Question about mites

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I purchased a ball python last Saturday (my first snake), and today I picked her up for a second to change something in her enclosure when I noticed two little mites crawling around my hand. I decided to call the store I bought her from and inform them because I know mites can be a big problem and maybe they would want to know and maybe pay for the treatment idk?? Anyway the lady told me that this can happen when you move and stress the snakes because the mites are already carried internally, and stress can make them break out.

That sounded pretty sketchy to me, but I didn't disagree since my knowledge may not be as good as her's. Still, out of all the research I've done about mites, I've never heard that before. I think it's possible she didn't want to tell the truth to avoid paying for the treatment or me asking to return the snake, but idk...

What are your thoughts on this?

Extra information: The store isn't some big chain pet store; they are a family run store that specializes in exotics. I'm also going there tomorrow to buy food and now the treatment...jeez...

[LLLReptile]

Mites are an external parasite, and are unlikely to just show up due to stress when an animal moves - they don't really work by coming out from inside the snake, which is what seems to be getting implied... A snake can pick up mites from a visit to a store, or a friend coming over who visited another place that had mites, etc, etc, so it's not always that a particular place is bad or has an infestation... The snake could also have had very young or small mites when you first purchased her, and while you've had her for a few days, they've fed and grown and gone from being a nearly invisible problem to a very visible issue.

Hopefully the shop owner can help you out with a discount on treating your snake; here is an article to help you with treating them thoroughly and ensuring that once you get rid of the mites, they're gone for good. http://lllreptile.com/info/library/c...h-snake-mites/

Also, here is a video along the same lines. I highly recommend treating both the snake and the enclosure; it's the best way to ensure both snake and cage are completely free of mites by the time you're done.


Good luck!

-Jen

[pie.r.square]

Ehh..I thought so. I had never read anything like what she told me. I plan on doing a full clean when I do treat her, though I might just buy the treatment online if it's cheaper/better (I was already on your website trying to get an idea of how much it would cost and I have no idea if what they supply at the store is the same or what).

[BHReptiles]

You need to find a place that sells PAM (Prevent-A-Mite) and order some ASAP. Until then, you can soak your ball python in warm water with a drop of dish soap in it. You can also buy reptile relief spray. This spray can be sprayed on the snake itself. Once you get your PAM in, you need to treat the ENCLOSURE not the snake. Usually two treatments of PAM will kill those suckers. Until you can get some PAM, put your snake on newspaper or paper towels. Good luck!

[delonybro]

If you can't get Prevent-a-mite locally, Equate Bedding Spray in the Walmart Pharmacy section works just as good. Same ingredients, use exactly as you would the PAM.