Mites!!! ?

So last night i noticed a few mites on my hand after handeling a recently rescued Red tail boa. So i disassembaled all my cages and sterlized or threw everything away. I also treated my snakes with the only thing the local pet store has to offer witch is Zoo Med Mite Off. The boa was being kept in another room from my other boa and 2 ball pythons but i cleened and treated everything anyway.Even though i didnt find any traces of mites on the other snakes. I did this by soaking everything in the tub completely submerged with some bleach in the water. Treated the snakes according to the label and out em back in the cage with news paper for substrate instead of the usual aspen, My questions are . 1 Is this a reputibale product and .2 Is there anything else i should do to ensure that the mites are gone
also thought i should add i didnt find many mites on the rescue and found none on the other snakes the only reason i treated them all is because they all have been in the common area of the house

Mite Off does not work it will kill adult mites but is not efficient on other stages of development of mites which mean you will have a re-infestation in no time.

I would recommend you to order Provent-A-Mite (PAM) and to treat all your enclosures.
PAM is the only product on the market designed for reptiles that treats all stages of development of mites.

Here is where to find it http://entirelypets.stores.yahoo.net/proventamite.html

can this be used directly on the snake

I use Reptile Relief. It says that it kills mites on contact and it can be used on snakes and the're habitat. Just not on amphibians.Is this = to P.A.M.

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Originally Posted by Squishy Burrito

can this be used directly on the snake

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No you treat the enclosure and not the snake.

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Originally Posted by AlphaovrCr

I use Reptile Relief. It says that it kills mites on contact and it can be used on snakes and the're habitat. Just not on amphibians.Is this = to P.A.M.

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Reptile Relief works to kill the adult mites, but does not kill the eggs. 30 days later the eggs will hatch and you'll have mites again - I speak from experience. Get a can of Provent-A-Mite.

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the only reason i treated them all is because they all have been in the common area of the house

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Quarantine for any incoming snake is always a wise choice, but most especially when you are dealing with rescues.

:mad: I too have been having a battle with mites on my new lemon pastel. Im getting ready to contact the guys I bought him from to see if they have had any mite problem. I am wondering if he could have picked them up at the reptile show where I purchased him? I am curious. Can balls get mites from your yard? I have taken him in my yard for pictures. I tried Jurasi-mite and it did not solve the problem. I have been doing warm water soaks and have switched to Reptile-Relief mite spray and have ordered a can of PAM. I have kept him quarentined and luckily have not seen mites on any of my other animals.

I used the Reptile Relief until my cans of Provent-A-Mite arrived. RR is for the snake except w/in 3 days of a new shed. U can also use RR on the hides/cages, but it needs to be wiped/rinsed off.


P.A.M is for the cage/bedding, and NOT for the snake. It can actually make your snake ill, or kill it if the animal is exposed to the fumes. Follow can directions.

I've had a mite flare-up on Hera, and since she's 18#, it's been a bugger getting them cleared up, but I've treated all the bedding and cages w/the PAM, and all of the snakes w/the RR. In another 3 days, I'll do the RR again, and the PAM in another month.

The other suggestion I've read here, is doing a line of PAM spray in your carpet and along the shelving of your rack(s) to stop the mites from crawling from one place to another.

Just remember, to NOT expose your snakes or inverts, etc. to the spray or fumes of PAM.

Good luck!!! They're nasty, blood-sucking buggers to get rid of!:mad:

Both my snakes had Mites, my male was keeping it under control with soaking but my female later got them as well. I went to the pet shop, got a can of P.A.M, treated both tanks, and I can't be happier with the results. Get some P.A.M and follow the directions and your done. Treat the cage once a month for three months and your done. :rockon:

when i first got my snake, he had mites. i used reptile relief and it took care of the problem. it has been 6 months and no re-occurance of mites.

when i first got my bp, he had a problem with mites. Took him to a vet in the city who suggested to use a powder that was actually meant for dogs/cats fleas? I don't remember brand/active ingredient though. vet said to put him in a brown paper bag with some powder and shake a little... i didn't shake really but i took time to spread it onto his body.

No one here has mentioned that, although it did work... any input on whether that was a good/bad thing to do?

I also at the time read that if you run a warmish bath, and add some Listerine mouth wash, soak the snake and it will kill a lot of the mites on the snake. I did it a few times, and yep... there were a bunch left over in the bottom of the tub. may be good to do for instant relief if the pet shops are close when you realize you've got a problem.

I'm just telling you what I did... not saying it was good/bad for the snake or anything... perhaps someone could shed some light on that?

Depending on what the powder was, it could've been bad or good, need more info. Soaking in general will kill some mites, and the listerine may have helped. For immediate relief with no PAM handy, soaking in water with a couple drops of dish soap is better than water alone. It breaks the water tension, and helps drown more mites. The alcohol in the listerine wouldn't kill the mites directly, but would do the same thing as the soap to a much lesser degree, as alcohols have both polar and non-polar properties.

-Evan

the vet told you to put your snake in a bag and shake it? :( :O :(