Mites...

My girlfriend was handling our snakes about three weeks ago and noticed that they had mites. So we followed the directed steps on one of the ball python care websites to eliminate this problem. Well, this morning she again noticed that they had mites. She has more experience than I do (these two are my first balls... (there is so much wordplay in this hobby)), but even collectively we can't figure out why they're back. We've tossed a few things back and forth, like the tree, the rock, the bark. We cleaned the tree and the rock in the dishwasher and tossed the bark. I used a vinegar based cleaner (I think) and scrubbed the life out of their 75 gallon home. I guess we're just curious how to eliminate mites for good, whether it requires using a different cleaner, switching the bark (we threw the bag out last cleaning and can't remember what it was) or whatever other steps we're possibly missing. We would really appreciate any help that you all could give us and thank you greatly in advance!

Thanks :carrot: ,
Brett and Stefanie

I've never had mites, but there are some good threads on here if you do a search. Basically buy some Prevent-A-Mite, then use it with the snakes in a temporary enclosure with white paper towels as the substrate while you completely sterilize and PAM everything. I'd guess you should vacuum or mop the floor in the snake room and pam around the enclosure, too. I'm sure others will have more to say, but PAM seems to be the general fix.

I'd definitely throw out anything porous.. the dishwasher isn't good enough.

The best mite killer out there is called provent-a-mite. http://www.pro-products.com/miteandtemp.html it kills not only the mites, but their eggs, and it keeps working for a long time.. 30 days I think.

Frontline spray (not the concentrated drops; this is important) as sold for dogs and cats. Take the snakes out, lightly mist everything in the enclosure and allow to dry, then replace snakes and dab a small amount of Frontline spray on the last third of the snake's body. A herp-keeper at a zoo told me this trick, and I used it when a new kid turned up with the creepy crawlies, and it worked great. One application seems to have completely eliminated them, although in my case it was a brand new snake and so had not had time to develop a big population of mites in the environment. In your case I would re-treat in a month or so just to be safe.

There is also a product called Provent-A-Mite, referred to here a lot as PAM which many people are very happy with. My beef with it is that it is pyrethrin-based and I really don't like using those chemicals on any of my kids, and it is only available online while Frontline spray can be purchased at any decent pet store or from your vet.

Also...it is generally considered safer to keep one snake per enclosure. They tend to do better, and you have better control over any problems that may arise (regurgitation, upper respiratory infections, parasites, etc).

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Originally Posted by Shelby

I'd definitely throw out anything porous.. the dishwasher isn't good enough.

The best mite killer out there is called provent-a-mite. http://www.pro-products.com/miteandtemp.html it kills not only the mites, but their eggs, and it keeps working for a long time.. 30 days I think.

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If you don't want to toss things and they are safe to bake, you can put them in the oven at 225 for a couple of hours to kill everything. Some people say to do higher temps for shorter, but if it's wood the sap will start to boil out and release fumes and mess up your oven. I personally soak wood in water for a few minutes, wrap in foil and bake at 225 for 2-3 hours. Kills everything and serves 4.

All the advice given so far is what I would recommend. 1 snake per enclosure, and I personally would get rid of the wood bark (presuming that it is some sort of repti-bark and maybe a decorative log) and use aspen shavings as substrate (although I would use paper towels or newsprint while treating for mites), keeping them in tubs with two hides and a water dish and not much else. It's not as cool looking but it is much easier to control. Careful use of PAM (follow the instructions to the letter) will help in this case too. I have also used Natural Chemistry's Reptile Relief before and found that it works if you are diligent about applying it, although it definately doesnt work as quickly as PAM.

I tried vinegar the first time (and only time) my beardies ended up with mites. It flushed them out of their scales but did not kill them.


There are 2 things i would suggest:
1) Strip the entire tank down to nothing and wash it with 10% bleach mixed with water. To get that you put 10 ml of bleach in with 1L of water. Then clean all deco with that mixture as well. Let it completely dry and then wipe down with a damp cloth. Let dry again then put the snake back.

