemicals would absolutely kill me. But I have preventative measures and a strict qt process. So knock on wood that never happens.
I also would not take the snakes anywhere where they could potentially spread the mites. Especially if they don't have to go to the vet, you really should cancel that appt considering its just a sexing session. For now anyways.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

I am a bit on the cautious side, I work with 60 (or so) types of chemicals in large amounts (150L-500L) every day. Some very very toxic and some not. There is one in particular (a solvent) that 20 years ago was called non to low toxicity. Then it was 'suspected' of causing neurological damage, today it is highly toxic and you need to wear full long gloves apron respirator eye shields face shield boots and chem resistant suit.

One of my co workers is seriously suffering from damage done at that time. Where there is a suspected carcinogen it is time to take precautions against it. My understanding was that the personnel treating with Cic residual pressurized insecticide no. v were found to have 10 or 15% higher than normal cases of cancer. This is the same chemical formula as PAM. Far from certain but that is enough for me if I was to use this chemical I would were a respirator gloves and eye shields. I can't import in where I am it is restricted... NY is the same and Germany too due to health concerns. I am not sure about the rest of the EU but if one is the others are likely as well.

Maybe I've just been lucky so far, or maybe I'm a cancer resistant mutant, hard to say...but I hope it's the latter :)

All i am saying is be careful. I would 100% were gloves that is too easy not to. Eye guards also are very easy sunglasses that are small and snug fitting will help with micro droplets. I have a number of respirators but a pair of dust masks will help a little from keeping droplets from getting into your mouth. I would also suggest using it outside or at least with as many windows open as possible. I hope it isn't a problem but the evidence is not looking that way. The MSDS system I use at work stats this about Cic residual pressurized insecticide no. v

"KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. Harmful if swallowed. Avoid spraying in eyes. Avoid breathing spray mist. Avoid contact with skin. Wash hands thoroughly after use. Vacate rooms after treatment and ventilate before reoccupying. Avoid contamination of feed and foodstuffs. Cover or remove fishbowls. This product is not for use on humans. Consult either your physician or pharmacist for a product for use on humans. Do not spray directly in/on eyes, mouth or genitalia of pets. Do not cause exposure to puppies less than four weeks old. Do not allow children or pets to contact treated areas until surfaces are dry."

I have no idea what is on the re-labled product has on it but this is the paid msds sheet I have access to says.

Looks like everyone has different methods...not sure whether to be paranoid about P A M or not. I've been doing to the Dawn warm baths. Those are helping. Thor got the mites from the pet store, not here, but I did give his/her house a thorough wash down and have been using paper.

Guess I'll continue the baths for a while then.

Remember the enclosure too. mites leave the snake to lay eggs the enclosure must be cleaned daily to insure all the eggs are killed. That is the advantage of PAM it kills eggs. the adults die in a few days and with dead eggs there are no more mites.

Baths alone will not solve you problem. Mites are a serious problem and the longer you wait the worse it will get. You need to use something to kill the mites/eggs in the cage. If PAM is too strong for you try this stuff.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/reptile-relief-8-oz.

You can't just sit and hope for the best.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Baths alone will not solve you problem. Mites are a serious problem and the longer you wait the worse it will get. You need to use something to kill the mites/eggs in the cage. If PAM is too strong for you try this stuff.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/reptile-relief-8-oz.

You can't just sit and hope for the best.

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Wasn't about it being to strong, just got paranoid. I hear from different people, equal amount, not just on here, some say their Ball Python dies from the chemicals. Either way I'm gonna get whatever I can find.

Using heat to kill the eggs and isolating the enclosure (mites walk up to 2m away) works just fine. Kill the eggs, drown the adults, and end of mites. It just takes lots of work. I have treated mites on rescues a number of times this way, often with ill snakes it is preferable to using chemicals.

This is how I do it.

I take the tub outside, wash it very well. Then I take paper towel (outside) and spray it with PAM. I let it dry outside.

Then the snake goes in it, I don't even both soaking the snake.

3 days later, I remove the snake, clean the tub, add fresh paper towel using the above procedure.

100% success rate.

Thank you everyone :)

I'll get either the P A M or Reptile Spray. We don't have it in stores around here so I'll have to order it from somewhere.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ArachnoWolf

Thank you everyone :)

I'll get either the P A M or Reptile Spray. We don't have it in stores around here so I'll have to order it from somewhere.

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You can buy direct from them - it ships very quickly.

In the meantime, clean out the tub and line it with paper towel. Change the paper towel daily.

I've used PAM with great success.

The directions say spray on substrate. But as I use paper substrate, I just spray the tubs directly. The directions also say to wait 15 (give or take) minutes for the PAM to dry. I leave the tubs outside for an hour minimum. Maybe I'm being over cautious, but better safe than sorry.
Then once everything is dry, I put the snake and everything else back into the tub. Tada!

If you're really worried about PAM, I've heard of keepers using human lice products to kill mites.

In my opinion any chemical can harm people. Sure, you shouldn't drink weed killer or spray it in your face, but does that stop most of you from having a bottle in the shed? The same is true with PAM. Use common sense and don't discharge the entire can in your locked bathroom and you'll be fine. If you have other snakes, be sure to move Thor into another room. The last thing you need is for this to spread to any other pets you have.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by satomi325

I've used PAM with great success.

The directions say spray on substrate. But as I use paper substrate, I just spray the tubs directly. The directions also say to wait 15 (give or take) minutes for the PAM to dry. I leave the tubs outside for an hour minimum. Maybe I'm being over cautious, but better safe than sorry.
Then once everything is dry, I put the snake and everything else back into the tub. Tada!

If you're really worried about PAM, I've heard of keepers using human lice products to kill mites.

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Thank you very much! I shall most likely use this method :)