Mites

Hello- so my snake I recently got a week ago has mites. :( I did a lot of research online. Last week for 3 days I did the olive oil rub. I saw that online and read that it worked for some people's But it didn't get rid of them all. So last night I got some of the natural chemistry reptile spray. I've also read a lot of reviews on that. That people have have that work great and has gotten rid of them with the first try. So this morning I sprayed a paper towel with it and wiped him down,trying not to get his head. Then I sprayed his tank with it- let it sit a few min and then wiped it out.
I then soaked him for a few min in warm water as I was that spray can dry them out and some people suggested soaking them after.
So after his soak I dried him and was handling him and saw a mite in his head :( what can I do about that? The bottle says not to use on their heads but that's where the mites are retreating to? And he absolutely hates his head messed with. I tried to get that mite I saw off his head but he flipped out and I ended up not see where the mite went.
So I don't know what to do.
He doesn't have an infestation- just a small case of a few mites. This is my first snake. So it's all a learning process for me....
Also- he was fed on Tuesday of last week. Should I have seen him poop or pee by now? I'm just worrying that something's wrong...or is this normal?
Thanks


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Stop rubbing oil on your snake.

Buy Provent a Mite. http://pro-products.com/provent-a-mite/

A few mites can easily turn into an infestation. Provent a mite is the best way to get rid of them for good.

Sometimes they take over a month to poop out a meal. Don't worry about it unless his butt looks swollen and firm. Then maybe a warm soak to help him along.


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I would get some Provent A Mite and follow the instructions. That seems to be a tried and true method to get rid of mites.

Olive oil is the worst thing you can do, unless of course your goal is to have a scaless snake ;) (oil loosen scales and then they fall off) so I would suggest to discontinue this type of treatment.

On the top of that while it may take care of the adults on your snake it does NOTHING for the other stages and you are guaranteed a re-infestation in 30 days.

Reptile spray addresses the adult stage and the mites on the snake again in 30 days it will mean re-infestation.

The best thing since you have limited experience (which is why I will not recommend a home made brew) is to buy Provent A Mite (PAM), you use it as directed (spraying the enclosure, removing the snake and water dish first), it will work on contact and take care of ALL stages from egg to adults.

As long as you have a mite or 2 you will have mites, all it takes is one adult to lay hundreds of eggs.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...it-with-AaronP

The only thing I do differently is I do not spray the permethrin solution on the snake as permethrin poisoning can cause neurological damage or death so I do not want to take the chance of the snake ingesting it. Instead I spray a white paper towel with Reptile Spray and use that to wipe the snake after its bath and before returning it to the treated and dry enclosure.

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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No one is bashing you. Please forgive the bluntness. No one expects you to know everything. This is just one of those subjects that comes up often and there are some people that insist on trying all kinds of things that in the long run do not work. PAM always works and done correctly the mites are not coming back. Just read the instructions and don't get it on your animal while it is still wet. Please remember it is hard to tell people's "tone" on the board.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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I'm sorry you feel like you've been bashed here. I don't think anyone intended to make it a personal attack on you as a person, they're just telling you what they know will work best for the animal being discussed based on decades worth of experience. Sure some of us come across as more blunt than others but I think a lot of that can be attributed to having encountered these types of questions more than they can count. At a certain point folks just get right down to brass tacks and tell you what works best based on first hand experience. This forum is an invaluable resource, if you do a bit of searching for answers to your questions they are here somewhere. Don't let that stop you from starting new threads by any means. Just letting you know that there is a wealth of knowledge to be unearthed in the forums if you know how and where to look for it. The best reptile keepers are ones that are continuously looking to learn more about how to do things better/more effectively/efficiently/economically/etc. I've kept snakes for 20+ years now and never grow tired of looking to do the best for my animals. Hope you stick around and best of luck with your PAM treatment!


