You might want to print this off, but I have found this to be the best stuff and its easy to get...
I would reccomend following these directions and ONLY spraying the cage because your chondro is so young... If your chondro was older you could spray it... This stuff is safe sprayed direct once the snake is about 200 grams...
I have used this stuff several times... it works very fast and kills the mite eggs as well...
Put paper towels in the bottom of the cage so you can see when the mites stop falling... I wait 24 hours before putting the water dish back in then wait 7 days and repeat process...
your cage does not have to be dry to put the snake back in...
if you have any questions feel free to email me at hawkesworths@hotmail.com
Best of luck
Shiloh
Snake Mites
Mites are ectoparasites that subsist on blood. They are host-specific,
which means that they only feed on one type of animal. Snake mites will not
affect lizards, nor will they affect humans or other household pets like
cats and dogs.
Mites can be identified as tiny black dots, much like a speck of dirt.
However, unlike dirt, mites MOVE and will burst with a small red smear when
squished against a hard surface (the remnants of their last meal). Mites can
often be spotted crawling around a snake’s back or head area and on cage
walls. For every mite you can see on your snake, there are likely dozens
more that aren’t visible, that are hidden while feeding under your snake’s
scales. These resilient parasites are commonly known as the “plague of
snake keepers”. Really, with sound treatment and quarantine practices, this
shouldn’t be the case.
Snake mites have been known to transfer disease in snakes, much like
mosquitoes can with humans (malaria) and with dogs (heartworm). If
unchecked, mites on just one snake in one terrarium can multiply
geometrically and establish themselves in an entire collection of several
terrariums and dozens of snakes in a matter of a week or two. This is a
problem that is unique to snakes in captivity. Wild snakes are able to keep
these parasites in check through shedding their skin and leaving most mites
behind. On the other hand, captive snakes are forced in close quarters with
their shed skin and mites, thereby facilitation reinfestation.
Mites will eventually overrun a snake in captivity to the point that their
host becomes irritated, mildly anemic and therefore lethargic. Infested
snakes are often found to soak for extended periods in water in a vain
effort to drown the mites on its body, only to be reinfested once it
emerges. Snakes in this situation will seldom eat, or even refuse to eat
altogether, due to stress and discomfort.
Why Nix?
Nix was designed to treat human head lice and their nits (eggs). The one
characteristic that separates the Nix method for treating snake mites from
other mite remedies is its effectiveness at killing live mites AND mite
eggs. All other mite remedies to my knowledge do not destroy mite eggs. As
such, I have found the Nix method to be extremely effective at eradicating
serious mite infestations. I even know of a pet store manager who sells
several commercially produced mite remedies, yet uses the Nix method on
imported snakes arriving at his store. Another pro to using Nix is
economics. Around $12 will produce 4 litres of solution – much more than
the largest private collection will ever require.
There exists a popular reptile care site on the Internet that discusses the
toxicity of Nix, but in the two cases cited, Nix was spread over the
infested snakes in full concentration. Common sense should dictate that
reptiles and amphibians coming in direct contact with any fully concentrated
chemical that does not occur in their natural environment would yield
deleterious, if not downright fatal, results. The use of Nix discussed
below involves a diluted solution (1 part Nix to 68 parts water) that has
never produced adverse reactions in any python or boa in my collection over
the course of 6 years. In fact, some snakes in my collection are
proactively treated every 6 months as they make appearances at semi-annual
reptile shows and I am not willing to risk the chance of mites from other
exhibitors making their way into my collection. Even routine treatments on
these boas and pythons over the course of several years have yet to result
in any negative effects.
Materials
Spray bottle. Preferably one that has never been used, or at the very
least, one that has never contained harsh chemicals and has been thoroughly
rinsed.
56 g (59 ml) bottle of Nix. I have only ever found this one particular size
of Nix, which can be sourced at most drug stores and some pharmacy sections
of grocery stores for anywhere from $6-$12.
4L (1 Gallon) jug of distilled water. Distilled water should be used to
extend the shelf life of the solution. With distilled water, the solution’s
effectiveness is expected to last up to 12 months as long as the solution is
stored at room temperature and in a covered box (light breaks down the
active ingredient found in Nix). Although, with one treatment and sound
quarantine practices, the first treatment should be all that is necessary.
Creating the Nix Solution
Pour the Nix cream into the 4L jug of distilled water. Nix is a fairly
thick cream substance, so it may take a couple minutes to transfer as much
of the cream into the jug of distilled water as possible.
Replace the cap on the jug of distilled water and shake until the Nix cream
is evenly distributed throughout the water. Again, this may take a few
minutes due to the thick consistency of Nix.
Pour the Nix solution into a spray bottle.
