Red 'cat' mites on my feeder mice!

[Salamander Rising]

Ugh!

I just discovered that my feeder mice have the red mites like you find on cats, rabbits and other mammals.

I have a bottle of cat mite spray but if I treat the mice, won't it poison my snakes if they eat them?

I know the mites can be drowned in plain water and am seriously considering 'bathing' my feeder mice and steam cleaning their aquarium.

I know the mites aren't the kind that affect snakes but I don't want these things getting loose in my house...they bite dogs, pet rats and people, too!

Would food grade diatomaceous earth kill them?

[DooLittle]

I wonder about the reptile relief spray from reptile basics? It says it doesn't use poisons, and is safe to use on the snakes itself. As well as cats and dogs for fleas. I read the description, but don't have my bottle here till Friday. I ordreded some just in case. Also ordered Pam and have on hand "just in case". I hope I don't ever have to go to war with those little butt holes, but I will be ready! Good luck!

[Salamander Rising]

I wonder about the reptile relief spray from reptile basics? It says it doesn't use poisons, and is safe to use on the snakes itself. As well as cats and dogs for fleas. I read the description, but don't have my bottle here till Friday. I ordreded some just in case. Also ordered Pam and have on hand "just in case". I hope I don't ever have to go to war with those little butt holes, but I will be ready! Good luck!

I'll see if the store has any of that and order it if they don't.

Thanks for answering....
[I was starting to think I was either invisible or persona non grata around here]

[Fila]

I am thinking about pretreating new feeder breeders with ivermectin as a mite preventative. From what I have read, for a rat you can put one drop behind the ears of the liquid or a rice size grain of the paste horse wormer orally for larger ones and half a piece of rice size orally for the smaller rats. Thought I would try it on a few and see how they do before treating the whole batch. Ivermectin can be given to snakes orally as a wormer, so what is not processed would be a safe amount for a snake I presume, at least safer than poisons. The ivermectin can also kill othert parasites, an additional bonus. Hopefully more people will chime in.
*Fila*

[Salamander Rising]

I am thinking about pretreating new feeder breeders with ivermectin as a mite preventative. From what I have read, for a rat you can put one drop behind the ears of the liquid or a rice size grain of the paste horse wormer orally for larger ones and half a piece of rice size orally for the smaller rats. Thought I would try it on a few and see how they do before treating the whole batch. Ivermectin can be given to snakes orally as a wormer, so what is not processed would be a safe amount for a snake I presume, at least safer than poisons. The ivermectin can also kill othert parasites, an additional bonus. Hopefully more people will chime in.
*Fila*

I've heard of large doses of oral Ivermectin being used for sarcoptic mange mites but have never heard of it being used topically for other ectoparasites.

I'll have to check that out.

Thanks.

I'm hoping my local store will have this stuff today:

http://www.petco.com/product/109610/...ile-Spray.aspx

Right now, I'm sitting here imagining that they're walking on me.
[I'm one of those people who only has to see a flea/tick/mite to start getting twitchy!]

[Fila]

I am a vet tech and ivermectin is useful for all types of mites, and so cheap it would be worth it to me to try it, esp since it should be safe for my snake. Oral is how I would go, as that way the mites cannot hide. I presume even putting it on the back of the head they still groom and get internally. Another thing, mites eggs are not killed with ivermectin, so it would need to be repeated maybe twice I assume. I hope someone more versed on this will pipe in.
*Fila*

[Salamander Rising]

I am a vet tech and ivermectin is useful for all types of mites, and so cheap it would be worth it to me to try it, esp since it should be safe for my snake. Oral is how I would go, as that way the mites cannot hide. I presume even putting it on the back of the head they still groom and get internally. Another thing, mites eggs are not killed with ivermectin, so it would need to be repeated maybe twice I assume. I hope someone more versed on this will pipe in.
*Fila*

Sure beats trying to give baths to angry little mice......

[RichsBallPythons]

Are you sure its Red Spider Mites or wood mites.

Wood mites Will hitch on living warm blooded animals, but rarely cause them any problems unless badly infested.

If you breed rodents, you should be treating their cage weekly to stop the out break of wood mites that rats get

[Rhasputin]

Do not use oral ivermectin for mites on rodents. Do not get your mice wet either.

Topical ivermectin is widely used and accepted for mites on mice, eats, and other rodents.

The type of ivermectin you want is any brand that is 5mg ivermectin per ml. This should be a 'ivermectin pour on treatment for cattle' the other species like sheep, use a higher dosage which can kill your animals. Brand doesn't matter as long as the dosage is right. Then you dilute it 4-5 parts water to 1 part iver on, and spray your mice and bedding, or take an eye-dropper and put a drop of the mixture on each mouse between the shoulders. Shake before each use.

This is the best way to treat your mice or other rodents for mites.
The solution kills virtually all parasites internal and eternal, and should be repeated every 2 days (for a bad case) or once every week for a mild infestation.

Furthermore you can use the spray as a preventative treatment once a month to prevent new infestations from occurring.


Please feel free to PM me for more info, we just had several extremely lengthy discussions about this very topic on some of the mouse forums!



EDIT: That spray you linked to is EXPENSIVE, don't buy it. A small 250ml bottle of durvet ivermectin is less than $10 and you dilute it 4 parts water to 1 part meds, so it lasts forever.

Diatomaceous earth will not rid you of your mite problem, but can help. You can sprinkle it in the bedding if it makes you feel better, but with the ivermectin it shouldn't be a problem.

[RichsBallPythons]

I currently Use The lice bedding spray for the Mites i get from my bedding that get on the rats. Its worked well, all i do is spray the bare tub, toss in the clean bedding and thats it. Once a week is all i do and the number of Mites drop.

Most mites on rats are adults, since baby mites are clear and almost invisible to human eye. In the winter time I leave my bedding outside to freeze to kill off any living mites, this way the spray works better on newly hatched mites.

Theres many ways to treat this, you can even use Provent a Mite but thats expensive for this.