2)Go to your local drug store and buy a lice treatment product called NIX. If its not on the shelves it would be in the back with the pharmacist. When you get it home, squirt about a teaspoon in with a med. sized spray bottle. Shake vigorously then remove the snake and water dish, remove the substrate and spray down the entire tank liberally. Wait til its almost dry then put paper towel in as substrate put the water back in and then the snake.

With both of these ideas you can repeat as often as you like.

Good luck :) :D

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Originally Posted by Roswell

2)Go to your local drug store and buy a lice treatment product called NIX. If its not on the shelves it would be in the back with the pharmacist. When you get it home, squirt about a teaspoon in with a med. sized spray bottle. Shake vigorously then remove the snake and water dish, remove the substrate and spray down the entire tank liberally. Wait til its almost dry then put paper towel in as substrate put the water back in and then the snake.

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Let's not and say we did. Get a can of Provent-A-Mite, that is FDA approved on reptiles and is safe, and treat the enclosure. No worries, no hassle with mixing chemicals, mites gone.

The Nix and water never touches the snake. my bp and dum breeder swears by this method.

Its also cheaper than 'prevent-a-mite". And by the name of that stuff its for prevention not an actual case of mites (i could be wrong about prevention thing though).

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Let's not and say we did. Get a can of Provent-A-Mite, that is FDA approved on reptiles and is safe, and treat the enclosure. No worries, no hassle with mixing chemicals, mites gone.

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I'm sure he swears by it.. It's cheap. So is Raid.

Since I value my collection and don't want to use unknown chemicals on my snakes, I will spend the extra $10 and use what is proven effective and safe. I will use Frontline as well, because it is safe and proven effective(it's definitely far from inexpensive).

Provent-A-Mite treats existing infestations as well as prevents recurrences(30+ days since it is residual).

If your snake has an adverse reaction to NIX, who are you going to complain to? No one.. Because it's not approved for use in reptiles. If your snake has an adverse reaction to PAM(which I highly doubt if used correctly), you're going to bring your concerns to Bob Pound, and he will address them. It is FDA approved for use in reptiles.

I'm not going to risk my snakes coming into contact with unknown chemicals so I can save $10...

Anyone ever use Bip-Spot or Hartz flea products on your dogs/cats? Yeah.. I know we all love seizures and death, but seriously. Why spend $5 on a product that is known to cause problems, when you can go buy Frontline, Revolution or Advantage at your vet and not have to dole out $100's worth in vet bills for your poisoned, seizuring animal? I don't get it.

I don't use Pam on my snakes nor do i use Bip-spot or hartz products on my shepherd.


I definitly value my collection just as you do. I never said i didn't. My animals are NOT dispensible.

I only stated that it was cheaper because money is not a factor for me but it is for some people.

I only used it once because i bought an Emerald Green Tree Boa and i noticedhe had mites quite badly after i brought him home so i wanted something i could use on the enclosure witout risking a tag from him.
Now that he is in the enclosure I use Reptile Relief spray.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

I'm sure he swears by it.. It's cheap. So is Raid.

Since I value my collection and don't want to use unknown chemicals on my snakes, I will spend the extra $10 and use what is proven effective and safe. I will use Frontline as well, because it is safe and proven effective(it's definitely far from inexpensive).

Provent-A-Mite treats existing infestations as well as prevents recurrences(30+ days since it is residual).

If your snake has an adverse reaction to NIX, who are you going to complain to? No one.. Because it's not approved for use in reptiles. If your snake has an adverse reaction to PAM(which I highly doubt if used correctly), you're going to bring your concerns to Bob Pound, and he will address them. It is FDA approved for use in reptiles.

I'm not going to risk my snakes coming into contact with unknown chemicals so I can save $10...