Eradicating Snake Mites
If snake mites are only found on one snake or only in one snake enclosure,
it is wise to conclude that mites have infested ALL snakes and their
enclosures that are contained within the same room. Mites may have also
transferred to snakes housed in another room by “hitchhiking on your hands
or clothes. Therefore, absolutely all snakes and their terrariums should be
treated to ensure 100% effectiveness.
First, remove the snake from the enclosure and place in a Rubbermaid
container. Spray the snake liberally with the Nix solution. Do not avoid
spraying this solution on their head, eyes and heat pits – in fact, this is
where mites commonly hide so spraying the head area is essential.
Remove all substrate from the terrarium and throw away. Do not leave the
garbage bag containing this old substrate anywhere in the house.
Spray the entire enclosure, inside and out, including all cage furniture
(branches, hide boxes, water bowl, etc.) and glass viewing area. Make sure
that all corners and crevices are well covered with Nix solution, as this is
where mites and their eggs are often hiding. Even spray the outside back of
the cage and a 2-foot perimeter around the cage on the floor. The Nix
residue that forms after drying is thought to even be effective at killing
mites hiding out elsewhere in the room that may attempt to re-enter the
snake cage.
Replace the substrate with paper, preferably paper towel, as it is easy to
spot mites on this. It is essential to use paper until you are absolutely
certain that full eradication has been accomplished. I suggest waiting 3
weeks after the last live mite is spotted before using non-paper substrate.
Remove water bowl from cage and replace, filled with water, 24 hours later.
This ensures that the Nix solution is not washed off the snake by soaking in
the water bowl before the active ingredient has had a chance to destroy all
mites hiding under its scales.
Return the snake to its enclosure and spray it, the cage, furniture and
paper one more time.
When the snake defecates during treatment, remove the paper and clean the
messed area as usual, but be sure to re-spray the cleaned area and new paper
with Nix solution.
Repeat in 5-7 days twice, for a total of 3 treatments. With all likelihood,
the last live mite will perish within a few hours of the first treatment,
but repeating treatment is good practice in case the outbreak is severe and
mites are able to re-enter cages.
Preventative Maintenance
Any snake entering a collection should be quarantined for 2-3 months,
ideally in a completely separate room from where other snakes are housed,
but at the very least in a separate cage. It should be assumed that any new
snake has mites, regardless of how well respected the previous owner or pet
store is. I have personally been let down on several occasions by leading
breeders in our hobby, and from personal friends. It is my experience that
employing the “better safe than sorry” approach is of paramount importance
in ensuring mite breakouts never occur.
Given the above assumption new acquisitions, in addition to their cage and
cage furniture, should be treated with Nix solution 3 times (one full
treatment every 5-7 days). Same should hold true when a snake enters your
colony for a breeding loan, even if it is your own specimen that was lent
out and is returning. As previously mentioned, it is also wise to treat
snakes that attend shows, where other exhibitors and spectators may have
mite infestations. With the large number of people that handle your
animals, or even just touch the enclosure in which your snakes are housed,
the chance that a mite is hitchhiking on at least one of these snake
enthusiasts at the show is good. Don’t become complacent and cut corners in
this area, or you may find yourself right back where you started.
Cage furniture and substrate purchased at pet stores can also serve as mite
vectors and should be treated with caution. Mite-free substrate can be
purchased from pet stores that do not carry reptiles, from a livestock feed
stores, or from landscape centres. Newly purchased cage furniture should be
sprayed liberally with Nix solution. Highly porous cage furniture (wood
hide boxes, branches, etc.) should be soaked in a 10% bleach solution for a
day, then rinsed thoroughly, sprayed with Nix solution, and allowed to dry
for a week.
Thanks…
I would like to give thanks to Giovanni and Paula Fagioli at the Bean Farm,
a reptile dry goods mail order business in Washington State, for
enlightening me to the Nix snake mite treatment. When I frantically
contacted them several years ago, Giovanni suggested that I not purchase any
of the commercially produced mite remedies that they stock, but to go out
and buy a bottle of Nix and jug of distilled water locally. They had used
this method with outstanding results for a number of years back then and
even mentioned that Roger J. Klingenberg -- D.V.M. and author of
Understanding Reptile Parasites (1993. Advanced Vivarium Systems,
California.) -- was compiling clinical results of the Nix treatment for
mention in a follow up to his invaluable publication.
Helping someone out while sacrificing one’s profits, as did the Bean Farm,
says a lot about one’s business practices.
The Bean Farm can be reached via:
Website at www.beanfarm.com
E-mail at beanfarm@accessone.com
Phone at (425) 861-7964
Fax at (425) 333-4205
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Shiloh Hawkesworth
kansas
(Midwest Serpents)
I should have figured he'd have them because of the store I got him from. Things look good so far.