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My advice is use the PAM as directed. But I also would like to add, leave the water bowl out over night after treating the cage. Also I would wipe down the outside of the cage with PAM sprayed on a rag. I use 40 gallon breeder tanks for my QT and I just wipe the top rim, bottom rim as well as the table top with PAM on a rag. This will keep any mites from escaping into the room just to later re infest your animals. Plus it creates a barrier in case you happen to bring home hitchhiker mite from a pet shop or reptile show. I wipe down my cage stack, the stand and spray it on the carpet around the stand once every 2 months as preventative.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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Since when recommending a certain product based on someone’s limited experience an insult? YOU mentioned yourself you have limited experience, who said there was anything wrong with it.

Would you rather have had recommendations made for advance keepers such as a homemade brew that could potentially kill your snake?

When someone tells you that something you do should not be done it’s not bashing (the fact that you see it that way is on you), don’t you want to know if /when something you do is wrong?? I know I do.

So some food for the thoughts and that will be the end on that subject be a little less sensitive and stop reading things between lines that are not there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I've ordered the provent a mite and will treat when it arrives.
Sorry I have "limited experience". I wasn't just born with the knowledge of taking care of a snake.
I joined this forum to get help and learn things. Not get bashed and talked to like I'm doing the worst things in the world.
The internet is full of so many different things about how to care for a ball python. How am I supposed to know which things to believe and which things not to.

I guess I'll be learning this all on my own in my own way and see how things go for me and my new snake. Thanks to the ones that have actually been helpful and not rude.


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Im sorry you feel this way. I admit I think you're taking things too personally. I can guarantee everyone's intention here is to help you, even if you feel it's a little too upfront. I know just reading text can be hard to figure out a person's tone, but sometimes the tone you think the person is projecting is not always accurate. At worst you were given constructive criticism and I doubt anyone is judging you for being new. So don't worry! I don't think you started off on the wrong foot yet! Just a simple misunderstanding. What's important is that you got good info to help your noodle baby. Please don't shy away!

Good luck on getting rid of those mites, sounds like nasty business yikes!

snake mites have 5 life stages, 4 of which are basically invisible. If you see one, there are many more on the way to becoming visible. the visible stage is the last, adult stage where the mite has a blood meal and reproduces using the proteins from the snake. oil used to be common but has been deemed ineffective now that there are strong but relatively safe pesticides. PAM is the go to now a days.

I have spider morph babies and given the propensity to develop neurological issues I am reluctant to dose them with a strong pesticide like the one in PAM. I have taken a stepped approach to wiping out the mites one of my babies came with and it appears to have worked well.
1) remove the snake, take everything out of the enclosure including substrate, spray with reptile spray (less toxic than PAM) and let sit sealed up for 15-20 minutes, dry and add "mite guard" powder (even if all it does is dry them out as a desiccant). for about 5-6 weeks, keep the enclosure very simple, two hides, water dish and paper towel lining and thats it. you must break the cycle of baby mites becoming adults and laying more eggs.
2) clean hides, line enclosure with paper towels then put hides back in.
3) wash off snake in running water, being careful to use 85ish degree water. inspect for adult black mites, remove if on the surface of the snake and squash between fingers or wash down the drain.
4) set up a water bath, using a shallow tupperware container with firm fitting lid. fill with 85-90 degree water covering the snake, not too deep, leaving air for the snake to breathe. allow snake to soak for 20-30 minutes, checking on the snake periodically to assure it's not distressed, opening lid for fresh air at least once.
5) dry off snake and and put snake away, then inspect water bath for mites and discard. place all paper from the cleaning process in a zip lock bag and discard.
6) I repeated the baths and changing the paper out and washing the hides daily for the first week or so, until I no longer saw adult mites, then every couple of days. then resprayed the enclosure with reptile spray and wiped it out again. If I held the glass tupperware over a dark surface I could see tiny white specks sunk at the bottom and I'm assuming they were juvenile mites but I can't be sure.

this approach takes a lot of work at the beginning. I wondered if it was stressful for my snakes so I tried feeding them after one of their baths and they ate readily, so it must not be too bad if care is taken to get the temp right.

