i got an email just now from a friend:

My ratties have mites! I thoroughly cleaned their cage tonight, washed them off with water, then wiped them down with garlic oil and put it in their ears, too. But the little suckers are still on them! They are COVERED! I don't know what happened! But in the meantime, everything I've read says to give them Ivermectin, which my mom has and can bring by next weekend. It is liquid heavy duty strength. Do you know of anything else I can do to get rid of them? I feel so bad I don't know how they got in there!
Thanks for any help you can give me!
what advice can you give her? becky? jo? anyone with experience?