Anyone ever use Bip-Spot or Hartz flea products on your dogs/cats? Yeah.. I know we all love seizures and death, but seriously. Why spend $5 on a product that is known to cause problems, when you can go buy Frontline, Revolution or Advantage at your vet and not have to dole out $100's worth in vet bills for your poisoned, seizuring animal? I don't get it.

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I'm not saying you don't value your collection. What I am saying is that just because someone says that they've used this certain human/livestock OTC product for years without problems, doesn't mean that it's safe or the best idea. I mean, seriously, I could go spray cattle drench on my snakes and they'd be parasite free real quick, but is that in their best interest? Not really.

And you don't use Provent-A-Mite on the snakes themselves. You spray the enclosure for 1-2 seconds, let it air out for awhile until everything is dry, and then you replace the snake. The mites die very quickly and no chemicals are ever put directly on the snake.

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Originally Posted by Roswell

1) Strip the entire tank down to nothing and wash it with 10% bleach mixed with water. To get that you put 10 ml of bleach in with 1L of water. Then clean all deco with that mixture as well. Let it completely dry and then wipe down with a damp cloth. Let dry again then put the snake back.With both of these ideas you can repeat as often as you like.

Good luck :) :D

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10% bleach solution is 100mL and 1 litre of water. 10 mL to 1 litre is only 1%.

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Originally Posted by PythonWallace

10% bleach solution is 100mL and 1 litre of water. 10 mL to 1 litre is only 1%.

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Math brain is on vacation!:D :D

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

And you don't use Provent-A-Mite on the snakes themselves. You spray the enclosure for 1-2 seconds, let it air out for awhile until everything is dry, and then you replace the snake. The mites die very quickly and no chemicals are ever put directly on the snake.

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Thats the same thing you do with the Nix. Use it on the enclosure after removing the snake.

He (the Emerald) had the worst case of mites; so for this occassion, yes it was in the snakes best interests. Especially since i don't have an abundance of different choices around my area when it comes to mite killing products.

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Originally Posted by Roswell

Thats the same thing you do with the Nix. Use it on the enclosure after removing the snake.

He (the Emerald) had the worst case of mites; so for this occassion, yes it was in the snakes best interests. Especially since i don't have an abundance of different choices around my area when it comes to mite killing products.

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So i hope you have since ordered a can of pam for a just in case measure... I wouldnt use nix to treat for reptile mites, thats for sure.

wow, the amount of information ya'll have shot our way is overwhelming, thanks! Something I (brett) forgot to add in my original post, pertaining to the steps we took to treat our babies and what product we used. As you can see, Stefanie pays a bit more attention than me.

- After a regular cleaner we used Zoo Med's Wipe Out 1 Cleaner
- We treated the snakes with Natural Chemistry's -De Flea, Reptile Relief- "Kills Mites on Contact"
Thus, being the reason I am confused as to why they returned...


If that perks someones mind as to why they came back, please let us know so we can not make the mistake again! :snake:

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Originally Posted by CruelHerbie

wow, the amount of information ya'll have shot our way is overwhelming, thanks! Something I (brett) forgot to add in my original post, pertaining to the steps we took to treat our babies and what product we used. As you can see, Stefanie pays a bit more attention than me.

- After a regular cleaner we used Zoo Med's Wipe Out 1 Cleaner
- We treated the snakes with Natural Chemistry's -De Flea, Reptile Relief- "Kills Mites on Contact"
Thus, being the reason I am confused as to why they returned...


If that perks someones mind as to why they came back, please let us know so we can not make the mistake again! :snake:

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The reason they came back is because the De flea stuff you used killed the mites but not the eggs so after a while the eggs hatch and booyah more mites... You might want to invest in some pam.... just to be sure they never come back.... Good luck

I had one case of mites in my collection before and did the same thing everyone else does, go to petsmart or petco or wherever and pick up some reptile relief or whatever name brand stuff they carry now adays, and to my suprise it didnt work. So i took everyone's advice on the forum and PAm worked like a charm. just use it as directed..... Good luck

While we have this thread going I have some questions about mites...