PAM is the nuclear bomb, and it is very effective but I do see reason to not use it as the first line of defense. good quarantine practices for new snakes in a collection should help reduce the risk of an outbreak and lesson the need for drastic measures. if it can be avoided then great, as is potentially toxic to snakes. something that is not talked about much is that mites, like all bugs, quickly build resistance. avoiding over use of pesticides is a good idea just like avoiding over use of antibiotics, you want to use them sparingly so they work well when you need them most rather than helping to produce a PAM resistant strain of mites. If I were a breeder or had a large collection, I probably wouldn't have the time to bother with the harder more natural approach, so I'm certainly not blaming anyone who chooses to use it as directed, it's just my personal inclination to err on the side of caution with it's use if possible. that said, it's also important to complete the course of treatment with any pesticide once you determine it's necessary to use, till all the bugs are eradicated so as not to leave even a few resistant ones to pass on their resistant genes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slither Seeker

snake mites have 5 life stages, 4 of which are basically invisible. If you see one, there are many more on the way to becoming visible. the visible stage is the last, adult stage where the mite has a blood meal and reproduces using the proteins from the snake. oil used to be common but has been deemed ineffective now that there are strong but relatively safe pesticides. PAM is the go to now a days.

I have spider morph babies and given the propensity to develop neurological issues I am reluctant to dose them with a strong pesticide like the one in PAM. I have taken a stepped approach to wiping out the mites one of my babies came with and it appears to have worked well.
1) remove the snake, take everything out of the enclosure including substrate, spray with reptile spray (less toxic than PAM) and let sit sealed up for 15-20 minutes, dry and add "mite guard" powder (even if all it does is dry them out as a desiccant). for about 5-6 weeks, keep the enclosure very simple, two hides, water dish and paper towel lining and thats it. you must break the cycle of baby mites becoming adults and laying more eggs.
2) clean hides, line enclosure with paper towels then put hides back in.
3) wash off snake in running water, being careful to use 85ish degree water. inspect for adult black mites, remove if on the surface of the snake and squash between fingers or wash down the drain.
4) set up a water bath, using a shallow tupperware container with firm fitting lid. fill with 85-90 degree water covering the snake, not too deep, leaving air for the snake to breathe. allow snake to soak for 20-30 minutes, checking on the snake periodically to assure it's not distressed, opening lid for fresh air at least once.
5) dry off snake and and put snake away, then inspect water bath for mites and discard. place all paper from the cleaning process in a zip lock bag and discard.
6) I repeated the baths and changing the paper out and washing the hides daily for the first week or so, until I no longer saw adult mites, then every couple of days. then resprayed the enclosure with reptile spray and wiped it out again. If I held the glass tupperware over a dark surface I could see tiny white specks sunk at the bottom and I'm assuming they were juvenile mites but I can't be sure.

this approach takes a lot of work at the beginning. I wondered if it was stressful for my snakes so I tried feeding them after one of their baths and they ate readily, so it must not be too bad if care is taken to get the temp right.

PAM is the nuclear bomb, and it is very effective but I do see reason to not use it as the first line of defense. good quarantine practices for new snakes in a collection should help reduce the risk of an outbreak and lesson the need for drastic measures. if it can be avoided then great, as is potentially toxic to snakes. something that is not talked about much is that mites, like all bugs, quickly build resistance. avoiding over use of pesticides is a good idea just like avoiding over use of antibiotics, you want to use them sparingly so they work well when you need them most rather than helping to produce a PAM resistant strain of mites. If I were a breeder or had a large collection, I probably wouldn't have the time to bother with the harder more natural approach, so I'm certainly not blaming anyone who chooses to use it as directed, it's just my personal inclination to err on the side of caution with it's use if possible. that said, it's also important to complete the course of treatment with any pesticide once you determine it's necessary to use, till all the bugs are eradicated so as not to leave even a few resistant ones to pass on their resistant genes.

