Mites??? Please help.

[GiddyGoat]

Just recently I cleaned Dewey’s tank with the normal routine as suggested by all of the helpful people here when I first got him (I use F10). Everything went fine, and I put the new substrate down and all of that good stuff.

However since the last cleaning I’m noticing dewey’s entire water bowl is empty in the morning, looks like it was splashed out. I took out the water bowl today and dumped it onto a paper towel, there are some black flecks on it and I am terrified.

I pulled him out of the tank and checked him myself and as far as I can notice there are no kites near his eye sockets or his heat pits.

I use Forest Floor by zoomed.

I will upload pictures in a minute

[GiddyGoat]

Hold on there’s a few more

[GiddyGoat]

[GiddyGoat]

[GiddyGoat]

I’m unsure of whether this is from the substrate or the moss. The moss is brand new, but that partcular bag of substrate I’ve used before (for the cleaning before this one) and I had no issues. Is it possible that it was in the sphagnum moss??

[Zincubus]

Could they possibly just be tiny insects / beetles from the substrate ?

I’d pick the snake up then wipe it down head to tail with a couple of pieces of slightly damp paper towel ..

If there are any black flecks on the paper ... crush them with your fingernail or the back of a teaspoon and see if it’s full of blood


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[bcr229]

Where did you purchase the substrate? The big box stores tend to have mite infestations and since the females travel off the snake to lay eggs, it's possible that there were mite eggs in the substrate.


Otherwise this thread has a lot of useful info about eradicating mites:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...it-with-AaronP

[GiddyGoat]

Could they possibly just be tiny insects / beetles from the substrate ?

I’d pick the snake up then wipe it down head to tail with a couple of pieces of slightly damp paper towel ..

If there are any black flecks on the paper ... crush them with your fingernail or the back of a teaspoon and see if it’s full of blood


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I’ll try this when I get back home. I thought t was the substrate too it’s just that I’ve used that SPECIFIC bag before because one bag is too big for the tank and haven’t had a problem. I’m just not sure. It’s still likely, and maybe it’s the moss?

but yes thank you so much, I’ll definitely try this out.

[GiddyGoat]

Where did you purchase the substrate? The big box stores tend to have mite infestations and since the females travel off the snake to lay eggs, it's possible that there were mite eggs in the substrate.


Otherwise this thread has a lot of useful info about eradicating mites:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...it-with-AaronP

I belive I did get it from a big chain store I just can’t remember which, I should have known bettter but I was in a rush for materials that go around so that was my fault entirely if the bag is infested. Is it possible that even though the first half of the bag had no problems the second half could??

also thank you! That link is much appreciated. Do they look like mites for sure to you?

[Zincubus]

Only this one ‘looks’ like a possible mite but even that looks kinda beetle shape ..



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