Nuking Mites from Orbit with AaronP

[Samii]

That $8 bottle won't treat 20+ snakes 4 times. It's also not available everywhere. I'm not saying that this is the easiest method, I'm saying this is the most thorough. A single 6oz can of PAM/RID/Lice Spray will last you a long time if you're only using it for standard QT and I've personally had PAM get the job done by itself but some times it isn't that simple and sometimes you gotta put the extra effort into it.

This entire thing came about because PAM alone wasn't doing it and it was getting very expensive very quick. Not to mention losing valuable time because of being unable to find viable solutions locally that was specifically made for reptiles.

What is the active ingredient in Reptile Spray?

Active Ingredients
Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate - 2.1%
Undecylenic Acid - 0.5%

The thing with Reptile Spray is it is all natural ingredients, so you don't have to worry about scary chemicals. I used it after KMG suggested it and it worked perfectly in just one use. Because it was recent I'm still keeping an eye out but I'm not at all concerned. It was cheap and after cleaning my 40 gallon tank, large water dish, 2 hides, branch, and feeding container I still have most of the bottle left!

[AaronP]

Active Ingredients
Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate - 2.1%
Undecylenic Acid - 0.5%

The thing with Reptile Spray is it is all natural ingredients, so you don't have to worry about scary chemicals. I used it after KMG suggested it and it worked perfectly in just one use. Because it was recent I'm still keeping an eye out but I'm not at all concerned. It was cheap and after cleaning my 40 gallon tank, large water dish, 2 hides, branch, and feeding container I still have most of the bottle left!

I'm not saying that it doesn't work or that you should never use it but if you seriously think it has "All natural ingredients" you've been drinking the advertising kool-aid.

The information I provided is not based on me going into walgreens and deciding I knew what I was doing, it was based on research I had done through dozens of different websites as well as calling and talking to individuals who claim to use the NIX Method. The PAM/RID/Lice Spray are all exactly the same, period, that isn't even speculation I know that because when I was able to get access to PAM for QT I bought a can of Lice Spray and not only does it have the same fumes but it works exactly the same.

I didn't create this thread to start up a debate on how some people prefer to remove mights and pre-treat for them. This is the methodology that I use and it has proven to be detrimental to the mites. In a perfect world you would never get mites and you would properly QT every new snake but that doesn't always happen and mites is just one of those things that gets out of control.

On another note I would never only treat a snake for mites once and only once no matter what the bottle says it kills. PAM supposedly kills the eggs too but you're still told to treat a week later.

[Puck]

The thing with Reptile Spray is it is all natural ingredients, so you don't have to worry about scary chemicals.

FDA policy says that the term natural should apply to foods and products that do not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances, but the definition is very vague. So, basically, the pesticide is not synthetic but it is still a pesticide. That makes it toxic, natural or not, and just as scary if used improperly. Many hallucinogenics are all natural, but that doesn't make them good for you. These days, many synthetic pesticides are as safe as natural if used in the proper manner (many synthetic pesticides from the past caused serious harm from overuse rather than simply because they were used at all), but they're both toxic and should be used as sparingly as possible. I think AaronP's method is a great way of getting it done if you can't get it under control any other way, but I would try using minimal pesticides *first* and if the mites aren't gone in a week or so, up the attack then. Mites are horrible, but both synthetic and natural pesticides can kill any kind of animal if ingested in large doses, and while we might have to drink the toxin, it takes a lot less to harm an animal so small. IMHO, anyway.

[AaronP]

I think AaronP's method is a great way of getting it done if you can't get it under control any other way, but I would try using minimal pesticides *first* and if the mites aren't gone in a week or so, up the attack then. Mites are horrible, but both synthetic and natural pesticides can kill any kind of animal if ingested in large doses, and while we might have to drink the toxin, it takes a lot less to harm an animal so small. IMHO, anyway.

I absolutely agree with Puck. My method is really only for dealing with an infestation not a new animal that got mites. For situations like that just use PAM/RID/Lice Spray or Reptile Spray (didn't this used to be called Reptile Relief?) or whatever over the counter method you prefer. Whoever if you get a Mite infestation outside of the QT Zone then I would recommend my method. The key to any treatment is persistence though. Do a treatment once a week for 2-3 weeks this will insure the highest possibility of success no matter what product/method you use.

[bcr229]

Very nice writeup! I personally wouldn't use any insecticide, whether NIX or PAM, directly on my snakes. I would treat the snakes with something like Reptile Relief or Reptile Spray instead.

Permethrin has a 30-day half life as long as it's not exposed to water or sunlight, so both NIX and PAM should be effective for quite a while after the enclosures are treated.