If you have bugs in the cage - you should probably change your substrate anyway - even if they aren't bugs that are feeding off your snake they can still irritate and stress him out - I'm not sure what type of substrate you are using but it's not uncommon to find wood mites or other crawlies in the cypress mulches and other woody substrates. They won't necessarily harm your snake but you should get rid of them anyway.

If you think you have mites the best thing to do is to check out the snake at night - given that he is soaking he might have done a pretty good job of eliminating the easy to see ones. At night the mites are more active - use a magnifying glass if you have one - check around the eye sockets, pits and under the chin - as they tend to stand out more on the white chin.

If you do see mites - I would recommend treating the snake with reptile relief, tossing out all the cage contents (or if you can disinfect or cook it then do so) scrub down the cage and disinfect it - be sure to get the nooks and crannies as that is where they will lay eggs - and then treat the cage, any cage furniture you put in (except the water bowl) and surrounding area with Provent A Mite. Use newspaper until you know the infestation is gone - make sure each time you clean out his cage you retreat everything again for a month or two.

Good luck.
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Tosha

[ Hide Replies ]

• so if they are mites? - slapnutz, Wed Feb 21 09:45:26 2007
• P-A-M - jdillow, Wed Feb 21 09:56:30 2007
• RE: P-A-M - nboles1215, Wed Feb 21 10:15:21 2007
• RE: P-A-M - jdillow, Wed Feb 21 10:36:25 2007
• RE: P-A-M - nboles1215, Wed Feb 21 10:55:43 2007
• RE: P-A-M - jdillow, Wed Feb 21 13:17:58 2007
• B.P. go after WalMart? - zefdin, Wed Feb 21 11:09:38 2007
• RE: B.P. go after WalMart? - melindaste, Wed Feb 21 11:23:48 2007
• RE: so if they are mites? - amarilrose, Wed Feb 21 13:08:29 2007
• what i looked at was not mites but.... - slapnutz, Thu Feb 22 10:49:24 2007
• RE: what i looked at was not mites but.. - amarilrose, Thu Feb 22 12:27:04 2007
• RE: what i looked at was not mites but.. - slapnutz, Thu Feb 22 12:53:04 2007
• RE: what i looked at was not mites but.. - toshamc, Thu Feb 22 13:06:18 2007