Preparing for first BP - a few questions

[C.alex]

Hi everyone, I'm in the planning/prep process of getting my first BP and there are a few things I'm getting hung up on... I'm sure there's a lot of overthinking happening on my end, but asking for clarification seems better than assuming!

1. Mite prevention:
Regardless of where I end up buying my snake from, it seems that the safest bet is to just go through the steps of mite treatment given the possibility that any snake *could* have mites/nymphs/eggs, correct? I had planned to use Provent A Mite on the enclosure before the snake arrives until I realized it's permethrin, and I have an indoor cat (toxic to cats). I could potentially take the enclosure to the garage to spray and let it dry, but is that safe enough or am I taking chances?

2. Paper towel substrate:
I like the idea of using paper towels during the quarantine/monitoring period but I don't think I fully understand how to maintain humidity this way - is the water bowl and adjusting ventilation enough? Also, this is probably a stupid question but how do you change the paper towels out frequently without disturbing the new snake too much? Seems like you would need to take the hides/bowl/etc out each time to replace the layers?

I'm sure I will have many more questions and need a bit of hand holding (haha) as I get closer to actually purchasing my snake, but let's start with these. Thanks for looking

[Bogertophis]

Do you have other snakes or reptiles that could catch mites if your new snake has them? If not, I wouldn't use "PAM" unless your new snake actually has mites, because while it's pretty safe when used as directed, it's never completely risk free. You don't want to use such chemicals unless you actually need them.

Not sure I understand the "risk" of spraying your enclosure in your garage? Safe for your cat, you mean? I'm not sure, honestly. Ask your vet, especially if your cat ever goes in the garage.

Paper towels are great for spotting mites or other problems (such as abnormal stools/urates, mucoid or bloody streaks for example) but not "perfect" for the reasons you asked about. Yes, just minimize ventilation & use a big water bowl for the time being (for more humidity), or offer a humid hide in addition to the other hides (warm & cool). You're right that a complete cage cleaning will disturb the snake to some extent, but they don't "go" that often anyway, so don't worry about it- be as low-key as you can, that's about all you can do.

[C.alex]

No I don't have any other reptiles, I'm just being cautious and figure that preventing any potential hitchhikers from becoming established is less of a headache than waiting to see if they show up a little later on (I'm thinking if there aren't visible adult mites on arrival). Though you're absolutely right, there's certainly a degree of risk/benefit that needs to be weighed against the use of chemicals. Could Reptile Spray, or another alternative product be applied to the inside of the cage instead? Or am I being paranoid over this and just need to monitor the first few weeks before taking any action? c:

Oh, what I meant by the garage part was whether the treated cage would be safe to bring back inside the home where the cat is after having been left in the garage to dry. In other applications of permethrin (like people spraying their clothes to ward off ticks, etc) I've read that once dry, it should be safe around cats...buuuut I've also read the opposite so I'm not confident in either answer.

Thank you!

[nikkubus]

I wouldn't exactly call it paranoia, it isn't that rare of an issue, but it's going to be just as easy to deal with it IF it happens as beforehand and I just wouldn't bother trying to treat it in advance.

Spraying in the garage, letting it dry, and then bringing it inside should be fine for cats unless they are unusually sensitive compared to normal cats. Adverse reactions are always a risk though for snake and cat, and even you.

[Ball_Pythons4life]

Im extremely new to keeping reptiles, but I wouldn't worry about mites if your buying from a reputable breeder. Its a different story if your buying from a pet store chain, as animals are often kept in cramped spaces together. I honestly don't see any reason to pre treat the enclosure. I would only start to worry if you see mites on the snake or in the enclosure. If your snake does get mites, there are 2 threads I remember that have good advice:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ght=care+mites
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...hat-else-to-do


Since you only have the one snake as well it shouldn't be two difficult to get rid of them, but it would be a lengthy process . My advice is DON'T BUY FROM A PET STORE. Go to a reptile expo or buy one off of morphmarket. Best of luck and make sure you post some pictures when you get her/him

[C.alex]

Thanks for the replies!

Im extremely new to keeping reptiles, but I wouldn't worry about mites if your buying from a reputable breeder. Its a different story if your buying from a pet store chain, as animals are often kept in cramped spaces together. I honestly don't see any reason to pre treat the enclosure. I would only start to worry if you see mites on the snake or in the enclosure. If your snake does get mites, there are 2 threads I remember that have good advice:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ght=care+mites
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...hat-else-to-do

Since you only have the one snake as well it shouldn't be two difficult to get rid of them, but it would be a lengthy process . My advice is DON'T BUY FROM A PET STORE. Go to a reptile expo or buy one off of morphmarket. Best of luck and make sure you post some pictures when you get her/him

I think that second link is what convinced me a preventative approach would be a good idea, but I'm feeling better about the whole thing after the feedback you all are giving me. I'm definitely leaning toward MorphMarket and have been reviewing seller ratings and feedback to get an idea of who would be a good place to buy from

[nikkubus]

My advice is DON'T BUY FROM A PET STORE. Go to a reptile expo or buy one off of morphmarket. Best of luck and make sure you post some pictures when you get her/him

Reptile expo is the first place I ever got a reptile with mites, about 10 years ago but I don't think that is the norm.