Prevent-O-Mite Substitute

Hey, well after finding a couple bugs I've had Athena on paper towels for about 2 weeks without any signs of bugs so I'm about to switch back to cypress mulch. I bought a bag of the stuff but I don't want a repeat perfomrance and have bugs show up from within the mulch. The super pet by my house doesn't sell Prevent-O-Mite but the sell a product called Reptile Relief. Is this comparable? and will it do the job if I spray down the substrate before adding back into the enclosure?

thx guys/gals:P

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Originally Posted by snaker35

Hey, well after finding a couple bugs I've had Athena on paper towels for about 2 weeks without any signs of bugs so I'm about to switch back to cypress mulch. I bought a bag of the stuff but I don't want a repeat perfomrance and have bugs show up from within the mulch. The super pet by my house doesn't sell Prevent-O-Mite but the sell a product called Reptile Relief. Is this comparable? and will it do the job if I spray down the substrate before adding back into the enclosure?

thx guys/gals:P

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Ive used Reptile Relief and while it is sold as natural and non toxic, it is just not as effective. Use the Provent A Mite for sure...

Thx Jamie, I guess I'll be hitting the phone book to find it:fest:

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Originally Posted by snaker35

Thx Jamie, I guess I'll be hitting the phone book to find it:fest:

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The downside of PAM is that its hard to find in retail stores. Best of luck!!

really really hard. I just called 5 pet stores and nothing. Anyone in Southern Ontario know of a place I can buy this stuff :confuse:

PAM's active ingredient is permethrin, a pyrethroid, which is used very often by farmers to help control biting insects on livestock, and also on alfalfa and corn fields. I have used PAM, and it works very well. I have also bought a permethrin concentrate and diluted it down to 0.05% (same concentration as PAM) from the 10% concentration it came in, and it seemed to work just as well. The only difference I could see while using it was the PAM had a much finer spray than the spray bottle I used, so probably had better coverage. If you have a ranch store or the like near your house, they should carry it. If you do use it this way, just be sure you check the concentration of the permethrin, and you dilute it down to 0.05%. I paid like 8 bucks for enough permethrin to make about 6 gallons of 0.05% concentration (way more than I'll ever use https://ball-pythons.net/forums/imag...es/biggrin.gif ).

-Evan

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Originally Posted by Evan Jamison

PAM's active ingredient is permethrin, a pyrethroid, which is used very often by farmers to help control biting insects on livestock, and also on alfalfa and corn fields. I have used PAM, and it works very well. I have also bought a permethrin concentrate and diluted it down to 0.05% (same concentration as PAM) from the 10% concentration it came in, and it seemed to work just as well. The only difference I could see while using it was the PAM had a much finer spray than the spray bottle I used, so probably had better coverage. If you have a ranch store or the like near your house, they should carry it. If you do use it this way, just be sure you check the concentration of the permethrin, and you dilute it down to 0.05%. I paid like 8 bucks for enough permethrin to make about 6 gallons of 0.05% concentration (way more than I'll ever use https://ball-pythons.net/forums/imag...es/biggrin.gif ).

-Evan

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Evan is dead on. I actually have mixed my own Permethrin spray in the past but stopped recommending it because people weren't able to follow instructions and I didn't want the responsibility.

I bought a Burmese python from a pet store and obviously it was infested with mites. I tried everything with no luck, then heard about Provent-A-Mite. I couldn't find it at any store, but found it online (http://www.pro-products.com/miteandtemp.html). It was the only place to get it. It worked WONDERS! My Burmese also helped by staying completely submerged in water for two weeks straight, so get your snake a HUGE water dish.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

The downside of PAM is that its hard to find in retail stores. Best of luck!!

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REALLY?? I havent looked LATELY, but I have found it at Wal Mart and other supermarkets all the time..Although I hadnt heard of it for this use..
I just buy Sevin Dust 5% and treat my substrate, and soak the snake in the Reptile Relief. It has worked for me in the past.
I will keep the PAM spray in mind though for future reference, MUCH cheaper!
Does it HAVE to be PAM or can it be the Best Value crap in a can (lol) Im cheap..