Where do mites come from? They obviously don't create themselves so I am wondering how they are usually introduced to an otherwise mite-free snake.

That being said, I bought a feeder last week and I noticed a couple tiny, pin point sized bugs on it, unfortunately I noticed this after he started to swallow it. I used the corner of a note card to remove the two bugs I saw from the rat but I am sure it had more. Is this where mites come from? If not, should I be concerned about my snake eating these rats that have bugs?

Yep, De-Flea does NOT kill eggs, at least, not according to my practical experince with it. I asked a rep once at a show about that and he said that it did, but when I worked at a pet store we treated with De-Flea and it always required a second or third treatment.

Also, everything I've read on reptile mites says they aren't the same variety as the kind on feeders. As far as where mites come, I know for sure they can be transmitted from one reptile to another quite easily, as well as on your hands and clothes if you have handled a reptile with mites. They are very common in wild caught reptiles.

Mites come from South America and are generally only found on WC animals from there or in captive collections that are not well-managed. Mites definitely don't "just happen".

Now Wild-Caught Ball Pythons may have ticks, but they won't have mites unless you currently have mites in your collection and they get infested with them.

I took my snake outside and thats when I noticed my mite problem. Mites obviously come from spontaneous generation. The substrate turns into mites.

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I had one case of mites in my collection before and did the same thing everyone else does, go to petsmart or petco or wherever and pick up some reptile relief or whatever name brand stuff they carry now adays, and to my suprise it didnt work. So i took everyone's advice on the forum and PAm worked like a charm. just use it as directed..... Good luck

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Did the exact same thing.

Is your sarcasm directed at me?

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Originally Posted by Brimstone111888

I took my snake outside and thats when I noticed my mite problem. Mites obviously come from spontaneous generation. The substrate turns into mites.

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That made me giggle outloud at work, LOL! Do mites spontaneously combust(or implode) too? That'd be nice..

*poof mites poof*

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Originally Posted by juddb

So i hope you have since ordered a can of pam for a just in case measure... I wouldnt use nix to treat for reptile mites, thats for sure.

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I don't appreciate you insinuating that i would harm my animals just for the sake of killing some bugs. The remark about ordering a can of Pam was just you trying to be a know it all smart a** when someone tries to suggest a different route for managing a problem.

The point of the forum is for the person with the issue to take everyone who replies' responses and make up their own minds.

I would NEVER use Raid on ANY creature and the fact that you would even suggest that shows how spiteful you are.

I will not be goaded into an argument with you over a difference of opinion.

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Originally Posted by Roswell

I don't appreciate you insinuating that i would harm my animals just for the sake of killing some bugs. The remark about ordering a can of Pam was just you trying to be a know it all smart a** when someone tries to suggest a different route for managing a problem.

The point of the forum is for the person with the issue to take everyone who replies' responses and make up their own minds.

I would NEVER use Raid on ANY creature and the fact that you would even suggest that shows how spiteful you are.

I will not be goaded into an argument with you over a difference of opinion.

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I didnt say you used "raid"...... Also im not trying to argue with you.... I just dont think nix is appropriate for snakes...... Take it or leave it. My post came out kind of rough now that i look at it. But just like you said the point of the forum is for the person with the issue to take everyone who replies' responses and make up their own minds. So dont get angry with me because i hoped you bought some pam.....

Nope, not spiteful.

I was just proving a point. Untested chemicals, such as those in NIX or Raid, aren't safe for reptiles and haven't been proven otherwise. Provent-A-Mite, however, is tested, has proved itself over and over, and has been since it was invented.

A difference of opinion would be: I'll use Revolution or Frontline on my cats because it's proven that they are safe, while you say you're going to put a flea collar and canine BioSpot on your cat because it's cheap and will work just fine. Or you could just spray the animal with concentrated pyrethrins, that'd do it!

