How did your snake get mites?

[Bogertophis]

...Back then I used no pest strips, but not sure how safe that is any more....

Same here...they were safe & very effective IF you used them very carefully & in a limited way (in 'cages' so the snakes couldn't touch them) & for not too long,
then repeated the treatment once. I don't consider ANY pesticides really safe though, so prevention is always better than the cure. It's just like the many things
we are exposed to that are carcinogenic etc.-some of us hold up better than others, & multiple exposures probably has a lot to do with what we can fight off.