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Looks like you have done a little research on mites which is a good thing. I think I do need to clarify some things for the record however. If you have multiple animals PAM as of right now is the best way to get rid of them. Even if you quarantine it is possible for the mites to hitch a ride to the rest of your animals. If that happens your quarantine is in effect broken. I would not ever place a ball python in a pan of water especially with a lid. Especially a spider morph. Last point. Spiders do not develop neurological issues. They are born that way. They can show "more" issues when under stress, such as feeding or being stuck in a pan of water. I do not think it has been determined that they have neurological issues at all. It may be nothing more than a balance problem. I have my opinion on that subject but it is just an opinion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

...I would not ever place a ball python in a pan of water especially with a lid. Especially a spider morph...

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I understand your caution, yet water baths are a common practice for mites and trouble shedding though, so I'm not sure why you would say never, ever? my spiders were a little weak necked early on but quickly became robust with proper care and have not displayed signs of wobble. if I had any indication that they were having trouble keeping their head above water, I would discontinue it. the first time or two in the water bath I was pretty much by their side carefully watching to make sure they were not distressed. it's surprising how they have settled down and seem to tolerate it without resistance now. as for PAM, I am just more on the cautious side, it's certainly a very personal decision as to the trade offs of risking the potential of lethal side effects of a poison vs dealing with the potential of lethal side effects of mites.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slither Seeker

I understand your caution. water baths a common practice for mites and trouble shedding though, so I'm not sure why you would say never, ever? .

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Because snake do not need to be bath period nt even for a bad shed there are less stressful methods.

Keep in mind that stress + husbandry issues can lead to more severe issue, this is why bath are NEVER recommended. People recommending bath for BP generally just regurgitate something they read from someone with a few snakes, bathing snakes is not a common practice.

I can understand people getting the wrong information about bathing an animal. Even the "pros" can make me wonder sometimes. I saw a vid one time of a very influential breeder bathing one of his animals with a bad shed in a pan of water. This is a guy I respect and I even have a few of his animals in my collection. For the life of me I cannot figure out why he would have done this other than it was the less work intensive way to get it done.

Mites will not become resistant to PAM. PAM is basically a poison. It will kill mites, snakes, people and pretty much anything. You're not going to build up a tolerance for it like you could with antibiotics.

PAM is awesome if used correctly. Problem is a lot of people think 'there isn't much coming out, so lets spray the heck out of stuff'. That's where problems start. A little goes a long way on that stuff. You don't need to spray daily. To get rid of mites, I use it weekly or even 2 weeks depending if the snake doesn't piss or poop all over the paper towels.

And like I said, I talked to Bob at Pro Products about the stuff. He said the only reason they said lasts 2 weeks is because when they applied for their registration through the EPA, it showed a 2 week residual on outdoor komodo dragon sand pits with rain. In a much less harsh environment like a house, he said it lasts at least 30 days. He said they actually find it to be effective for several months indoors.

There are lots of people who use Nix, Hot Shot no pest strips, olive oil and all other kinds of home remedies but you know, I would rather trust something 'made' for reptile use over some so called 'home remedy'. And for the love of god, don't listen to people who use those Hot Shot no pest strips hung next to a cage with the animals still in it. You can read right on the box it says not safe for anything in the room.

