First Go round with Mites

Well, it's official. Manda Bell has mites. Whether she had them when I picked her up and I didn't know, or she got them when I took her to the reptile store (please don't jump on me, I was taking her to get sexed, wanted to double check it was a female) I don't know. Either way, she's got mites. I noticed them Wednesday night but there was nothing I could do until yesterday. So, I purchased some Natural Chemistry Reptile Spray, misted her yesterday, let sit for 30m then added water for another 20, finally moved her to a bathtub of fresh non-treated water. While she was getting cared for, I was treating her cage. I took it outside, trashed all bedding, filled it with water and a little bleach. Just like when I had fish, you can use bleach but you have to wash it out COMPLETELY afterwards with fish and it will kill parasites so I figured that was a go. Let that sit for 30m, rinsed it out, sprayed it with some of the spray, sprayed the lid, let dry, then washed again, rinsing out completely many times until I was confident all traces of chemicals were gone. I've switched her to her second favorite hide - one of those plastic hides for mice/hamsters and I've put her wooden hide in the oven at 225 for 3 hours. I also did the same for both my corns - they're in a neighboring room and I figured I should be safe rather than sorry. I plan on doing this weekly for the next 3-4 weeks so I can be sure they're gone. Is this right or? This is my first go round with mites. I'll let her have her wooden hide back once I'm done treating them in 3-4 weeks, for now it's being placed in a container on the other side of the house and they're all being switched to paper towels for now as well so I can see if any pop up. Is there anything I should be doing that I'm not? Thanks!

Hey, I think you're on the way to winning the battle. You also need to read this nice write up from Aaron it will insure your win.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ghlight=Nuking

Hope this helps, and good luck.

Fog up the cage, including the bedding and wooden hides, with provent a mite. Stuff works like a CHARM, and you won't have to repeat the extensive process you're going through every week.

I also like to provent a mite the border of the cages, and if you use a vacuum in that room and ESPECIALLY if you use a shop vac or something similar, spray provent a mite up in there too.

Treat the snake, spray the cage, and bleach the water bowl weekly. Doesn't have to be as crazy as baking everything and cleaning the entire cage every week. Provent a mite actually works better when you are not replacing the bedding weekly. :)

Here's a link to our preferred method of treating mites - works well. Treating mites

-Jen

I did want to get Prevent A Mite, but currently having money issues. Should be able to get it with my next paycheck in two weeks (figures my tire had to go out at the same time she gets mites....) So for now, I think I'm stuck with my current planning... I won't have to bake anything after this wooden log because everything else is plastic making it so I just soak in some solution, wash it off well and let em have it again. Wednesday night I noticed Manda soaking in her tub, thats when I first saw the mites. The next day before treatment, she was soaking again. Since then, she seems to be back to normal with is good, haven't seen her soak once. Jen, Manda is one of your LLL snakes (long story short, my friend bought her from you guys, didn't realize there wasn't a pelleted feed alternative and so I took her in). Just find it funny haha

I'll definitely look into that Nix thing, thanks! Never would have thought of that! Thanks for the help guys, I'll make sure to keep everyone updated. It takes about 2 hours or so per week to go through everything, which happens to be about the amount of time between classes so that'll work. My two corns just seem annoyed at the bothering, they currently show no signs of any mites whatsoever but I want to be safe

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Originally Posted by MisssMariee

Jen, Manda is one of your LLL snakes (long story short, my friend bought her from you guys, didn't realize there wasn't a pelleted feed alternative and so I took her in). Just find it funny haha

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I've reread this 5 times now and I'm still baffled. When we sell them, we tell people what they eat. The videos that talk about them.... talk about what they eat. How did your friend manage to get one without hearing at least once that they eat little furry mammals? Made me laugh, glad she's with you now!

