Bad shed

[nikkubus]

just seen too many owners that "thought they were", only to have them make a come-back.

Absolutely. They can come back with a vengeance after a few weeks.

[Adinelli1092]

I completely understand. You helped me with the more issue and after tons of research I know better than to think they are gone. Honestly I don’t think they are I think I have just manage to kill all live ones for the moment. We just finished mote treatment 2 days ago and I still haven’t introduced normal substrate, I feel bad because he likes to dig, but I want to wait at least another week or so and a couple more baths just to
be on the safe side. I don’t wanna have to put him threw this again anytime soon.

[Bogertophis]

White paper towels as substrate for at least a month is generally helpful to see any resurgence of mites. I understand they're not ideal either for humidity or "comfort". You could always try what I do for some hatchlings- take a little "stack" of paper towels & shred them into strips, then toss them like a salad- snakes love the tangle of fluff to hide in or explore, & you won't be helping the mites any. This won't raise (or lower) the humidity, but it's a lot easier to see mites on white paper towels than in the more natural substrates, & costs very little, especially if you have to toss it out more often. Sad to say I think it's unlikely that mites are fully gone, but you'll get there.

[Adinelli1092]

Everyone on here has been a lot of help and I appreciate that greatly. I thought I might ask what is the ideal setup for bp. I know it can vary depending house temp/humidity. I just want to make sure I am providing the best care and everyone on here wants that. So who better to ask.

[Adinelli1092]

Ok I will do that for at least the next the month then. I actually just picked up the biggest pack of paper towels you can buy!!

[Adinelli1092]

Also what is a good way to keep it humid without the substrate to help? I ordered moss and a small hide for a humid hide, will that help keep it humid in the tank as well

[nikkubus]

You can use a wider water dish than normal, more surface area means more water evaporating to raise the humidity. You can fold a paper towel and very lightly dampen it for the humid hide till the mites are for sure gone, but I would replace it every couple days because it doesn't have anything to stop it from molding like some natural materials do.

The "best" is debatable. Here is a sticky guide from this forum. I highly favor plastic enclosures over glass because of the ability to retain heat better and more appropriate ventilation for BP. https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...s%29-Caresheet

[Bogertophis]

Everyone on here has been a lot of help and I appreciate that greatly. I thought I might ask what is the ideal setup for bp. I know it can vary depending house temp/humidity. I just want to make sure I am providing the best care and everyone on here wants that. So who better to ask.

Have you discovered the Caresheets & numerous threads under Ball Pythons here yet? Just > "Forum" above, scroll down to "Caresheets" or "Ball Pythons" below that.
This is for starters*: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ius)-Caresheet
*This are due for a revision, we recommend keeping the upper temps. not over 88-90*. If you have ANY questions...please feel free to ask.

As far as the "ideal" set-up, there are various opinions on that, & some (esp. breeders) prefer smaller accommodations (using "tubs") while others like other options. All these can work, if you focus on the needs of the kind of snake you're keeping, in this case a BP. BPs are shy "ambush predators" that prefer to hide much of the time, so they like their home to feel a bit "cluttered" & should always have 2 hides (cool side & warm side) because most snakes choose "security" over the right temperature, & if they need to digest (for example), you want them to thermoregulate properly. At any rate, there's no "one right answer" which is why we share tips here. You should always pay attention to your own pet- what they seem to prefer, as they're not all identical either.

[Adinelli1092]

Thank you I will check that out.