thanks for your caution, I will take a fresh look at my sources. just to be clear, my references are not just random you tube channel videos by nubes with just a few snakes. here are a few published references I used for protocols on soaking snakes for various issues, mainly stuck shedding and mites:
Brian from snake bytes tv: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z81K45K1YEU
LLLreptile: https://www.lllreptile.com/articles/...h-snake-mites/
anapsid: http://www.anapsid.org/mites.html
a UK site: http://www.tinyreptiles.co.uk/index....d-of-them.html

if you have any references that explain why bathing a snake is an absolute no no, I am very interested in reading them and trying to sort out the discrepancy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slither Seeker

thanks for your caution, I will take a fresh look at my sources. just to be clear, my references are not just random you tube channel videos by nubes with just a few snakes. here are a few published references I used for protocols on soaking snakes for various issues, mainly stuck shedding and mites:
Brian from snake bytes tv: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z81K45K1YEU
LLLreptile: https://www.lllreptile.com/articles/...h-snake-mites/
anapsid: http://www.anapsid.org/mites.html
a UK site: http://www.tinyreptiles.co.uk/index....d-of-them.html

if you have any references that explain why bathing a snake is an absolute no no, I am very interested in reading them and trying to sort out the discrepancy.

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Because you are high profile or try to be and you publish something it does not mean much, try talking to old timers with decades of experience that don't even participate to online communities.

Just like because you are a vet and see a snake does not mean you know what you are doing fact of the matter many don't, they don't know how to sex, what to do when confronted with a RI yet they have degrees in veterinary medicine.

Melissa Kaplan is the worse of your list, animal activist with limited experience when it comes to the animals she offered advice on, she is the joke of the reptile industry and has been for a very long time.

Bottom line believe what you want to believe do what you want with YOUR snakes, there are other less stressful methods to get rid of mites and or stuck shed and if you want to stress your snake for minor reason that are preventable in the first place, it's fine but baths are stressful and no so called written protocol will ever make this untrue.

After over a decade only 1 of my snake ever had a bath (I have a few :rolleyes:) and it was a female I that I was manipulating since she was egg bound, water's benefit outweigh the stress issue obviously in this type of case.

it is challenging that there are so many conflicting sources of information. I do my best to reconcile them but I know I have a lot to learn. My understanding, which sounds like it may be wrong, is that in the short run a water bath may be less stressful than the long term effects of a poison and it's residue, to the extent that it can be avoided. that aside, exposing my kids to poison is something I try to limit while their nervous systems are developing. it's a hard line to draw. I appreciate your input and as a result, I will reconsider this practice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Because you are high profile or try to be and you publish something it does not mean much, try talking to old timers with decades of experience that don't even participate to online communities.

Just like because you are a vet and see a snake does not mean you know what you are doing fact of the matter many don't, they don't know how to sex, what to do when confronted with a RI yet they have degrees in veterinary medicine.

Melissa Kaplan is the worse of your list, animal activist with limited experience when it comes to the animals she offered advice on, she is the joke of the reptile industry and has been for a very long time.

Bottom line believe what you want to believe do what you want with YOUR snakes, there are other less stressful methods to get rid of mites and or stuck shed and if you want to stress your snake for minor reason that are preventable in the first place, it's fine but baths are stressful and no so called written protocol will ever make this untrue.

After over a decade only 1 of my snake ever had a bath (I have a few :rolleyes:) and it was a female I that I was manipulating since she was egg bound, water's benefit outweigh the stress issue obviously in this type of case.

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i can see why the op felt the way they felt. i have seen so many different sites/posts about the right way to do things and even i have a hard time knowing whats the right way. i mean like the op said and admitted he do not know all about snakes, so if he see so many posts that say different things how will he or she know what to believe? i have seen posts saying red led lights are bad, and then see display cages with them and people say they are good. i respect that people may get tired of the same questions but have anyone took a look at that not everyone is a experienced snake owner like most, so instead of getting frustrated with a question just because some may know it or not take the time to not be so "BLUNT" because im sure most of the veteran people who "know it all" was a newbie as well at a point in time.

Deu2e

Ivermectin sprays are definitely the way to go, homeopathic remedies just don't seem to work. Good luck with your snake! :)

Hey OP, sorry if I came off as rude, was truly not my intention. I was on mobile and quickly writing a response so you had all the critical information that you needed. Just wanted you to get the right info as fast as possible.

