Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, Im buying a new snake that may have mites. My 5 snake collection came from the finest breeders and I never had had a problem with mites and never had to quarantine a snake. Can someone please tell me how to quarantine and what I need to use to do it. Also I think I should buy some mite preventer. Whats the best brand, and who sells it for the best price. Also should I be quarantining my snakes every so often, even though I take very good care of them and are always clean. Thanks

Quarantining animals is typically only done when a new animal enters the collection or if any animal in the collection becomes ill.

It is usually best to quarantine in a seperate room within the same facility, if that can't be done the enclosures should be completely seperated by some distance. I keep mine acroos the room due to the fact I have no other room available at this time.

It is also best to quarantine new animals for a min of 6 months before allowing them into the collection however, with diseases like IBD a contaminated animal my not show for years.

I would defenetly recommend seperating the animal into a quarantine cage. This will prevent the spread of mites or any diseases it may harbor. Also keep in mind that husbandry items, hooks, probes, etc. Should be sterilized before crossing the collection from quarantine to the collection and vice versa. I always recomend seperate tools and equipment for quarantine specimens.

For mite control I would pick up some Provent 'a' Mite you can buy it direct from Pro Products . Or it also availble from a number of other vendors. There is a couple other products out there I am unfamiliar with, I stick with Provvent 'a' mite works for me.

Follow the directions on the can for best results. I find that the snakes soak in the water dish a lot when they have a mite infestation. The mites drowned in the water, so when you clean and spray the cage it is best to let the snake soak before returning it to the cage. After about 4 wks I find the mites are usually gone. I myself get mites every now and than in the spring. It happens but I deal with it in the same way. I don't quarantine just clean the whole unit in the same fashion I don't get bad infections.

If you follow strick quarantine and a solid husbandry system you collection will prosper and you will never have any problems. While mites usually don't kill snakes they can lower the immune system which in turn wil make the snake suseptable to disease that can lead to death.

Good Luck
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.10 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.2 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child -coming soon-

Thanks alot, your very helpfull. I got a few more questions I still dont understand fully. Does quarantine mean 'to tread for mites' or is it more like a solution to soak the snake in. Is that prevent 'a' mite a spray that I use inside the cage. When I soak the snake, do I just use plain water, or do I add some kind of solution to the water. Can I add prevent a mite into the water. I have 5 snakes now and I soak each one twice a week for about 10-30mins. I use plain water. Again, i never had a mite problem and def plan to keep it that way. Thanks

Quarantine is by definition enforced isolation. It is a method en which we (keeper)use to prevent the spread of disease between animals. Quaantining a animal is used for more than mites but for lots of different illnesses. The most common practice is still for new animals. This quarantine ensures by the passage of time that the animal doesn't have disease. In a 6 month window most diseases and illnesses will sow themselves. Except for diseases like IBD that can lay dormant for years.

I would quarantine a mite infected snake, to keep the spread of mites to a minimum however, mites are often to small for us to see with the naked eye. Exspeciallly in the smaller stages, if the animal has already been introduced to the colony it may be wise to treat the whole group.

Provent 'a' Mite CAN NOT be used on the animal, with the exception of tortises, nor should it be used in water. You should remove all substrate and decorations from the cage and spray the Provent 'a' Mite within the enclosure. After treatment you should dispose of all old substrate and use new, I recommend newspaper as it doesn't harbor mites. All other cage decor should be cleaned and bleached if it can. Wood decor should be also disposed of since the wood can harbor mite eggs and larve.

Yes you would soak the snake in plain water. Some have used soap but I find the soap IS NOT the best for the snake so luke warm water is the best.

Good Luck
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Jeremy

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
0.0.10 Red Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.2 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse
1.0 Child -coming soon-

probably not what you want to hear. I have strong feelings about bringing in a sick or infected snake. When I first starting keeping reptiles I took in a few rescues. Good learning experience but I stopped doing it because I didn't want to jeopardize the health of my collection.
Some breeders believe that mites do more than just feed on your snakes blood. They believe that infection and disease which leads to death is linked to mite infestation. I have seen a perfectly healthy boa yearling get infected with mites, cleaned up completely mite free within 2 weeks, and then die two months later. No visual problems, no feeding problems. Just like the unexplained deaths that you may have seen posted in the forums. Mites can spread very quickly and if there was a snake that I wanted and it had mites, I would first look elsewhere for a healthy specimen. If I could not find one and had to have the snake, I would not accept it from the seller until it was clean. I would also require a 90 day health guarantee with a full refund if it unexpectedly dies. If the seller agreed, I would setup a second quarantine area away from my collection and current quarantine area. Mites can spread very quick. Also, I would not use provent a mite. That stuff does work well but it's pretty strong. I have asthma and a little mistake could put me in the hospital or worse. Search the ball python forum and you will see a variety of mite eradication methods. I use NIX or the house brand from CVS-Savon. Works just as well and there's very little risk. If you decide to try it and need help, email me.
Just my two cents on this topic.