Sure you can treat mites without PAM. It is the hard way though. Blood sucking animals transmit disease. I would rather take my chances with the PAM. Every day a mite is alive is a day it can transmit disease. I have been using PAM for quite some time and have never had a problem. Of course I tend to read directions. It needs to be dry before the animal goes back in. In the Army we had a little tool that was very effective called a claymore. These things are very safe (to the user) when used as directed. Printed right on the thing is FRONT TOWARDS ENEMY. You would only not follow those directions one time.

All that said I believe Pit keeps arachnids. If he is keeping them anywhere near his snakes he cannot use PAM, so he would be the one to listen to if you absolutely did not want to go that route.