There's Mites In his cage!

[bonez]

:eek: Quick, how do I get rid of the mites in my snakes cage. this is the first day we've seen them, and we just cleaned the tank yesterday. I don't see any on him, but I want to get rid of them before it gets any worse. please respond. thank you.

[recycling goddess]

go online and buy some Provent A Mite - when it arrives... spray your cage outside (as it's toxic to other stuff in your house as well as your snakes) - when it's dry... bring it in the house and put your snake inside.

the mites will all die off

[bonez]

What can i do right now? if i clean it really good with some bleach solution then rinse it off with water will it be ok?, plus there is like scum on the wall from misting with a water bottle anyone know how i can get that off?

[tigerlily]

You can soak your snake in some luke warm water with a drop of dish soap. That should kill the adults, but the only way to prevent reinfestation is to listen to Aleesha and get the Provent a mite! http://www.pro-products.com/miteandtemp.html

[bonez]

Ok thanx, what causes mites to come? i changed the bedding in my snakes tank to paper towels because when he eats he winds up getting stuff stuck in his mouth. Pet store said aspen was good but i dont like it getting stuck in his mouth, do you think wet paper towels would cause them?

[tigerlily]

The mites likely came from wherever you picked up your snake, and not from any paper towels or bedding.

[JLC]

If you bring home a new snake, it may not have any visible mites...but within 2-4 weeks you may see them appear because eggs (too small for your eyes to see!) that were laid on your snake hatched and grew up into adult mites.

This is one reason why it is important to quarantine all new snakes away from existing collections. And a reason why many people will pre-treat a new snake's enclosure with PAM even before evidence of mites show up. Kills the eggs you can't see before they ever get a chance to hatch.

EDIT: If you've had your snake for longer than a month, and havent' added any new ones to your collection...it's possible for snake mites to "hitch a ride" home on you if you handled snakes at a show or pet store and then went home and handled your own snakes.

[bonez]

I wonder if it came from the mouse i fed him on thursday.. cuz i went to look at my snake and noticed a couple little red things running around int he tank, but i didnt see any on him

[JLC]

I wonder if it came from the mouse i fed him on thursday.. cuz i went to look at my snake and noticed a couple little red things running around int he tank, but i didnt see any on him

It's my understanding that snake mites are black. It's possible that a mouse would have some external parasite on him (fleas or mites) but if so, they won't bother your snake. If they came from the mouse, you should be able to just clean out the enclosure really well and not worry about it. But I'd keep a clean, white substrate (like paper towels) in there until I knew for sure. (If it were me)

[recycling goddess]

yup snake mites are black and when you squish them between your nails... you get blood