Never Ending Mites

[pythontricker]

Hi,

I've heard of people using a dot of vaseline on ticks but never the whole snake for mites - how the heck did the poor bugger hang onto its branch between the treatment and the shedding?


dr del

After I soaked him in the water and all the mites were off (15 mins) I got a towel and removed all the vaseline. He was fine and all of them were gone. I seriously didn't see any more mites after that day. And he is bright yellow so it is really easy to see them. NO MORE MITES! WOOP.

[Jo81]

It's a good job my snake loves water. I could't get my hands on Provent-a-mite without waiting over a week for delivery. This spray is all they seem to selling round here. PAM would have been the preffered option but hay, we're mite free now. If anyone does have any info on the Beaphar Spray I would still like to know.

[Tosha_Mc]

Treat the animal, treat the cage, treat the surrounding area.

These suckers can travel -- they can lay eggs in the corners of your crown molding or carpet and you'll keep getting mites, you can vacuum up eggs and they'll hatch in your vacuum bag and you'll keep getting mites (suck up some moth balls in the bag good for killing fleas that get sucked up in there as well). You need to keep treating for prevention for several months.

I prefer using BKII over PAM -- you get a better product and more for the $$$ - IMO.

Buy it at Pro Exotics or LLL Reptile Supply

Good Luck!

[TanyaL]

It's a good job my snake loves water. I could't get my hands on Provent-a-mite without waiting over a week for delivery. This spray is all they seem to selling round here. PAM would have been the preffered option but hay, we're mite free now. If anyone does have any info on the Beaphar Spray I would still like to know.

My suggestion is to get a hold of a can of PAM now before the eggs hatch. I tried the petstore stuff and thought they were gone but in no time they were back. After one treatment of PAM, I've not seen a single mite in months! I have to say that PAM has been one of the smartest things I bought for my bp!

As for saving a few bucks and buying the rid or store brand stuff...I don't suggest it. My bp certainly is worth the extra money knowing that it wont' kill her!

[Jo81]

I have since phoned the vets and the beaphar spray is what they are advising all their snake owners to use also. It has got the same active ingrediants as PAM but I have ordered bottle of PAM just in case the is a repeat reinfestation. I think as I am new at all this I mustn't have applied it properly the first time being afraid of applying too much.

[dr del]

Hi,

I have since phoned the vets and the beaphar spray is what they are advising all their snake owners to use also.

If possible I would like to get your vets opinion on the post linked to below.

It has got the same active ingrediants as PAM ....

Here is an intresting post about that.


dr del

[Daemonicus]

When we got mites, I went to my local pet store and was told I was "be an idiot" if I didn't use PAM. We put Reptile Relief on the snakes and then cleaned the tanks and treated with PAM. No return of mites and it's been 2 months. It helped that most of the snakes came form that store and that I am in there at least twice a week (sometimes just to hang out with the staff and play with the larger snakes).

[crystal]

When we got mites, I went to my local pet store and was told I was "be an idiot" if I didn't use PAM.

and we were almost idiots cause i was thinking cooking spray. oh well it would have been funny to explain why all the snakes smell like cooking oil.


but seriously PAM is pretty much the greatest stuff ever. really... ever.

[Jo81]

I've done a bit of recearch on PAM and this Beaphar spray. Being almost totaly deaf I may have mis heard, same ingrediants, she could have said similar. You'll have to excuse me if this is a long post, I don't know how to to put links on here.
PAM's main chemical ingrediant is Permethrin. This is used to treat all kinds of mites, ticks, head licy type things and other infections such as scabies infestation. In PAM it is diluted to a strength suitable for use on reptiles.
Beaphar spray contains Ivermectine used mainly for mites and ticks in horses and other mamals. In the Insect spay it is diluted to the correct strength for use on reptiles also. Beaphar are licenced to produce vetinary medice and this is one of their Vetinary products.
Both these products are designed specifically for use on reptiles and personally I wouldn't use any chemical treatments that wasn't.

[Alice]

Treat the animal, treat the cage, treat the surrounding area.

These suckers can travel -- they can lay eggs in the corners of your crown molding or carpet and you'll keep getting mites, you can vacuum up eggs and they'll hatch in your vacuum bag and you'll keep getting mites (suck up some moth balls in the bag good for killing fleas that get sucked up in there as well). You need to keep treating for prevention for several months.

I agree with Tosha on the mites ability to travel. We use Provent-A-Mite (PAM) but once a few years ago we couldn't seem to get kid of a few mites. Figured out that they were in the carpeting we had laid down in front of the snake cages in the garage (we keep our snakes out there). Once we got rid of that, no more mite investations.

It's also important to remember to quaranteen any new snakes away from your current ones. New snakes can bring "friends" along when they come into your house. During quaranteen we spray with Reptile Relief the first day they come into our house and check carefully prior to moving the new snake into our snake room. This really helps proventing any re-infestation.

Good luck!