Black Mites?

[Kaorte]

Our first Python Samara got these black Mites after getting a hide cave made of real wood from a pet store. Believe it or not use Olive Oil on your python. It is safe to use and cheap. Use it once a day and rub it all over your ball python. Clean your cage and replace everything inside and wash your cage with water and bleach. Within a few days these black mites will be gone... Best of Luck!!!!

Steven

Why use olive oil when pam is proven to get rid of them?

[MarkS]

Our first Python Samara got these black Mites after getting a hide cave made of real wood from a pet store. Believe it or not use Olive Oil on your python. It is safe to use and cheap. Use it once a day and rub it all over your ball python. Clean your cage and replace everything inside and wash your cage with water and bleach. Within a few days these black mites will be gone... Best of Luck!!!!

Steven

Sorry, Olive Oil is complete baloney. It may suffocate some of the mites that are ON the snake, but not all of them and it will do nothing for the mites that are in the cage. The only way to get rid of snake mites is to use a poison that is specific for killing mites. People who claim that olive oil works were probably never infested with snake mites in the first place. There are hundreds of different species of mites, some of which may have come in as eggs with the substrate or cage furniture and may have died off on their own anyway with nothing to feed on.

[Neal]

Recommended by a vet or not. I wouldn't use olive oil. There has been some negative results on using olive oil, if you want to make sure it works, get PAM(prevent a mite) or Reptile Relief.

[Vypyrz]

I had a herp/ vet tech recommend using olive oil for stuck shed, but mites? Either way I decided not to try it....

[Samara]

Sorry, Olive Oil is complete baloney. It may suffocate some of the mites that are ON the snake, but not all of them and it will do nothing for the mites that are in the cage. The only way to get rid of snake mites is to use a poison that is specific for killing mites. People who claim that olive oil works were probably never infested with snake mites in the first place. There are hundreds of different species of mites, some of which may have come in as eggs with the substrate or cage furniture and may have died off on their own anyway with nothing to feed on.

I am not trying to come off like some jerk here, although if you would have read my post you would have seen what I really said. Nowhere in my post did I say Olive Oil would kill mites inside the cage. I stated you must clean the cage with water and bleach. You must wash the water bowl hide box or cave, and replace the bedding. The Olive Oil treatment is a week long treatment that does work.

I doubt that any of us are Vets. Although if one or two of us are, they most likely will all agree that this treatment does work. Although you may get some that say it does not. Like my father in law who is a M.D. does not agree with treatment plans with every doctor. I guess that is what makes every vet or M.D different.

I will say that this treatment worked for my python’s . The Olive Oil did not Dry out their scales although it may have with other snakes, but with my own.

[CoolioTiffany]

There are a few things you can use, but many of them don't work. Prevent-A-Mite works very well at preventing your snake from getting mites and getting rid of mites. You can find this product at some exotic pet shops or you can go online and purchase some. My Ball python has mites and I used JurrasiMite and I haven't seen any mites so far. What I did was I took my BP out and put him in a container of warm water for 2 hours then I cleaned out the entire enclosure very well and then I put new substrate in and I also scrubbed his hide and decor plants. I sprayed JurassiMite on the substrate lightly, then put back his hide and plants and I sprayed those lightly too. I waited for it to dry, then when the 2 hours was up for my BP I took him out (by that time everything was dry), put him back in his enclosure, and put the water dish back. When you spray the enclosure, do not spray the water dish. All you do is take it out and wash it down really well and put it back in the enclosure when everything is dry. I also sprayed all sides of the enclosure in case the mites tried going up or digging in the substrate. Now, the day after, I sprayed JurassiMite on a cloth and I took my BP out and I wiped the cloth all over his body (except the eyes, try to avoid those). This kills the mites that could be underneath his scales. Ever since I've done this I haven't found any mites yet, so I think this stuff really works. Good luck with your snake!