Sounds like you have the mite thing handled, and that you caught it early enough for it not to really come a serious issue. :) Best of luck

-Jen

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Originally Posted by MisssMariee

I'll definitely look into that Nix thing, thanks! Never would have thought of that! Thanks for the help guys, I'll make sure to keep everyone updated. It takes about 2 hours or so per week to go through everything, which happens to be about the amount of time between classes so that'll work. My two corns just seem annoyed at the bothering, they currently show no signs of any mites whatsoever but I want to be safe

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No problem, yeah and a lot of people won't use the same type of products if it doesn't have a pic of a snake or reptile or even the words snake/reptile.

Reminds me of how I had to convince my brother that all aspen bedding is the same just different shaves.

He was buying a small bag at petco for 16 bucks because it had a pic of a snake on it. It would last only 2 changings on top of that!

Thanks Jen! I was with her when she picked her out, I assumed she knew what they ate because she's been with me while I fed my corns otherwise I'd have never let her get her! She's even helped me feed them, went and got the mice or put them in the cage for me if I was sick/busy as can be. Apparantly she thinks it was just a personal choice to feed mice/rats? When she bought her, they literally didn't tell her a thing other than to sex her at her request. Never mentioned anything about her care, feeding, anything. They pulled her from the cage, bagged her, and set us on our way. I'm still baffled at why she wanted a snake if she didn't even know what they ate? I just assumed she'd done a bit of research, enough to know what they ate or anything. Her cage was set up nicely, I made sure of that but still got stuck in this situation. Either way, Manda is settled in with me now, and I have to say, she's my favorite. My female corn I also got from you guys, love her but she's more of the type to like being looked at rather than handled, she doesn't seem very happy to be held but we're working on it, taking a long time. Anyways, I'm hoping to bomb these mites out of the way quick so Mandy can go back to being her happy self. Nothing sets my male corn back though, I swear haha.

I'll definitely check out the Nix when I go to the store tonight, that might be perfect for what I need.

Gah, don't use nix. It's NOT the same. Wait the 2 weeks until you get your next cheque and order PAM.
Long story short, there are inert ingredients in Nix (that manufacturers don't legally have to put on the label) that can be very harmful to snakes. You see/read about so many keepers who use the diluted Nix & haven't had issues, but don't play with fire. Their luck may run out one day when the Nix they buy doesn't contain the ingredients they think it does.

Trust me, I've dealt with mites once, and I know how badly you want to get rid of them. Soak the snake in a basin of warm water with a drop or 2 of gentle Dawn dish soap (to make a light layer of bubbles) for 30-45 mins every day or 2. Scrub the enclosure just as often. Take everything out except the water bowl and keep her on paper towel. This will eliminate a lot of them right off the bat.

Order PAM from the bean farm. It's produced AS a snake mite treatment, not a human lice treatment. Mine came within 3 days and the mites were gone with 1 spray down. I did a second treatment just to be sure. You don't need to worry about mites killing your snake but using Nix definitely wouldn't give you the same peace of mind.

P.S - Follow the directions on the PAM to the tee. Putting a snake back in the enclosure when it's not dry completely is a recipe for disaster. I usually sprayed my tubs & paper towel outside and let it sit out there to air dry for 1-2 hours until I couldn't smell any hint of the PAM.

Good to know about Nix. Once I get my pay check, I can head on down to LLL, they're only a 20 minute drive so that's not too bad. I think I will stick with PAM then, I really don't want to risk any of my snakes health. Since Manda's treatment on Thursday, we've had no signs or symptoms of mites so it seems we're holding out well, but I will continue to do it every week for the next 3-4 weeks just in case!

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Originally Posted by MisssMariee

Good to know about Nix. Once I get my pay check, I can head on down to LLL, they're only a 20 minute drive so that's not too bad. I think I will stick with PAM then, I really don't want to risk any of my snakes health. Since Manda's treatment on Thursday, we've had no signs or symptoms of mites so it seems we're holding out well, but I will continue to do it every week for the next 3-4 weeks just in case!

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Once you treat her enclosure with PAM, you won't need to do anything else. Maybe give her one last soak before you put her back in, but the PAM gets rid of EVERYTHING. It's the only thing that is actually proven to kill mite eggs. You don't need to spray a lot, either. Just so that theres a light fog over the enclosure.