Sorry you felt ganged up on :( I know no one on this forum is trying to make you feel bad. Sometimes time comes across poorly in text.

I should have taken a bit more time to properly word my post, and for that I apologize.

Hope you stay with us here!


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I'm sorry I felt that some people were being rude.
I'm just trying to do the best for him and I don't want to mess up.
I've ordered the PAM. Hopefully it arrives tomorrow. If so, I plan on spraying his tank when I get home from work. But I have a question about that- (I'll attach a pic of the tank)
But I have the spahgnum moss scattered in there, his 2 hides, reptibark on the bottom, a climby thing and his water dish. I know I need to take him and the water dish out- but should I take anything else out? Or can the rest be sprayed with the PAM? I just want to make sure the moss won't soak it up and then harm him...
Thanks.
And if anyone could give me any tips on keeping humidity up. That would be appreciated. I read that the moss would help- but it didn't keep it up. Only for about 30 min. I know if I keep misting the tank, that helps. But I also know that if it's to damp that they can get scale rot. And I certainly don't want that too. :/
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2b0f1fd331.jpg


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I'm sorry I felt that some people were being rude.
I'm just trying to do the best for him and I don't want to mess up.
I've ordered the PAM. Hopefully it arrives tomorrow. If so, I plan on spraying his tank when I get home from work. But I have a question about that- (I'll attach a pic of the tank)
But I have the spahgnum moss scattered in there, his 2 hides, reptibark on the bottom, a climby thing and his water dish. I know I need to take him and the water dish out- but should I take anything else out? Or can the rest be sprayed with the PAM? I just want to make sure the moss won't soak it up and then harm him...
Thanks.
And if anyone could give me any tips on keeping humidity up. That would be appreciated. I read that the moss would help- but it didn't keep it up. Only for about 30 min. I know if I keep misting the tank, that helps. But I also know that if it's to damp that they can get scale rot. And I certainly don't want that too. :/
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2b0f1fd331.jpg


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Do you have a humidity gauge? If you manually spray the viv, I doubt you'll get it too damp. I use a humidifier myself, but if thats not an option for you, sponges, another water bowl, and plenty of spraying will all help significantly. Good luck!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

I'm sorry I felt that some people were being rude.
I'm just trying to do the best for him and I don't want to mess up.
I've ordered the PAM. Hopefully it arrives tomorrow. If so, I plan on spraying his tank when I get home from work. But I have a question about that- (I'll attach a pic of the tank)
But I have the spahgnum moss scattered in there, his 2 hides, reptibark on the bottom, a climby thing and his water dish. I know I need to take him and the water dish out- but should I take anything else out? Or can the rest be sprayed with the PAM? I just want to make sure the moss won't soak it up and then harm him...
Thanks.
And if anyone could give me any tips on keeping humidity up. That would be appreciated. I read that the moss would help- but it didn't keep it up. Only for about 30 min. I know if I keep misting the tank, that helps. But I also know that if it's to damp that they can get scale rot. And I certainly don't want that too. :/
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2b0f1fd331.jpg


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Do you have a humidity gauge? If you manually spray the viv, I doubt you'll get it too damp. I use a humidifier myself, but if thats not an option for you, sponges, another water bowl, and plenty of spraying will all help significantly. Good luck!

using tin foil to mostly seal up the screen top will help hold more moisture in and reduce the need to spray as often. the tin foil can handle being up close to the heat lamps.

Sorry I haven't read through the whole thread but over here in he UK the most popular mite treatment by far is Callingtons spray - it instructs you to spray the snake as well as the enclosure incidentally ..... It's about £20 online .
Don't know why you guys can't by offline but there may be hitch ..

Google Callingtins .. ..

You will need to take everything out of the enclosure. Either throw away the substrate or bake it in the oven at 150*F for half an hour to kill the mites and eggs hiding in it. Don't use natural substrate again until you've eradicated the infestation, which takes about two months.

