one of the techniques ive used that works for me because my biak is tame and doesnt struggle, is to gently hold the snake with just its nostrils above water. this way the eyes, which are the primary target for mites, are submerged. i hold it there for a minute or so then gently remove the dead mites from around the eyes. I also will use a mild shampoo containg lauryl a natural insecticide, my vet says its ok to do so. I then completely disinfect the cage with a detergent, as perscribed by my vet, thereby removing all mites in all their stages. As ive stated before im convinced the mites are coming from the pet store (big name chain) were ive been buying the live feeders. The mites are appearing usually within 2 or three days of feeding. The feeders are kept in the reptile room and i suspect young rodents are susceptible to reptile mites. Although rodents will not sustain the life cycle of mites i feel that they can sustain individuals for a long enough period of time to reinfest my cages. Unfortunately this individual biak green tree will only take live prey at the moment. Ive since started driving the extra distance to a more reputable mom and pop pet store to get my live feeders but due to the el nino effect and global warming we in the middle atlantic region were i live have been experiencing ALOT more precipitation then is normal and in turn the bugs are flourishing, ticks, mites and mosquittos are a problem. i myself contracted lyme disease. Good news: snakes are well! And still no mites!!
thanks everyone
Jason

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