mites help

[jonnyboyz]

ok so yeah i have a question my females have mites they are in seperate tanks and the male is all the way in the living room which is all the way up stears i had them for 3 months still babies and all of a sudden they have mites one of my females is right next to my geckos cage could she get mites to and when you guys say pam do you mean the cooking stuff one last question im moving from boston to va thursday at 5 am so i was wondersing if i soaked them in warm soapy water and then bleached the cage threw out the substrateand heated up all wooden things in the enclouser and when i reached my destination hoping they were gone

[joepythons]

ok so yeah i have a question my females have mites they are in seperate tanks and the male is all the way in the living room which is all the way up stears i had them for 3 months still babies and all of a sudden they have mites one of my females is right next to my geckos cage could she get mites to and when you guys say pam do you mean the cooking stuff one last question im moving from boston to va thursday at 5 am so i was wondersing if i soaked them in warm soapy water and then bleached the cage threw out the substrateand heated up all wooden things in the enclouser and when i reached my destination hoping they were gone

Ok yes she could get mites.When everyone says PAM they mean Pro-vent-a mite.No DO NOT PLACE your snakes in soapy water ever.If you buy some PAM(AKA pro-vent-a mite) it should get rid of them as long as you follow the instructions.I would just treat the substrate just with the PAM,DO NOT SPRAY DIRECTLY on the snake though. Good luck

[jonnyboyz]

but some people say that helps them get the mites off them

[JLC]

but some people say that helps them get the mites off them

Bathe the snake in a shallow tub of tepid water with a DROP of dish detergent in it. Not "soapy water."

If you place the snake in plain water, a little teeny bubble of air will envelope the bugs and they can survive. But a drop of detergent will break the tension and not allow the bubble to form, thus causing the mites to drown.

This only works on the adult mites actually on the snake's body. And probably won't get all of them at that, because you'll have some hiding around the eyes and mouth of the snake and you don't want to hold his head under water. But it's good for temporary relief until you can get the Provent-a-Mite to take care of the rest.

[jonnyboyz]

ok so soap will not kill all of them if i just let them soak i still need the pam and any web sites i can get them cheap for also baking the wood stuff does that work and bleaching the tank then letting it air dry

[Stewart_Reptiles]

ok so soap will not kill all of them if i just let them soak i still need the pam and any web sites i can get them cheap for also baking the wood stuff does that work and bleaching the tank then letting it air dry

PAM (Provent-A-Mite) will take care of your problems, eradicating adult mites, larva and egg which soap in water won't do as it will only kill adult mites which will lead to re-infestation

Here is where I get mine from http://entirelypets.stores.yahoo.net/proventamite.html

[Razzle]

They gave me the same advice yesterday and I applied those things today. It worked GREAT. Fabulous people here with great advice everytime

[jonnyboyz]

ok so i bleached the cages then i baked the wood im going to soak them in warm soapy water wait a week to see if there are any more and if there is will order some at the website that was givin to me does bleach kill mites also if i see mites on them could i pluck them off

[MPenn]

I would definitely get some Provent-a-Mite to treat them with. But in the mean time, go to Wal-Mart and get a can of Equate lice spray. It has the same active ingredient as PAM but cheaper. Pull the snake and the water bowl out, spray the cage down liberally, and allow plenty of time for it too dry. Then replace the snake with a fresh clean bowl of water.

(I would still order the PAM and always keep on hand.)

[Stewart_Reptiles]

It has the same active ingredient as PAM but cheaper

Equate and Pam are not the same.

One is specially designed for use with reptiles the other one is not.

Here is what Jamie posted on the subject in the following post http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...&page=12&pp=10

who believe beyond a reasonable doubt that Equate is:

A. The same product in a different can
B. Equally as safe for reptiles
C. Equally as effective

Take it as you will, but this information is pretty damn convincing in my mind (which may not be on par with some of the insta-experts that reside here).