When treating for mites your snake should have:
- Paper substrate in the enclosure
- Two hides, one on the warm side and one on the cool side
- One water bowl.

Treat the paper, enclosure, and hides with the PAM and let everything dry before allowing your snake to come into contact with it. DO NOT TREAT THE WATER BOWL. Keep a supply of treated and dried paper and hides handy so you can swap them quickly when your snake makes a mess and the enclosure needs cleaning.

If you have more than one snake treat everything in your collection.

I do have a humidity gauge.
I guess I'll just keep spraying it. I think he's about to shed soon anyways. His belly was slightly pink on Tuesday.
Today is also his feeding day- should I hold off since he's about to shed and I'm going to treat him again for mites this evening when I get off work?
Or is it still ok to feed him today?


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If it was me and he will eat I would feed him and I am going to second bcr's post. You need to take the tank down to a bare minimum to treat for mites. Put him on paper and get rid of the substrate and anything else that does not have to be in there.

Wow ... the lengths you guys have to go to !!

Callingtons is safe to spray onto the snakes themselves so you spray the snake and the enclosure all at the same time and that's it apart from removing the water for 1 hour and repeating the procedure 7 days later . The downside is it costs £20 but then again it lasts for ages ...


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Just thought I'd update- so I've taken his tank outside- I decided to go by the can of PAM which said you can just spray the substrate. So I did. Along with his 2 wood hides. I let it sit outside for about 15ish min. (It's really windy today) so I figured that would help air it out. I just brought it back inside and it's sitting under a fan right now. I just want to make sure it's completely dry everywhere.
I also attempted to feed him- he wasn't interested at all :( so I'll try again in a couple days.
I also did not spray him with the natures chemistry reptile spray- since also on the bottle of PAM it said you wouldn't need to do anything else but spray the enclosure.
So I'm hoping this works and gets rid of his mites.



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And I meant to also ask- can the tank be misted? Or do I need to wait a few days? He's in the shedding process I believe- so he needs the humidity up....


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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

And I meant to also ask- can the tank be misted? Or do I need to wait a few days? He's in the shedding process I believe- so he needs the humidity up....


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You can continue misting, as far as I know. When I use ivermectin spray, I usually let it sit for thirty minutes or so then wash everything off with warm water.

I think you are on the right track. I ran my approach by a woman yesterday who works in a zoo and is very knowledgable, at least she came across as very competent. She confirmed that PAM is the best treatment, her favorite for mites. she helped quell my concerns about it. She said you shouldn't have issues if you use it as directed. She also said soaking a BP in water is fine, but PAM makes it unnecessary. So if I continue having mites, I'm resolved on the issue, PAM it is!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finnsmom

Just thought I'd update- so I've taken his tank outside- I decided to go by the can of PAM which said you can just spray the substrate. So I did. Along with his 2 wood hides. I let it sit outside for about 15ish min. (It's really windy today) so I figured that would help air it out. I just brought it back inside and it's sitting under a fan right now. I just want to make sure it's completely dry everywhere.
I also attempted to feed him- he wasn't interested at all :( so I'll try again in a couple days.
I also did not spray him with the natures chemistry reptile spray- since also on the bottle of PAM it said you wouldn't need to do anything else but spray the enclosure.
So I'm hoping this works and gets rid of his mites.



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Just thought I'd update in case anyone wanted to know. :)
He's been in the shedding process the last 10 days. So I haven't bothered him much.
Today I decided to look inside his hide since I haven't seen him at all and was beginning to wonder if he was ok. Well there he was laying on top of his shed!! So I was happy and relieved that he shed okay.
He still hasn't pooped since I've had him...? Is this normal?
I did see one mite on his log when I took him out today. So I cleaned his enclosure and sprayed with PAM again. I did feed him today also. He was really excited and immediately took the rat! He must have been a hungry boy ;)
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...30c7b94993.jpg


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looks much happier, nice work!