Mite Infestation !!! Help !!

[pythonownerguy]

As the title says, Loki is infested with Mites. I dont know what caused them but I have picked up some Mite Off spray and sprayed the whole tank, substrate, and everything inside the tank to include pulling Loki out, rinsing off the mites with warm water and spraying him head to tail. Tomorrow Im going to get a new tank, water bowl and hide and throwing everything else in the dumpster and start all over. If anyone else has any ideas that will work, please let me know. Thank you for any assistance.

[Obscurus28]

As the title says, Loki is infested with Mites. I dont know what caused them but I have picked up some Mite Off spray and sprayed the whole tank, substrate, and everything inside the tank to include pulling Loki out, rinsing off the mites with warm water and spraying him head to tail. Tomorrow Im going to get a new tank, water bowl and hide and throwing everything else in the dumpster and start all over. If anyone else has any ideas that will work, please let me know. Thank you for any assistance.

Do what your already doing, but you need to wait. it takes time :/ Also, You don't need to start all over just wait. I would throw the substrate out tho and replace with paper towels (So you can see if he/she stills has mites) Just follow the instructions on the prevent-a-mite. Goodluck, keep me posted ok?

[pythonownerguy]

Yea, I just hate seeing them crawling all over him and not being able to do much about it. The worse part is that he ate last night and I cant pull him out to wash him off like I would want to cause he might regurgitate his food. I feel helpless but I'll give it time but I am gonna get a new tank and accessories should it not work out. What damage can mites do to a BP ??

[Obscurus28]

"Mites are very tiny creatures that are usually found on and under a snake’s scales, on the rims of the eyes, or around the vent. They come out of their hiding places at night and suck the blood of their host, which can cause a snake to become anemic. Mites are also thought to be disease transmitters. They can be difficult to spot, but their silvery droppings give them away, normally appearing on the snake and in other places. Mites multiply very quickly and can do significant damage to your snake’s health if left untreated.
If your ball python has mites, place him in a covered container with shallow water for three or four hours. While he is soaking, thoroughly clean and disinfect his cage and everything in it. Remove the snake from the water and dry him before returning him to his cage.
Ticks are not as small as mites and can be found between a snake’s scales. They can be removed by swabbing them with a bit of rubbing alcohol and then grabbing them with a pair of tweezers.
By disinfecting branches, rocks, and other natural items before placing them in your snake’s cage, you will be able to avoid most mites and ticks. You should also isolate a new ball python before adding him to your collection. The easiest way to prevent a mite or tick infestation is to plan ahead and take precautions."

The word anemic means that the person(or snake for this matter) "has less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased." This would mean that your BP would be pretty sick just follow the instructions and it will all work out

[pythonownerguy]

Thanks Obscurus28, Im gonna go ahead and get a new tank and accessories and start all over. All while hes soaking in some warm water. This time, i'll re-sanitize everything to include the tank, water bowl, and hide rock and start fresh.

[Orijin0XazN]

I recommend Provent-a-Mite

http://www.pro-products.com/index.ph...d=53&Itemid=59

Works like a charm! Mite Off products are just soap and water mixed together. It'll take some time for the Provent a mite to ship, since it's ground shipping.

For now, soak your ball python with a couple drops of dawn dish liquid soap. use paper towel instead of aspen. Bake your wooden hides. That's it. Good luck buddy!!

[cmack91]

Do what your already doing, but you need to wait. it takes time :/ Also, You don't need to start all over just wait. I would throw the substrate out tho and replace with paper towels (So you can see if he/she stills has mites) Just follow the instructions on the prevent-a-mite. Goodluck, keep me posted ok?

this is exactly what i did, and all the mites were gone in like 3-4 days

[pythonownerguy]

Can Provent a mite be found in a local pet shop that provides for snakes or is it online only ??

[Rawbbeh]

Can Provent a mite be found in a local pet shop that provides for snakes or is it online only ??

Online...

I'd say that it's probably always good to keep some around in the event that you have a break out. Sucks to have to order it and wait for it to arrive AFTER the fact.

[Obscurus28]

I have made a thread due to a high number of Mite problems i have seen. It is very detailed. Check it out if your interested.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...and-Correction