Yikes! Mites!

[chibbi]

so..i think my snake/'s cage might have mites. i took her out tonight and there were tiny black bugs (about the size of the flat side of a pin needle) crawling on her. not too many, about 7 or so.

mites?

what should i do?

[Slithers]

you need some PAM. provent-a-mite. it kills eggs and everything. its for the enclosure. and will kill any emerging mites in the near future. a simple soak should remove any visible mites. keep a tub large enough for your snake to soak in inside the tank if possible. good luck.

people have also been successful with Repel Permanone available at walmart. its for your camping gear and sleeping bag, etc. its made with permethrin in the same concentration as PAM. just make sure you never use deet. never ever use deet.

also there is mineral oil which can be used as well.

and finally there is Sevin-5 which some people have used.

but PAM is the only tested and approved product for reptiles. good luck

[sweety314]

Yes, unfortunately those are mites.

Sevin 5 would probably be toxic.

Aleeshe can tell you....Oil is NOT recommended! Your snake will lose its scales aaaaaaaaall over the place (and they're a ****H to get off of things!!!)


Provent A Mite is the #1 choice, but since mine was backordered, I went ahead and got the Reptile Relief. It kills on contact for the adults, but doesn't do anything for the eggs . U have to treat the snake every 3 days for a while.

It's been working really well so far, but once I get the P.A.M, I'll be using that for the cages and the new additions, then following up with the RR in the bedding if it ever needs a quickie treatment.

Just be sure to treat everyone in your collection. Mites are EXTREMELY easy to spread!

[chibbi]

yea, luckily i only have this one baby right now.
hopefully the herp stores here have some PAM. if not, where would you recommend to get it?
other than these mites, she seems to be great. just shed for the 2nd time 2 days ago and she is beautiful.

thanks y'all.
(eek...i said "y'all")

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

I have heard of many people using sevin dust of some % to treat the whole tank. I would do a google for sevin 5 and mite treatments in reptiles

[cassandra]

Provent-A-Mite gets it done - follow the directions on the can. I personally wouldn't use Sevin as it's very toxic stuff.

[MPenn]

Sevin dust is fine and safe to use. PAM is great and the best stuff I have ever used. Of course, if you are in a pinch, go to Wal-Mart and pick up a can of lice spray in the pharmacy dept. It has the same active ingredient as PAM and is a heck of a lot cheaper.


I would suggest soaking the snake in a tub of warm water with a drop or two of Dawn or similar dishwashing detergent. This works as a surfactant. Spray the cage with the lice spray and let it dry before putting the snake back in. DO NOT spray directly on the snake. Repeat in about 3 or 4 days.

Hope this helps.

[ssscales]

Sevin dust is fine and safe to use. PAM is great and the best stuff I have ever used. Of course, if you are in a pinch, go to Wal-Mart and pick up a can of lice spray in the pharmacy dept. It has the same active ingredient as PAM and is a heck of a lot cheaper.


I would suggest soaking the snake in a tub of warm water with a drop or two of Dawn or similar dishwashing detergent. This works as a surfactant. Spray the cage with the lice spray and let it dry before putting the snake back in. DO NOT spray directly on the snake. Repeat in about 3 or 4 days.

Hope this helps.

Sevin Dust has been used for years and will work, but I've read and heard a few users with negative experiences with Sevin dust and their snakes.

The other product is called Equate Lice Bedding spray and cost about $3.00 a can at Wal-mart in the pharmacy section. We've used it for years and know plenty others that have used it and continue to use it as mite treatment and/or prevention with no ill effects for years as well.

Fyi...
Some will surely raise questions and argue about the safety of the inactive ingredients that are used in other products. While it is true that some products are manufactured for other uses that also have the same % of permethrin might have some harmful ingredients. A lice bedding spray that is made to be used on human bedding is about as safe as it can get. Equate lice bedding spray is approved by the FDA for use by humans.

We haven't had a mite problem in years and do use Equate as part of preventative maintenance every 3-4 months or so and also on all quarantine enclosures. PAM or Equate should never be sprayed directly onto your snake. PAM and other permethrin sprays should only be used on the substrate, cage floor and walls. Make sure to air out the areas well before placing back the snake. I usually let it air out 24hrs after treating the area before placing the snake back in it's enclosure.

Just my $0.02

[BALLISTIC BOAS]

i used to use pam but at 20 bucks a can it go $$$ pricy.
now i use equate and have not had a single problem.

[chibbi]

yay!
mites are gone!