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Originally Posted by amercnwmn

REALLY?? I havent looked LATELY, but I have found it at Wal Mart and other supermarkets all the time..Although I hadnt heard of it for this use..
I just buy Sevin Dust 5% and treat my substrate, and soak the snake in the Reptile Relief. It has worked for me in the past.
I will keep the PAM spray in mind though for future reference, MUCH cheaper!
Does it HAVE to be PAM or can it be the Best Value crap in a can (lol) Im cheap..

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Sorry if I confused...PAM = Provent A Mite, not the cooking spray. All the cooking spray will do is give your snake a buttery scented sheen...

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Sorry if I confused...PAM = Provent A Mite, not the cooking spray. All the cooking spray will do is give your snake a buttery scented sheen...

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LOL, and it won't stick to any pan!

Oh, and thx for the site. I'll use that as a last resort b/c shiping from the US to Canada will take forever!

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Originally Posted by snaker35

LOL, and it won't stick to any pan!

Oh, and thx for the site. I'll use that as a last resort b/c shiping from the US to Canada will take forever!

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JEEZ, PAM, Im just losing it.. yeah I am living proof that alcohol does damage the brain...:fim: LOL!!!!
If anyone lives in the Joplin MO area, the Joplin Reptile World Zoo carries the Provent A Mite.. Just FYI. :)

port credit pet centre in mississauga has provent-a-mite in stock

ed in toronto

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Originally Posted by junji98

port credit pet centre in mississauga has provent-a-mite in stock

ed in toronto

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awesome!! I know exactly where that store is too. THX a bunch!

I know what I'm doing today now :P

Has anyone ever heard of using RID? (The product that is sold for lice in people) Is this safe?

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Originally Posted by daaangconcepts

Has anyone ever heard of using RID? (The product that is sold for lice in people) Is this safe?

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I wouldnt use RID because it contains other chemicals in it than the Permethrin which is what will kill the mites. You'll need to find a Permethrin spray (should be at any drugstore) with .25% (or .50% and dilute) Permethrin. That can safely be used. See the following link for more info:

http://www.snakegetters.com/demo/vet/equip1.html

The way I figure it is this. Provent-A-Mite's been tested and proved safe for reptile use, things like lice treatments, etc. have been tested and proved safe for human use. I'd go with what is proven safe for your snakes even if it does cost a bit more or has to be ordered online. All the experienced breeders say use PAM. I figure they know what they are talking about so why take unnecessary risks with trying other methods that may or may not be internet myths/rumors. You could end up finding out these things aren't safe but by that time it's a bit late for your snake if you've exposed it to something that ends up being toxic for it.

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Originally Posted by snaker35

Hey, well after finding a couple bugs I've had Athena on paper towels for about 2 weeks without any signs of bugs so I'm about to switch back to cypress mulch. I bought a bag of the stuff but I don't want a repeat perfomrance and have bugs show up from within the mulch. The super pet by my house doesn't sell Prevent-O-Mite but the sell a product called Reptile Relief. Is this comparable? and will it do the job if I spray down the substrate before adding back into the enclosure?

thx guys/gals:P

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Perhaps you should consider using a different substrate? Cypress mulch and Repti-Bark are notorious for containing mites...try something else, like compressed coconut husk, aspen, newspaper, or Carefresh. ;)

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Originally Posted by JenHarrison

Perhaps you should consider using a different substrate? Cypress mulch and Repti-Bark are notorious for containing mites...try something else, like compressed coconut husk, aspen, newspaper, or Carefresh. ;)

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Not exactly true. The bugs in Cypress and Reptibark are normally Aphids or non-reptile bugs. Snake mites are specific to snakes.

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Originally Posted by JenHarrison

Perhaps you should consider using a different substrate? Cypress mulch and Repti-Bark are notorious for containing mites...try something else, like compressed coconut husk, aspen, newspaper, or Carefresh. ;)

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Cypress mulch, aspen, and carefresh are no different when it comes to snake mites.

