Mites!

[Pythonfriend]

i did not find the original instructions on paper, google didnt help, but i did find this:

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

it does not explicitly say to not use it on the reptile. (i think the actual instructions do say it explicitly and also say to wait until it has dried and the smell is gone before returning the reptile). But it says that it works by using it on the substrate, and then the product stays active and continues to kill mites in the substrate for 30 days. it says you spray for one second per square foot of substrate.

it says that while no product, not even provent-a-mite, can kill the eggs, the mechanism is that the baby mites get killed as they hatch by the still active provent-a-mite in the substrate and before they have a chance to get to your reptile.

and my google search also uncovered threads like: "help! provent a mite killed 2 of my snakes!" . i guess thats what can happen if you dont follow the instructions, go guerilla, and use it directly on the snake.

so thats what i patched together, unfortunately without the official instructions:

take out the reptile, then spray for 1 second per square foot only on the areas covered with substrate. dont spray naked areas. then wait for the smell to go away and for the product to dry. maybe an hour? then, return the reptile. it will continue to kill mites for 30 days, after 30 days you can repeat the process if necessary.

of course if it turns out the instructions of provent-a-mite say something else, then i am wrong and the instructions are right.

[satomi325]

You are right. However, he never said to use PAM *on* the snakes. Just to use it to kill mites in general.

Smh......

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[LLLReptile]

I don't think anyone has suggested using Provent a Mite directly on the snake - in fact, most people will tell you precisely NOT to do that.

We recommend Provent a Mite for the cage, and reptile relief to treat the snake itself. The Reptile Relief is a specific type of poison dilute enough to be safe to use on your snake in small amounts. Obviously, overdoing it can cause problems, like with any parasite treatment.

However, spraying provent a mite directly on the snake is not something we recommend at all. I've heard of keepers who do so, but it's risky and can cause neurological damage with your animals. I always let cages air out for at least half an hour, if not longer, with provent a mite, and soak the snake(s) in water for 5 to 10 minutes before and after treatment with Reptile Relief to ensure they are fully hydrated.

-Jen

[Pythonfriend]

oh, ok, sorry, then i misinterpreted the post

i must have misread it then, i really believed he was implying to use it on the snake.

[MarkS]

Yes, I never said or implied that you should put PAM or other poisons ON a snake, I didn't include that in my post because I though it would be obvious. I've been keeping reptiles for a very long time and sometimes I forget that what may be obvious to me may not be obvious to those that are newer to the hobby. My apologies if anyone misinterpreted what I said.

[Saber402]

I have used NIX with great results. Received a BP and it had Mites. Three treatments, each five days apart, of the snake, empty enclosure (threw out any substrate/paper towels each time), as well as all necessary items going back into the enclosure (plastic plants, water bowl, hide, etc)) and we were mite free. Only saw a few the first time, so might have been lucky, but treated aggressively nonetheless. Haven't seen another since.

You get two 2oz bottles for around $15.00 at WalMart. Each bottle is mixed with one gallon of distilled water. After all of the above treatment sessions I still have almost 3/4's of the first gallon remaining so it will last quite a while. Be sure to clearly and properly label the containers before placing them in storage!

Do not let the snake soak in the NIX mixture as some report. Just spray thoroughly, let it dry, and then put the snake it lukewarm water for a rinse. Have not had any problems nor seen any adverse reaction from the snake.

Good luck!

[purlaze]

alright so i've done two mite treatments with nix so far, completely emptying, spraying snake, paper towels that are in the enclosure along with the whole bin as well. My baby lesser shed and i can't spot a mite on her even under her belly, but the paper towel roll she likes to curl on has blood spots all over it? there's a couple black flakes on the paper towel so i'm not sure what the random blood spots mean??

as for the other normal girl i have, they've really been attached to her, i haven't spotted a live mite on the baby but a couple days ago i found a couple live ones on the normal. will it help a lot once she sheds? the lesser shed and since then i haven't found a live mite. i'm wondering if the third treatment will finally get rid of them? also - yesterday i'm sure there was a white speck on the lessers eye does that have anything to do with mites?

[purlaze]

I have used NIX with great results. Received a BP and it had Mites. Three treatments, each five days apart, of the snake, empty enclosure (threw out any substrate/paper towels each time), as well as all necessary items going back into the enclosure (plastic plants, water bowl, hide, etc)) and we were mite free. Only saw a few the first time, so might have been lucky, but treated aggressively nonetheless. Haven't seen another since.

You get two 2oz bottles for around $15.00 at WalMart. Each bottle is mixed with one gallon of distilled water. After all of the above treatment sessions I still have almost 3/4's of the first gallon remaining so it will last quite a while. Be sure to clearly and properly label the containers before placing them in storage!

Do not let the snake soak in the NIX mixture as some report. Just spray thoroughly, let it dry, and then put the snake it lukewarm water for a rinse. Have not had any problems nor seen any adverse reaction from the snake.

Good luck!

yikes! i never rinsed them, is that bad? i was following this PDF instruction i found on when i typed in "nix for snake mites"

[bcr229]

I would rinse the snake. Personally I never apply permethrin products directly onto my snakes - just the enclosure and hides - and won't advise others to do it either. I use the reptile sprays designed for that purpose as it's too easy to poison your snake with permethrin.

[NYHC4LIFE8899]

Rule of thumb, always treat new additions for mites regardless if they have them or not. It's a good preventative measure.
Soak your mite infested snakes with a drop or two of dish soap.

Take out all enclosure accessories and keep the set up minimal. Paper towel substrate, hide, and water dish.
Everything else should get sanitized in boiling water. Same as the enclosure itself with bleach if you want.

Provent-a-Mite is the best mite treatment. You cannot spray it on the animals themselves, only the enclosure. But it works very well.
Spray down the empty enclosure and wait for it to air dry. I personally dry it out for an hour before putting any animals in.

I do this for all new additions as well as one that I bought with mites. Never saw another mite after the first treatment ever again.

i found none today at the expo..so I just bought a bottle off eBay.. Cost $30.00. Don't know if it's a rip off or not ,but eBay and PayPal is the only way I buy off the web...either way it's 30 well spent and safe to have.