Mites, here and gone in a couple days?

Well we have a beautiful rainbow boa and decided to upgrade her terrarium to an AP t8. We had an empty terrarium so we went snake hunting. We found a great little mojave ball python with the biggest personality! He's so awesome! :)

We bought him from a locally owned pet store and didn't think to check him for mites. He started to hide more and his personality changed after a week. After a couple weeks, he started to begin to shed, so I left him to hide and chill out alone. He eventually was spotted out and there it was...A MITE! Ugh.

We took him to the vet and while there she found mites, ticks, and since he pooped while the vet was handling him, she was able to get a stool sample and also found that he has pin worms. :(

I cleaned the heck out of my other snakes home, his home, all the hides and bowls. Sprayed the enclosures with the mite spray the vet gave us, as well as the snakes.

After spraying him, my bp shed beautifully within an hour of being home from the vet! The mites were caught in the inside-out shed skin. Hardcore cleaning and the spray, along with oral meds for the pinworms, and he seems mite free. I have not seen a single mite on my boa and she seems safe even though they were in the same room.

Took out my bp today and no more mites! Is it possible that I'm 100% mite free after only 2 days?! Changed substrate to papertowels for the time being, to be able to see the mites. Is this too good to be true or is my little buddy mite free for good now?? It's the first time I've ever had to deal with it. I'm continuing the mite spray once a week for at least a month to make sure but is this too good to be true?

Thanks for for help and opinions. :-)

pics of of my new little guy http://imgur.com/a/onnUW

Those mites are not gone. Keep treating!!

Is this what the vet gave you? http://www.amazon.com/DeFlea-Reptile...=reptile+spray

If so spraying weekly may be to often. I don't remember but if it is what you got follow the directions. Also it is available online and at both big box pet stores.

I had mites once which came with three snakes I ordered online. I used the above spray and got rid of them with one treatment. I sprayed everything including the carpet around the snakes and then vacuumed.

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Originally Posted by JimJam

Is it possible that I'm 100% mite free after only 2 days?!

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It would be the best "good news" mite story of all time...

Keep treating for a while. The eggs can be a real PITA to get rid of.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Is this what the vet gave you? http://www.amazon.com/DeFlea-Reptile...=reptile+spray

If so spraying weekly may be to often. I don't remember but if it is what you got follow the directions. Also it is available online and at both big box pet stores.

I had mites once which came with three snakes I ordered online. I used the above spray and got rid of them with one treatment. I sprayed everything including the carpet around the snakes and then vacuumed.

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The vet gave me a small brown bottle (not at home to give name right now) but I mix 1ml with a liter of water, shake well and spray everything including the snake and entire hide. Vet seemed to be knowledgable of snakes and I'm hoping the shed process along with the treatment was good enough to rid them.

Where do the eggs hide? On the snake? Somewhere in the enclosure? Thanks again. I have no carpet in my entire house, it's all tile but I will spray all around the snakes tables now too.

The problem is a lot of sprays aren't as effective on eggs as adult mites.
Eggs can potentially live multiple days before hatching and a few days without a host after hatching.
Therefore you should continue your treatment, and even if they are gone already, it doesn't hurt to be cautious

Good deal. Keep doing what you're doing then and you will be fine.

Thanks. I'll keep it updated if I find some, I'll let everyone know. I'll also post the name of the stuff when I get home. I'm so mad at the place I bought him. :mad:

An egg can take up to 30 days to hatch. Females leave the snake and lay eggs in tiny crevices in the enclosure, on cage décor, etc.

Most of the products that kill mites don't work on eggs so I continue to treat for 8 weeks after I find the last live mite on a critter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

Is this what the vet gave you? http://www.amazon.com/DeFlea-Reptile...=reptile+spray

If so spraying weekly may be to often. I don't remember but if it is what you got follow the directions. Also it is available online and at both big box pet stores.

I had mites once which came with three snakes I ordered online. I used the above spray and got rid of them with one treatment. I sprayed everything including the carpet around the snakes and then vacuumed.

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I have a bottle of this, and it says right in the directions to apply every 3 days.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

Is this what the vet gave you? http://www.amazon.com/DeFlea-Reptile...=reptile+spray

If so spraying weekly may be to often. I don't remember but if it is what you got follow the directions. Also it is available online and at both big box pet stores.

I had mites once which came with three snakes I ordered online. I used the above spray and got rid of them with one treatment. I sprayed everything including the carpet around the snakes and then vacuumed.

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Ivermectin is what the vet gave me. It's a small brown bottle. Like I said I mix 1 ml with a liter and then spray. Just wanted to update. Thanks for all the replays everyone. I'll be sure to spray the tiny places the eggs can hide too! Those little bastards have ruined enough days for me already. :colbert:

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Originally Posted by SmoothScales

I have a bottle of this, and it says right in the directions to apply every 3 days.

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That's good. I only used it once and it was years ago. I thought I remembered the directions saying something different.

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Originally Posted by JimJam

Ivermectin is what the vet gave me. It's a small brown bottle. Like I said I mix 1 ml with a liter and then spray.

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Does the bottle list the strength of the ivermectin on it? I'm wondering if it's the liquid used to deworm livestock, or if it's something else.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimJam

Ivermectin is what the vet gave me. It's a small brown bottle. Like I said I mix 1 ml with a liter and then spray. Just wanted to update. Thanks for all the replays everyone. I'll be sure to spray the tiny places the eggs can hide too! Those little bastards have ruined enough days for me already. :colbert:

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Interesting. I have used that on four legged critters but never heard of it being used for snakes. A quick search did reveal a few vets giving it to snake owners. Ill have to do some more checking around on it.

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Originally Posted by KMG

That's good. I only used it once and it was years ago. I thought I remembered the directions saying something different.

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Maybe it used to be a stronger solution?

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Does the bottle list the strength of the ivermectin on it? I'm wondering if it's the liquid used to deworm livestock, or if it's something else.

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Nope. No strength listed, sorry. :-/