I'd also treat your other snakes too. My affected snakes were in quarantine when I spotted the mites, but I treated my entire collection in the other room just to be safe.

Here's the link to the thread that has the specific information about Nix vs. Pam. Scroll down to post #17 for a great post by Squamish Serpents. She actually spoke to Bob @ Pro Products (the makers of PAM) and he shed a lot of light on the topic.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...69#post2079769

I am treating all three snakes currently, even though the other two show no signs - the female Corn is just getting annoyed at me doing so but she'll live. So one dousing of PAM and we're fine? No repeat? That sounds great personally, certainly would make me feel very relieved!

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Originally Posted by MisssMariee

I am treating all three snakes currently, even though the other two show no signs - the female Corn is just getting annoyed at me doing so but she'll live. So one dousing of PAM and we're fine? No repeat? That sounds great personally, certainly would make me feel very relieved!

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Generally 1 will do it. PAM is active for 2 weeks, but I'd do a second treatment just to be safe. You only have 3 snakes? 1 can would be more than enough to do 2 treatments for them. You'd do 1 then do another in 2 weeks. You'd have to spray & put in new paper towel any time they mess it up.

Currently, I do only have three snakes sadly (been fighting off the bug, but I'm losing. Desperately!), I'll be picking up a champagne male probably (or perhaps another female) come November when we get a reptile expo again. I'll also be looking to add two geckos to the family then. Quite glad that 1 can will do it! I was wondering how many I'd need. I'll definitely snag it once I get the check. Thanks!

So, I have Manda in the 10 gallon currently, but when I picked her up last night, I noticed the mites were back in full force. Now, I know I still have to treat, but I'm thinking of moving her to the tub I bought for her. She's been acting lethargic/lazier than usual yesterday and today, and so I think it's best. I'll do that then move her to the complete other side of the house while I continue to treat the other room, her, and her 10 gallon. I just am betting on if I move her to the other side of the house, after putting her in the brand new clean tub, there will be less mites on her.

Also, I've noticed she has a little bit of a head wobble (been that way since I brought her home, which I find odd since she's just a normal and it's usually morphs that get it, perhaps one of her parents was a spider or she just had something wonky during incubation? Who knows) so I just want to stress her the least and she knows the tub already - I've been letting her check it out about 30m a week split into 3 - 10minute parts a week, and she's quite comfortable in it. So, I'm not too concerned by stressing her about the move, since she already knows the new cage.

Found the money I had squirreled away for this sort of thing so I went and got it just now, should be fine in no time!! Thanks for everyones help!

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Originally Posted by M&NSnakeDen

Gah, don't use nix. It's NOT the same.

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But it is, its the same chemicals down to the T most lice sprays are to. That's like saying Walmart makes and produces there own milk. No they just have the other company slap there label on there milk and its 1.20 cheaper. Of course the maker of PAM would say stuff like that its a marketing game.

A friend of mine had his whole collection of 22 some odd snakes infested with mites and nuked them all with nix. Since the same chemicals are found in each your paying more for some one marketing it to reptiles.

[QUOTE=Diamond Serpents;2125601]

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But it is, its the same chemicals down to the T most lice sprays are to. That's like saying Walmart makes and produces there own milk. No they just have the other company slap there label on there milk and its 1.20 cheaper. Of course the maker of PAM would say stuff like that its a marketing game.

A friend of mine had his whole collection of 22 some odd snakes infested with mites and nuked them all with nix. Since the same chemicals are found in each your paying more for some one marketing it to reptiles.

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This is only true of the active ingredients. the inert ingredients are not on the label. One of the inert ingredients in PAM make it have a residual affect for up to a month. Another helps the spray penetrate the exoskeleton and eggs. Nix and the other sprays have neither of these. They are gone as soon as they dry and do not kill the eggs, which hatch in 7-10 days. This doesn't mean PAM is any safer or that the other treatments won't work. You just have to be more diligent and you can't use the same directions as with PAM. Also, Pro-Products says that it is the only EPA approved method that kill the eggs. Reptile Spray did not have to go through the EPA because it's not classified as a pesticide. It kills the eggs too.