Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Are the nasty, little buggers upwardly mobile?

I've got an infected snake on a shelf in a 20 gallon with cellaphane blocking 80% of the top screen to maintain humidity.

Higher up on the same shelf I've got two 4 foot visions.
I don't think there is any way that they can infect my other
boas. It doesn't appear to have happened yet, BUT....

I'm curious what other, more experienced keepers have seen
mites do. I'm going to treat her again this week, but I fed her
heavy on Friday so I'm holding off for a few days.

If you have one snake with mites you need to treat "all" your snakes for mites. It's just the way it's done. Mites can get "anywhwere".

Then you need to treat them all again in 2 weeks. You do this in case you missed any of the eggs. They hatch in about 2 weeks.

Then you need to treat them all again 2 weeks after that. This is just to make extra sure that you got them all.

Hopefully by the third time you won't have any more mites.

Just in case you should always keep some Provent-a-mite on hand.

>Are the nasty, little buggers upwardly mobile?

Yes. Also downward, forward, back, and sideways. They have an instinct to climb, though.

>I've got an infected snake on a shelf in a 20 gallon with cellaphane blocking 80% of the top screen to maintain humidity.

This will stop mites about as well as a chain link fence stops bullets.

>Higher up on the same shelf I've got two 4 foot visions.
I don't think there is any way that they can infect my other
boas. It doesn't appear to have happened yet, BUT....

ROFLMAO! Dreamer. My experience is either kill the mites as soon as the snake arrives or treat the whole room later.

Good luck.

Paul Hollander

I couldn't spot the cursed vermin due to all the speckling on
the boa. I treated her last week and thought I got them all.

When I handled her and wiped her with damp paper towels I
didn't see any, but when I watched her in the cage she was
crawling with them.

Tomorrow I will do my 'dirty job'. Thanks..........tc

room. Immediately after you move her and her cage out of the room, you need to treat the area/shelf the cage was sitting. Even if you treat them, they will get out the cage to lay eggs and crawl up the shelf to your other boas. Keep her in another area and treat her as if she was quarantined. If you think are hard to get out of that 20 long, wait until they get in those 4' cages.

Phil Goss

you've got there...

That boa ROCKS!!!!! Looks like it should of been an arab. Love the contrast and overall cleaness.. SWEET 8)
Jake

came from Steve Hammond and is an arabesque sibling. He got the color and the head marking, but missed the boat on connected saddles and a laddertail. He looks good though. He is over three years old now and has that great yellow arabesque color.

Phil Goss

I really think there's somthing special going on with him! I've noticed you have a lot of unique boa's, and it's nice to see them with clarity. Very great collection.
Jake ~~~~

wait for them all to grow up. We have a few females that will be ready this season. Hopefully we'll have some good looking kids next year.

Phil Goss
[img]

het for albino?

A few years ago I went to a seminar given by Dave Barker of VPI.

He told the audiance that mites go through a nymph stage where they become airborn. If this is the case and he said it was then expect the worse case scenario when it comes to the mobility of mites.

I treat once every month with Prevent a Mite and have not seen a mite on my 80 to 100 snakes for over three years.

Good luck
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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com

I will order some Prevent-a-mite and prepare to waste some
serious weekday afternoon time today & tomorrow....

I may have to recruit my good buddy Samuel Adams..

TC:

When using Prevent a Mite just spray about two seconds in each cage. This may sound like a dumb thing for me to say, but don't spray directly into the water dish.

Not to worry. If you follow a consistant preventative plan your mites will soon be a thing of the past.
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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com

i have used provent-a-mite and it works like a charm...just follow instructions and no more mited ever...thing of beauty.