Help Mites!!

[Adinelli1092]

I recently purchased my first bp at the beginning of January. I’m not quite sure how old he/she is( they didn’t know the sex). It is still quite young I believe, coming in at 20 inches. It was doing a great job getting used to me and my family, and it was eating about every four days. It was shedding when we got it, and it shed again about 2 1/2weeks ago. I noticed both times it was having some trouble. It hasnt eaten since then and I was getting a little worried. I know bp’s can be very picky eaters, so I just sat watching it and realized it had little black things crawling all over it. Mites!!! What do I do? When I purchased my bp it was in a cage with just eco carpet. I did some research and saw that other substrates were better and I went with reptisoil. I clean the cage every day or every other day, spray it down and move the substrate around. Fully clean it once a week or once every ten days. Did I introduce them to my bp, or did he already have them, and how do I get rid of them now? I am worried they are affecting his appetite. I gave him a bath and changed the substrate completely after cleaning out the cage? Am I doing anything wrong?? What next. Please help. Thank you.

[Bogertophis]

You'll want to use white paper towels for substrate while you eradicate mites- they show up this way, have fewer places to hide or leave eggs. This will be a process, & there's more than one way to go about it.

First off, I'd do a shallow (not over his head) lukewarm soak with a drop of mild dish soap (Dawn or Ivory) added (it breaks the surface tension of the water so mites drown- otherwise they swim & climb back on). Stay right with him for about 20-25 minutes- that will get rid of most BUT NOT ALL. You'll need other methods because they hide on your snake's face & it's not okay to dunk him. (try not to let him drink any water with soap in also)

I'll quote bcr229's post (#2): to save some time writing: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...hat-else-to-do

[Bogertophis]

I'm glad he ate for you- at least at first. Feeding every 4 days is a bit too fast- he needs time to digest (about a week is best for a young snake) but while you get rid of his mites, do not worry about feeding him- he's likely to refuse anyway, due to stress of extra handling & such. Mites are a SERIOUS issue, they can kill a snake by dehydration & organ failure- they're tiny but don't underestimate them- they reproduce exponentially & smaller snakes are most at risk, so getting rid of his mites, that's "job 1" now.

He might have refused food from all the handling- I'm just reading into what you said- " doing a great job getting used to me and my family". Young BPs don't usually go off food the way the adults do, so yours may have been getting stressed. It's better not to handle a new snake (of any age, but especially young ones) until after they've eaten 2-3 times for you, easily & at normal intervals. They're still figuring out how to be snakes, & they're instinctively fearful when we pick them up, even though it doesn't show. It helps to stay patient with snakes- BPs are shy & "ambush feeders", meaning they don't actively hunt, they mostly wait for clueless prey to pass by where they're hiding.

For now though, concentrate on the mites. Ugh! Use only plastic "hides" (mites hide or leave eggs in natural wood/tree bark hides or branches, so you'll have to throw any of that out, if you were using them.) & keep a water bowl in his home too.

Oh, &

[Bogertophis]

Here's just for future reference on feeding (the right size for the size of your snake):

[Adinelli1092]

Thank you very much for your help. It’s greatly appreciated. As I mentioned before I don’t know the sex of my bp. Unfortunately the closest reptile vet near me is close to 2 hours away. Is their anyway you can tell. Or someone might be able to tell. I know most people on here have taken care of bp’s for years. I can post pictures on my profile. I’m not quite sure how to post pictures on the thread

[Adinelli1092]

I thought every four days was a little quick too, but that’s what the shop was feeding him so I just tried to keep it consistent. I should have been more clear about getting used to me and my family. I’m the only one that handles it, and I wasn’t handling him much other than to move him to clean his cage. I’m hoping I can get this figured out. Thank you so much.

[Bogertophis]

Thank you very much for your help. It’s greatly appreciated. As I mentioned before I don’t know the sex of my bp. Unfortunately the closest reptile vet near me is close to 2 hours away. Is their anyway you can tell. Or someone might be able to tell. I know most people on here have taken care of bp’s for years. I can post pictures on my profile. I’m not quite sure how to post pictures on the thread

Gender is hard to tell on snakes & nothing you need worry about right now anyway.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures

https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

[Bogertophis]

I thought every four days was a little quick too, but that’s what the shop was feeding him so I just tried to keep it consistent. I should have been more clear about getting used to me and my family. I’m the only one that handles it, and I wasn’t handling him much other than to move him to clean his cage. I’m hoping I can get this figured out. Thank you so much.

It also depends on exactly what you were feeding- rats or mice, & what size/age?

Younger rodents have very little bone mass & are very digestible. So if you were feeding rat pinks, he (or she) could have eaten them almost daily, same goes for mouse fuzzies. Most ppl start off BPs on hopper mice, and pre-killed (either fresh, by you, or frozen-thawed) are by far the safer option. Once mice or rats open their eyes, they will bite back in self-defense- but not before then. And the older they (rats or mice) get, the better they are at self-defense, which by definition means they'll bite & may injure your snake if his grip isn't quite right. Eating live as they do in the wild, sooner or later snakes get injured by their meals, & even if they "win" the battle, it's far better to prevent injuries. It's just easier to keep a snake healthy than to fix medical issues (not to mention cheaper).

Tip: when you get a new snake, feed the same thing it was successfully eating for previous owner. Rats & mice smell (& presumably taste) different, & while some snakes don't care, many have preferences, lol.

[Adinelli1092]

My bp is big enough to be eating small mice. And that’s what I have continued to feed him. They were feeding him live, and I didn’t want to mess up his eating. Should I start pre-killing his meals? I have read so
many mixed reviews and have heard so many things. As we know they are picky eaters, and I was trying to keep everything the same.

[Bogertophis]

My bp is big enough to be eating small mice. And that’s what I have continued to feed him. They were feeding him live, and I didn’t want to mess up his eating. Should I start pre-killing his meals? I have read so
many mixed reviews and have heard so many things. As we know they are picky eaters, and I was trying to keep everything the same.

I wouldn't change anything until after you get him through the mite problem- it won't be a quick fix, mites are nasty & can recur if you slip up. And as I said, don't feed in the midst of treatment anyway.