mites are back

ok the mites are back.

It is supposed to be 100* outside tomorrow. What if i put the snakes in a tub and put the tank out in the sun. I will seal it up so it gets really hot. Do you think that would work good enough to kill the mite eggs? I will empty all of the bedding and leave all of the hides in it to heat up

What did you do originally to get rid of the mites?

i cleaned the tank with some reptile relief junk that didnt work. I have cleaned the tank a few times. Not sure if i ever truely got rid of them. I am moving in 2 days and dont have time to order pam

I don't think the heat would be adequate to kill the eggs. I'd order the Provent a Mite, and just use the reptile relief until it comes in.

If your tank is glass, cleaning it with a 10% bleach solution will kill any mites and eggs on the glass.

Take your wood hide and branches and put them in your oven on 180 for 20 minutes.

Soak the snake in warm water WITH dishwashing liquid added for 30 minutes.

Do NOT put the wood with the snake until you are sure the mites are gone. Just put it on newspaper with a waterbowl. If it needs to hide, put some extra newspaper in there for it to get underneath.

Then get pam and follow directions.

so paper towels will work fine for now until the mites are gone.

We are going to be moving for 14 hours. the snake will be fine with no heating for that amount of time right? Will be in a 75* temp car.

I didn't want to post this elsewhere as a new thread.

How common are mites? Does every snake have to deal with them throughout it's life or is it just a hit or miss type parasite?

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

I didn't want to post this elsewhere as a new thread.

How common are mites? Does every snake have to deal with them throughout it's life or is it just a hit or miss type parasite?

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Mites are not something that's in every collection, but they're not rare by any means.

They also don't just appear out of no where. You either pick up the little buggers or their eggs from a new snake that has been exposed to them, or they can hitch hike on you and take up residence on your snake. In any case, there is a transfer of the mites or the eggs.

I see. Well, are they easily identifiable?

how long can mites\eggs live with no prey? I might go ahead and just leave all the wood out until i am done moving in 4 days. As hides, i have some small cardboard boxes

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

I see. Well, are they easily identifiable?

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The eggs you won't be able to see, but the mites look like this ----> .

They're little black specks that move. You can usually just wipe your snake with a paper towel and see all the specks.

Here's a link that may help you out a bit more than I can...
http://www.vpi.com/publications/the_...of_snake_mites

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Originally Posted by jseber1982

how long can mites\eggs live with no prey? I might go ahead and just leave all the wood out until i am done moving in 4 days. As hides, i have some small cardboard boxes

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They eggs can live for weeks. Throw away the cardboard. Soak with dishwashing soap daily. Treat the wood before you move, it only takes 20 minutes and then it's safe but don't put it with the snake until after you get PAM. You don't want to reinfect it.

i will order some pam tonight and will have it by the time i move.

so i will cook the wood tonight.

remove everything from the tank and treat it with 10% bleach.

soak the snake in water and dish soap.

use paper towls and cardboard hides until i move and can use pam.

sound about right?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jseber1982

i will order some pam tonight and will have it by the time i move.

so i will cook the wood tonight.

remove everything from the tank and treat it with 10% bleach.

soak the snake in water and dish soap.

use paper towls and cardboard hides until i move and can use pam.

sound about right?

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Yes.

Just don't reuse the cardboard hides. I'd just toss them were I you and let the snake hide under papertowels until you get PAM.

Eggs and/or mites can hide in the cardboard. The soaks will kill most of the mites.

PAM will finish them off.

go to the post office online and you can get as many box as you want for free. got about 200 boxes i can use. hell maybe i will just replace them every few weeks and pitch the wooden hides

You can get free cardboard boxes? From the Post Office?

Do you have a link, please? I searched on:

http://www.usps.com

and I had no luck finding any free cardboard boxes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johnny Hive X

You can get free cardboard boxes? From the Post Office?

Do you have a link, please? I searched on:

http://www.usps.com

and I had no luck finding any free cardboard boxes.

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You migth be able to just walk into your local post office to pick up a few. If you order them online, I think you have to get them in bundles.


I just treated our tank with PAM and OMG I wish I would have done it sooner. My Exo-Terra substrate came loaded with free mites!