How long for mite spray to take effect?

[Bruce Whitehead]

I just acquired two surrender BCIs that have mites. I treated their enclosures last night and am wondering how long till they can be dealt with again without having live mites running around?

I would like to remove them, clean their enclosures, wipe them down, etc. Just not sure how long I need to wait first?

Thanks in advance,
Bruce

[RichardA]

Depends on the spray. Some stuff is almost instant, some takes a few days to kill them all off.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I used Black Knight... (PAM isn't legal for sale in Canada yet).

Bruce

[RichardA]

Should take effect within a few hours.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Should take a few hours, on another not, I would HIGHLY recommend you to treat the rest of your collection as well if you have not done so already.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I think I will do that as well (treat the rest of the collection), I had a pretty clean line into the house and then into QT being as the snakes were a bit dubious in origin.

I sprayed around my racks as well, and then sprayed the areas the snakes were in on their way into QT.

As well, I did all my snake care before these guys came into the house, and then didn't touch them today at all before attending to my guys.

As well I stripped off all my clothes and bagged them into pretreated garbage bags ater transferring them. They only came out of their holding containers (pre treated as well) once they got into QT and were being transferred.

Bruce

[waltah!]

How are those boas doing now, Bruce?

[Bruce Whitehead]

I wish I could say they are doing well.

Once I got them treated, and set up, then I got all my snakes out of the house and set up (was in the middle of a move) I got to examine them better.

There were still a few strangling mites... but worse.

It was heart breaking.

I looked in the day after I treated, and it looked like someone had thrown a cup of dirt in the tub there were so many dead mites.

At this time we thought they were dead till we saw them move.

I got the male bathed and some of the stuck shed off of him, but as I was examining him he turned his head and drooled. My heart just sank. Then he started breathing very heavily and gurgling.

I put him back and examined the female. She had stuck shed, retained caps, scale rot, and a worse RI than her previous cagemate.

I was not sure they would make the night. When we first opened the tubs 3 of us were sure the female was dead. I have seen dead snakes before so this was not a new sight.

I got hold of the breeder and we were able to make plans to get the snakes returned to him for emergency vet care. I simply did not have the resources to deal with them. If he had not taken them back I really do not know what options I would have had available to me.

My friend Colleen came over and we were able to meet a ways out of Montreal to transfer them.

I did not attend to the female though, as soon as I went to adjust her the wheezing was so bad that I did not want to stress her anymore than she already was. She had little strenght and began to fight me as soon as I laid hands on her.

There was a lot more to this experience than I have chronicled, but I have to say it brought out the best and the worst in people. There are many days that I know why I spend my nights off holding snakes...

Bruce

[Pandora]

I used Black Knight... (PAM isn't legal for sale in Canada yet).

Bruce

I bought PAM just last month from a reptile store and I've seen it all around Petsmart...
If you want to treat the snakes immediately, soak them in water with mild soap. As well, get something by Zoomed called Mite Off. It's safe to use on the actual snake and the Mites will disappear within 48 hours. It's the only thing that got mites off Pandora when she had them.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I bought PAM just last month from a reptile store and I've seen it all around Petsmart...

I found it after I had posted that. I think perhaps it is that there is no official distributor in CA and it has to be ordered direct from the States. I know it is pricier, but not a problem, when the reptile place near me gets their next shipment I will be in line.

I used a full can of mite spray just on the preventative sprays once I realized just how bad these two snakes were.

Getting mites in the midst of a move was just not my idea of fun, nor was having mites from two such sick snakes...

Bruce