Here you go (his direct information will be in quotes):

Claim: Equate is the same product in a different can and is equally safe for reptiles as Provent A Mite

"The word permethrin is a generic name of a group of pyrethroid chemical isomers. This is like saying everything with the word soap is the same thing. Put your wet hand into a box of powdered laundry detergent and see if it is the same as a bar of ivory, but they are both "soap".

Without exception, these other products use a much more toxic isomer as they are all designed to be applied to material that maybe will have the potential for contact with mammals, which have a completely different physiology than reptiles do. These products are designed to be as toxic as possible to get a quick "knock down". These higher toxicities will not harm mammals, but are documented to harm lower vertebrates, including reptiles, fish, amphibians, mollusks and so forth and therefore can be used for these other uses. Also, only a very small percentage of what is in the can is the "active" ingredient, the rest is always a trade secret of the company, so will never be disclosed (only the generic active name has to be disclosed under EPA regulations). Different isomers have differing toxicities and again, only a range of the cis-trans ratio is given on a label, so one can never find out what is really in the can (again trade secret).

Since a product is only approved by the EPA for the uses listed on the label, chemicals in the formula that are not toxic to the host for the testing submitted, doesn't mean they would not be toxic to a host not listed. If fact many of the "inerts" used in these permethrin formulas are toxic to reptiles. If the company tried to receive EPA approval with these formulas for use on reptiles, they would not, as the EPA would not allow a product to be sold that would harm the host listed on the label. This is why the EPA regulations state that it is a federal offense to sell or use a product inconsistent with the label, not only because of the risk to the host, but also because such usage can create resistance.

Many products for example, use a more toxic isomer and then use a synergist such as PBO. PBO breaks through the insect's defense and its synergistic activity makes the insecticide more powerful and effective. With the high cost of insecticides, PBO effectively reduces the cost by allowing the product to use les s active ingredient to obtain the mortality rate desired. The problem with this is PBO is absolutely toxic to reptiles with several published studies regarding using PBO for the killing of brown tree and other snakes confirming this.

Despite anyone's claim to the contrary, many of these other "identical" products have injured and killed many reptiles as we get the phone calls from people telling us after the fact. Also many times, the exposure can lead to chronic health problems instead of an acute reaction, so if the animal dies at a later date, no one looks back and understands the actual cause of death. This is a classic example with no pest strips. No clinical studies were ever performed and people just started using them, using their animals as guinea pigs. Only after many years of usage were the risks associated with them disclosed. This has been established by many leading zoos and vets, but even now, many people still swear they are the best thing to use and do not pose any risk."

Provent-a-mite™ is the only product that has been approved by the EPA and USDA], has undergone extensive clinical and field studies to insure that will eliminate, not just control a mite or tick problem and is unique enough to have received a patent. No other product is more effective or can make these claims and certainly no other product is the same as Provent-a-mite™”


Claim: Equate (and other similar products) are equally as effective in killing mites and their eggs


"Provent-a-mite™ is the only product that will create residual protection that will not drop down to levels that can create resistance. We use a proprietary "time" release that ensures that it will create a long term residual effect at a high enough concentration to prevent the potential t o create resistant pests. Since mites and ticks can carry several diseases that can be harmful or fatal to the host, just getting an infestation is already too late if the pest was infected. Applying Provent-a-mite™to a cloth and then wiping around any openings in a cage will provide a barrier that will last a minimum of 30 days (usually 60 to 180 days). This will kill any ectoparasites before they can infest and potentially infect an animal. None of these other products can do this as their formulas are designed to break down very quickly, often in as little as 48 hours.

Provent-a-mite™ is also one of the least expensive methods when one compares the cost per application and the number of applications required. To treat an average 4' x 2' cage is approximately 50¢ with usually only one application required. To use the product preventatively, the cost for an average cage is about 5¢. The product has an average shelf life of 7 years. One of the biggest problems is that many people overuse the product, so the can will not treat as many cages as it actually should, costing more to use it than necessary.”