up. The life cycle of a mite is is fairly long. They will lay eggs in any tiny crack, crevice or hole that they can fit into. You will never see the eggs. The eggs look like little white dashes usually seen in large amounts on the bottom side of rocks and other cage furnishings. If you have drift wood with lots of cracks I would just throw it out. The best way to get rid of these eggs in the cracks is to fill a large container with a water bleach solution and soak what ever you can for about a week or so. Make sure the items are fully submerged turning them in the solution daily to make sure the all the cracks get filled with water. Remove all substrate and throw it out. Keep them on paper with a very simple set-up while treating.

Provent-a-Mite is an excellent product if used as the directions say. If not is can be a killer. DO NOT KEEP ANY WATER IN THE CAGE WHILE USING IT!. I found the best way is to spray the bottom of the cage them put the newspaper over it. Also lightly spray the bottom of any hides. I like to use the tops of sweater boxes just leaned on a good solid non-porous rock while treat not making for any mite hiding or egg laying spots. MITES SUCK and chucks are notorious for having them. Just about every wild caught chuck I have seen has had them. The seem more prevalent as you move north in the chucks range. You hardly see them down in SOuthern AZ and Mexico but very common up in NV and the northern part of their range in CA.

Good luck
Tom

[ Hide Replies ]

• getting rid of mites? - apaquet, Thu Jan 17 11:29:12 2008
• RE: getting rid of mites? - negatronix, Thu Jan 17 13:22:26 2008
• RE: getting rid of mites? - apaquet, Thu Jan 17 14:01:47 2008
• RE: OIL does WORK :0) - PHEve, Thu Jan 17 21:42:56 2008
• RE: OIL does WORK :0) - negatronix, Fri Jan 18 21:23:47 2008
• A very important point no one brought - tgreb, Sat Jan 19 09:28:32 2008
• RE: A very important point no one brought - aliceinwl, Sat Jan 19 21:29:49 2008
• RE: A very important point no one brought - apaquet, Sun Jan 20 09:04:57 2008
• RE: THESE THINGS ARE EVIL - PHEve, Thu Jan 31 09:26:28 2008