You have to give the person a chance to make it right, so offer to let them come over and clean all your cages for the length of time it takes to eradicate mites with your choice of methods! : ) And you'll see right away if they knew they had them or not too, just by asking. If they didn't know they will be appropriately apologetic and they will vollunteer, at which point you can tell them you're kidding since they are far enough away to ship. If they are not really your friend (i.e. they knew and sent you a boa with mites anyway) they will tell you where to stick it, and that will solve your other problem too, a bad friend. You already got him back though, by spraying his boa with permectrin.

Never spray a snake with permectrin, it's dangerous, but don't take my word for this, read this:
http://www.bimsds.us/BIMSDS/msds/Permectrin_WS_msds.pdf

Likewise you can't spray snakes with any insecticide. Not even Provent-A-Mite or Black Knight II can be sprayed on a snake either, and they are FDA approved, very well tested, and much less toxic. I couldn't even find anecdotal info on snakes and permectrin, just this one lonely article by a vet in KY which just gives the proticol for use in the Veterinary Hospital and says don't treat on the weekends, so you can monitor signs of toxicity:
http://www.pennyroyalvet.com/admin/uploads/newsletter2.pdf
But even it says: "Remember, NO INSECTICIDE, including Permectrin, is tested or approved for use in reptiles. Any use of insecticide in reptiles is at the owner's risk." Not even Provent-A-Mite or Black Knight II can be sprayed on a snake.

I'd send him back. I wouldn't do any trades or accept any boas from that person again either.

Frankly I'd be angry if I loaned you a boa and you shot it with Permectrin. It's anything but a "general precaution." As far as I am concerned you both messed up.
-----
Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com
http://slitheringserpents.com

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