Needless to say, my cat would be fine and yours would be in the Vet ER seizuring and going through organ failure.

A difference of opinion can mean the life of an animal. Is it really worth it to save a few dollars?

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Originally Posted by jwarriner

Is your sarcasm directed at me?

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Not in a negative way. I wondered too and I thought of spontaneous generation. Its a very ridiculous theory and I thought it was funny. If you took it negatively I am sorry and didn't intend it.

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Originally Posted by Brimstone111888

Not in a negative way. I wondered too and I thought of spontaneous generation. Its a very ridiculous theory and I thought it was funny. If you took it negatively I am sorry and didn't intend it.

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I thought it was funny too.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Nope, not spiteful.
Needless to say, my cat would be fine and yours would be in the Vet ER seizuring and going through organ failure.

A difference of opinion can mean the life of an animal. Is it really worth it to save a few dollars?

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First of all Satanic Intention, none of my comments were directed at you!

Second of all JuddB, At the time i used the Nix, it was a choice between using it and then putting the snake in directly from the bag or putting the snake in and then trying to treat it!

This was not a BP that had the mites. It was an Emerald Green Tree Boa that had just been in the car for an hour, underfed by its previous owners, infested with mites and after all that with their natural aggressive temperament, i would say he was probably quite PO'd!!

Don't know about you but i wouldn't want to be the one treating the snake by hand. It was a decision I had to make at the time and I chose to use the Nix.
End of the bloody debate. Its moot now whether or not the medication is proven because the adult mites are DEAD and the snake is still fine.

I did not chose the Nix option to save a few dollars. The animals health is more important to me than a few bucks!!

SatanicIntention; what you said about the possibility of MY cat ending up seizing and in the vet ER was completely off-side! You have no right slamming the treatment of my animals in any way as you don't see how they are cared for!

This is supposed to be an information outlet and instead its turned into somekind of weird peeing contest.

I will not be insulted or subjected to those kinds of accusations. I'm done with this thread!!

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Originally Posted by Roswell

First of all Satanic Intention, none of my comments were directed at you!

Second of all JuddB, At the time i used the Nix, it was a choice between using it and then putting the snake in directly from the bag or putting the snake in and then trying to treat it!

This was not a BP that had the mites. It was an Emerald Green Tree Boa that had just been in the car for an hour, underfed by its previous owners, infested with mites and after all that with their natural aggressive temperament, i would say he was probably quite PO'd!!

Don't know about you but i wouldn't want to be the one treating the snake by hand. It was a decision I had to make at the time and I chose to use the Nix.
End of the bloody debate. Its moot now whether or not the medication is proven because the adult mites are DEAD and the snake is still fine.

I did not chose the Nix option to save a few dollars. The animals health is more important to me than a few bucks!!

SatanicIntention; what you said about the possibility of MY cat ending up seizing and in the vet ER was completely off-side! You have no right slamming the treatment of my animals in any way as you don't see how they are cared for!

This is supposed to be an information outlet and instead its turned into somekind of weird peeing contest.

I will not be insulted or subjected to those kinds of accusations. I'm done with this thread!!

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I dont get it.... There is no difference between any snake having mites.... You didnt need to handle the snake at all. You treat the enclosure for the mites. But anyway your snakes ok that's what counts :sunny: . But "peeing contest" :eek: :confused: Dont get it buddy..... :salute:

Roswell, Becky is quite accurate in her description of what happens to cats when treated with cheap grocery store pyrethrins, and it is directly relevant to the discussion at hand, since we are talking about off-label use of pyrethins on the animals in our care.

Like her, I have seen the consequences of people cutting corners and taking the cheap way out, and it's extremely unpleasant.

:snake: Well, all clean, enclosure and snakes! We'll try and post some pictures tomorrow! Thanks again for all of your help!