Treating mites

[runeasgar]

Looking for advice on treating mites.. everything seems so contradictory:

• Use provent a mite, don't spray snake or get it on snake.
• Use provent a mite, rub on snake with paper towel.
• "Provent a mite killed my ball python!"
• Put sevin-5 dust in enclosure, mixed with bedding.
• Put sevin-5 dust under bedding.
• "Sevin-5 dust will poison your ball python!"
• Use something less toxic than provent a mite.
• Spray the snake with it.
• Bathe the snake in it.
• Treat the hides.
• Throw the hides away.
• Take the water bowl out.
• Throw the water bowl away.

Can someone set the record straight? I've had him a month, and anytime I put a bowl of water in his tank, he soaks for hours and hours, and a few black specs are in the water afterwards. He still seems happy and is eating, but I don't want it to get worse.

What should I do?

[Neal]

I used this:



I didn't do it for me because I never had a mite problem, but I helped a friend treat his BP for mites. You spray that on a paper towels then you start off behind the head of your snake and you go down towards it's tail. I'd do it a few times, then I would do a rotating motion another time or two. Mites like to hide between the scales so it's not easy but if you do it right you can rid yourself of them.

After you do that, I'd put him in another enclosure(kritter keeper) or something of that nature. Then you completely empty his tanks substrate out, and bleach everything, then completely rinse everything off, bowl, hides, the tank, use a towel to get under the lips of the plastic parts and all. Then for good measure go ahead and wipe him down again a time or two. This should fix your mite problem, also if your snake is calm enough it doesn't hurt to use your finger with a dab of that spray and wipe under his chin, make sure you don't go near his mouth and don't let his tongue touch that stuff.

They used to have some really good stuff but I don't think they sell it anymore.

[mikel81]

I don't know where you heard all of that, but I have used provent a mite as directed with great results a few times now.

The ONLY animal it says to use directly on the animal is for tortoise leg holes.

For snakes you want to clean the enclosure as normal. Throw away bedding. Treat the hides and enclosure with provent a mite. I also use paper towels for bedding and spray them. DO NOT TREAT WATER BOWLS. Do it outside, this is not optional. It is bad for you and your animals so why risk it. The can says spray with the can 12-15" away at a rate of 1 second per ft². Wait for it to dry. I wait about 30+ minutes and make sure it doesn't smell anymore. Replace the animal and water. You will need to re-treat between 2-4 weeks, or if you need to clean the enclosure.

I also try to get as many mites off the animal with a soak in water with dish soap. The next morning you should see black spots on the paper towel. I have never had mites come back by using this method. In-fact, I have never seen a mite after the first few days of treatment.

[Mephibosheth1]

I also have heard contradictory statements on mite treatment in and around snakes/reptiles.
Is it true that you can't use pyrethrins with reptiles??

[bcr229]

Pyrethrins and permethrins in high enough concentrations are deadly to reptiles. Provent A Mite (PAM) is 0.5% permethrin (I just checked the can I have), which is why the directions state to NOT treat the snake directly, only its enclosure and hides.

We got hit with mites and here's how we treated the snakes:

Remove snake from enclosure and treat it with a product designed to be applied to the snake. We used Reptile Relief. We didn't spray it on as ours were wiggly and the directions stated not to spray it in the eyes. Instead, I dampened large cotton balls and wiped each snake down carefully. Make sure to get under the head, along the belly scales, and around the vent as these are favorite areas for the mites. Using cotton balls also allowed me to see how badly the snakes were affected - some looked like I'd shaken pepper on them.

Put the treated snake into a clean tub temporarily.

Remove everything from the snake's tank. Throw away old substrate, run water dishes through dishwasher (I have plenty of spares fortunately).

All of the tanks, hides, fake plants, decorations, etc. were taken outside, treated with PAM, and left to dry for several hours. Fortunately it was a nice sunny day.
Once everything had dried I brought the tanks back inside, set them up with paper towels as substrate (you can also use newspaper, it's just easier to see mites on paper towels), put in the treated hides and decorations, water bowls, etc.

I kept the snakes on paper towels for a few weeks until I was sure the mites were gone. Once I went back to using cypress mulch I took it outside, emptied the bag into a large plastic tub, treated the mulch with PAM, and allowed it to dry for several hours in the afternoon sun before using it. It may have been overkill, but I really don't want a repeat infestation.

DO NOT SPRAY PAM ON YOUR SNAKE OR ON YOUR SNAKE'S WATER DISHES.

To prevent future infestations new arrivals are wiped down with Reptile Relief in the car using the damp cotton ball method, and their enclosures and hides are treated with PAM a few days prior to their arrival. So far we've yet to find another mite.

[grcforce327]

Go to your local RiteAid and buy a can of their brand "Lice Bed Spray" in a white can. Remove snake and water bowl. Spray enclosure and hide box. Let sit for a few minute . Put back snake and water bowl. It contains "Permethrin" and it kicks ass!I use it with all new arrivals with no issues,because there are people out there that don't mind shipping mites with there snakes! I give a thumbs down on "Reptile Spray", and have almost a gallon,if you want to buy it.

[charlene.payne]

I haven't had to many problems with mites but I treat all new incoming reptiles with ridx. It's lice treatment for hair. I dulite one 4 oz bottle in a gallon jug of water. I store my extra in a dark place because it can lose its potentcy over time when exposed to light. I make sure that I take water bowls out when I spray my animals but I also spray the sides of the tubs and the water bowl and let it sit overnight. Then I rinse everything out and put it back together. Taking the water dish out for 24 hours just insures that the spray dries and isn't transferred into the water if the animal crawls through it. If I don't have ready access to ridx, then I coat the animal in question with veggie oil until I can get some mixed up. I don't use any of the PAM or commercial sprays made for reptiles. I don't like them and they are expensive when Ridx does just the same if not better in treating them.

[KMG]

I second Reptile Spray. Its available at Petco and is safe to use on the animals.

I got three bloods delivered with mites. I put them in a tub and sprayedas directed. I used it on their tubs, the surrounding area, and even the carpet. One treatment killed them all with no repeat needed.

[runeasgar]

I decided to try reptile spray. I used it to clean his tank and to clean him directly. I think his outbreak was very mild to start off with, but he has become very active the day after the treatment, and I am hoping that is a sign that he is feeling better. In addition when he is offered a water bowl, he will no longer dive straight in and sleep there for hours on end.

[treeboa]

If you use Reptile Relief you will have to repeat the treatment every 10-14 days because it will not kill the eggs and they will hatch in about that time. Bleach,also, will not kill the eggs. You will have to repeat the treatment about 4-5 times to totally eradicate the mites. Ridx, Nix, and Reptile Relief are really better for preventatives than for outbreaks as none will kill the eggs. Someone mentioned a product that used to be available, that was Black Knight II. It was just as toxic as PAM and really worked no better.