Actually, if you have a mite problem, you should switch to newspaper (preferrably unprinted) so that you can see "them" while you are treating your snake ... once everything is cleared up, then it's safe to rock out with whatever.

-adam

Adam, he said they're already cleared up. He's had his snake on white paper towels for 2 weeks and hasn't seen anything. He was saying that he wants to switch back to cypress but wants to hose down the substrate with PAM to kill anything that might come in it. That's why I was saying maybe he shouldn't use cypress at all and choose something that has less of a chance of mites coming in it.

Jglass, I've had a few friends buy Repti-Bark or cypress mulch and end up with snake mites...the only place they could have come from is the substrate...???

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Originally Posted by JenHarrison

[color=deeppink]Adam, he said they're already cleared up. He's had his snake on white paper towels for 2 weeks and hasn't seen anything. He was saying that he wants to switch back to cypress but wants to hose down the substrate with PAM to kill anything that might come in it. That's why I was saying maybe he shouldn't use cypress at all and choose something that has less of a chance of mites coming in it.

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That's fine ... cypress, aspen, carefresh ... it makes no difference ... snake mites live on "snakes" not bedding ... if they can be in cypress, they can be in anything.

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Originally Posted by JenHarrison

Jglass, I've had a few friends buy Repti-Bark or cypress mulch and end up with snake mites...the only place they could have come from is the substrate...???

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Substrate just doesn't spawn snake mites .... If they are in fact snake mites, they came from a snake (or a store with snakes infested with mites) ... if that's the case, it doesn't matter what kind of substrate he/she uses ... carefresh, cypress, aspen, etc ... if it comes from that store, it will most likely have mites.

The experienced guess would be that the mites probably didn't even come from the bedding ... they were likely transferred as eggs from either feeders, the cage, the snake, a visit to the store, etc .... snake mite eggs can take up to 3 weeks to hatch and another week for the babies to grow large enough to be visible to the naked eye ... it's most likely that the first time the OP "saw" the mites was on the bedding which led him/her to the conclusion that they came from the bedding.

-adam

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Originally Posted by JenHarrison

Jglass, I've had a few friends buy Repti-Bark or cypress mulch and end up with snake mites...the only place they could have come from is the substrate...???

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Impossible...

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

That's fine ... cypress, aspen, carefresh ... it makes no difference ... snake mites live on "snakes" not bedding ... if they can be in cypress, they can be in anything.



Substrate just doesn't spawn snake mites .... If they are in fact snake mites, they came from a snake (or a store with snakes infested with mites) ... if that's the case, it doesn't matter what kind of substrate he/she uses ... carefresh, cypress, aspen, etc ... if it comes from that store, it will most likely have mites.

The experienced guess would be that the mites probably didn't even come from the bedding ... they were likely transferred as eggs from either feeders, the cage, the snake, a visit to the store, etc .... snake mite eggs can take up to 3 weeks to hatch and another week for the babies to grow large enough to be visible to the naked eye ... it's most likely that the first time the OP "saw" the mites was on the bedding which led him/her to the conclusion that they came from the bedding.

-adam

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Gotcha. Can they be carried in on people?

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Originally Posted by JenHarrison

Gotcha. Can they be carried in on people?

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They can definitely hitchhike but as far as I am aware (as with other parasites) need a host to survive. Humans can't be that host so they wouldn't survive long.

We used to get mites at the pet store every now and then, I'd practically strip down in my backyard and immediately drop my clothes in the wash. Great mental image huh?!

Those little sons of snitches can get anywhere...tubs, clothes, snake bags, anything. I'm not even trying to risk it.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

I'd practically strip down in my backyard and immediately drop my clothes in the wash. Great mental image huh?!
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Umm...No?

I just felt like the thread had gone far enough and needed to be retired to the gutter we always send it to. Just doing my part!!! :)