ECLARK - mites

[Vomitore]

Look. Ed messed up. He knows better then to put un-quarantined snakes with purchased/clean or whatever snakes. I think as a seller he should take strict caution with WHATEVER reptile he sells. Guessing your snake is clean is a HUGE no-no. Ed will hopefully learn from this. As for April posting about this on the forum, I believe she has the right. Ed doesnt sell JUST to April. He sells to any willing buyer. April was making others aware of what happened. Let's not let this thread get ugly and locked out. Let's go see 300 ok?!

[Emilio]

Here we go, I'm going to be completely honest here I love this forum, but many times Its bothersome to read a thread like this one. Where two groups of people start going at it, Yes I agree Ed messed up, and he should of had a better answer for this whole predicament. But with that said, wow we can become hostile quick. And if he's being honest about BHB doesn't that make you think that maybe things aren't as perfect as they seem even with the big breeders.

[frankykeno]

Just a little solid info here on mites folks....(thanks to VPI but the bolding is my addition)...

The protonymph stage lasts from three days to two weeks. This stage is mobile and may move considerable distances. Protonymphs are able to detect and are attracted by the smell of snakes. They require a blood meal to metamorphose to the next stage. Unfed protonymphs are pale ivory or yellowish in color, and they are almost invisible to the naked eye. The sharp-eyed, observant keeper may notice pale protonymphs walking across scale surfaces, especially on a snake's head plates. When engorged after a blood meal, protonymphs are dark red, smaller than adult females and not black in color. After full engorgement, protonymphs become active. Typically, they leave their host snakes and travel until they find a dark, humid location in the snake cage, where they shed, 12 to 24 hours after feeding.
It is common to find engorged protonymphs drowned in the water bowls in snake cages, often the first obvious sign of the presence of snake mites in the cage. The observant keeper will notice them sunk to the bottom of the bowl, looking like little flat pieces of pepper that, upon close inspection, are seen to have legs.

Since obviously this is the stage in the life cycle of a mite that it is most "visible" and seen easily by the naked eye, then how do you explain not seeing something that can be around for "3 days to 2 weeks" on a snake you are shipping out to customer or in that snake's enclosure or in an enclosure in that rack. It seems Ed has found and now treated these mites so how in the world did Shelby end up with two snakes with visible mites. They were invisible and now suddenly visible?????

[jotay]

I was just wondering since Ed has been grilled by several different posters w/ questions I had a few for Shelby ( maybe I missed the answers to the questions somewhere in all these posts, if so please beg my pardon )

Shelby,
When the snakes first arrived did you contact Ed asap about the two snakes in one bag and the mites before you posted on here?
If not why?

If so what did he say?

And if you did contact him first did you let him know if he didn't post to let buyers know of the mite problem you where going to?

I would think contacting him first and giving him the chance to post about the problem would have been the right way to go and then if he was slip shot on it then posting to inform everyone so buyers could beware.

Just trying to get a clear idea of how this all went down and where his head and yours was before I go off making opinions on Ed or the subject.

Thanks.

[MATT FISHER REPTILES]

if this thred was about a snake from adam or rd that showed up with mites everyone on here would of hung the person who started it for bringing it to a public fourm. but due the the fact that ed has been moving snakes on here like a tornado and is steping on peoples toes. we are going to keep it public and hang him high. at the end it is just sad.

the point has been made. both sides have been herd. mistakes happen.
or are we all soooooo perfect. i doubt ed has stayed in this bizz as long as he has by screwing people. so i am sure he will more than take care of it.

CALL OFF THE DOGS

[rabernet]

if this thred was about a snake from adam or rd that showed up with mites everyone on here would of hung the person who started it for bringing it to a public fourm. but due the the fact that ed has been moving snakes on here like a tornado and is steping on peoples toes. we are going to keep it public and hang him high. at the end it is just sad.

the point has been made. both sides have been herd. mistakes happen.
or all we all soooooo perfect. i doubt ed has stayed in this bizz as long as he has by screwing people. so i am sure he will more than take care of it.

CALL OFF THE DOGS

Matt - they would be held just as accountable - Ed has never stepped on my toes and he needs to answer questions posed to him, not ignore them.

[jglass38]

if this thred was about a snake from adam or rd that showed up with mites everyone on here would of hung the person who started it for bringing it to a public fourm. but due the the fact that ed has been moving snakes on here like a tornado and is steping on peoples toes. we are going to keep it public and hang him high. at the end it is just sad.

the point has been made. both sides have been herd. mistakes happen.
or are we all soooooo perfect. i doubt ed has stayed in this bizz as long as he has by screwing people. so i am sure he will more than take care of it.

CALL OFF THE DOGS

I often wonder if you have the slightest clue what you are talking about. Then I read the posts and all doubt vanishes.

[Shelby]

Hey all, sorry I left this logged in (I was out of the house for a few hours)

Yes, I contacted Ed first. I will post the PMs I sent and Ed's responses:

April, did not know I had mites in the baby rack, have been buying some rodents from the pet shop the last couple of months and maybe thats what happened?


the black ate on sat and the pastel last weekend. small rats, sorry about giving you the gift that keeps on giving.

Hi Ed, the snakes arrived about an hour or so ago, they were still warm and all, however, I found mites on them.

Needless to say, that does not please me. I suggest you remedy that situation ASAP.

So, right now they are chilling out in PAM treated tubs, and I sincerely hope none are spread to any of the rest of my collection.

April

And my second PM which Ed did not reply to:

Hm.. well considering that snake mites have no interest in rodents, it'd have to be a pretty unsanitary pet store for the mites to be on the rats.

Either way.. I would suggest if you want to keep happy customers that you check over every snake before you ship it out.

Also I'm going to have to post what happened in the feedback forum.. I believe potential customers have a right to know. Mites are a bane to us all, but fortunately they are easily prevented with a bit of care.

My issue is.. the mites were clearly visible.. quite a few under the scales on the sides and belly of the cinny, and a few crawling around over her face and back. I treated the tubs right away with PAM, however the risk is real that one or more escaped the PAM. Unfortunately my quarantine room is right next door to the main room (I live with my parents so I don't have the luxury of a quarantine room that is further from the main collection) so there's only so much I can do.

Yes, everyone sooner or later is going to come across mites, but there are ways to easily prevent them from being sent out to your customers.

[Beardo]

if this thred was about a snake from adam or rd that showed up with mites everyone on here would of hung the person who started it for bringing it to a public fourm. but due the the fact that ed has been moving snakes on here like a tornado and is steping on peoples toes. we are going to keep it public and hang him high. at the end it is just sad.

the point has been made. both sides have been herd. mistakes happen.
or are we all soooooo perfect. i doubt ed has stayed in this bizz as long as he has by screwing people. so i am sure he will more than take care of it.

CALL OFF THE DOGS

Yeah, thats it....there a huge conspiracy to turn Ed into a martyr.

[Rapture]

If Adam didn't practice quarantine then sold animals from his collection without realizing that they have disease-transmitting parasites, it would become known.