Can blood mites be caused by feeding live mice/rats?

[Dug]

I'm sorry if this has been discussed somewhere before, but I can't find this.

Can blood mites be caused by feeding live mice/rats?

Today I was at the pet store to buy a rat and the owner told me that rats do not carry this mites.

[paulh]

I am not sure what you mean by blood mites. Mites that live in a snake's blood stream? Mites that live on a snake's skin and suck blood?

If you are thinking about the snake mite, Ophionyssus natricis, there is a good paper at http://vpi.com/publications/the_life...of_snake_mites.

Snake mites live on a wide variety of snakes and lizards. They do not suck mammal blood. The most common way for a clean reptile to be infested with snake mites is for an infested reptile to be put in a room with the clean reptile. The mites walk out of the the infested animal's cage, find the clean animal's cage, and climb aboard.

Hope that helps.

[Craiga 01453]

Are there reptiles at that store? It's possible that they piggy-backed home on your clothes or something.

[Dug]

Are there reptiles at that store? It's possible that they piggy-backed home on your clothes or something.

Yes there are reptiles at that store and the store doesn't seem very clean as well. Cages are small and packed and close to each other and I don't think they take very good care of the animals (there are people who agree with me in google reviews). Also, when you ask for a feeder rat they go to the back of the store, to a place the customers can't see and get one there, but if I see the rest of the store that place in the back can't be any good.

[Dug]

I am not sure what you mean by blood mites. Mites that live in a snake's blood stream? Mites that live on a snake's skin and suck blood?

If you are thinking about the snake mite, Ophionyssus natricis, there is a good paper at http://vpi.com/publications/the_life...of_snake_mites.

Snake mites live on a wide variety of snakes and lizards. They do not suck mammal blood. The most common way for a clean reptile to be infested with snake mites is for an infested reptile to be put in a room with the clean reptile. The mites walk out of the the infested animal's cage, find the clean animal's cage, and climb aboard.

Hope that helps.

So basically, rodents can serve as a temporary host.

[Craiga 01453]

Yes there are reptiles at that store and the store doesn't seem very clean as well. Cages are small and packed and close to each other and I don't think they take very good care of the animals (there are people who agree with me in google reviews). Also, when you ask for a feeder rat they go to the back of the store, to a place the customers can't see and get one there, but if I see the rest of the store that place in the back can't be any good.

I would stop elsewhere then, if I were in your shoes at least.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Yes and no

Mites are species specific, snake mites are different than mites found on rodent.......however a snake mite can hitch a ride on a rodent.

Let's say you have a snake that has mite, you offer food, the snake does not eat, you remove the rodent and offer it to another snake that is mite free well now you have another snake with mites.

That's why strict quarantine is a must so is buying feeder from a reputable source.

[SDA]

Mites are like fleas, they can hop a ride on almost anything if the infestation is big enough. I had a wonderful ordeal of this about 6 years ago after going to a repticon.

Not sure what a blood mite is however