Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I've had an ongoing mite problem in my snake collection. Can some of you offer some plan of actions that I can follow? On different occasions I've tried Nix 10% with water, bleached the cages, I've put olive oil on the snakes, I've tried 'prevent a mite' powder sprinkled into the substrate. They keep coming back after a few weeks. Any help greatly appreciated.
Mike

There is this stuff sold at W-Mart that is made for lice treatment called equate bedding spray. It is 0.5% permethrin. A light spray on everything besides the water and a light coating on the snake and the surrounding area. Repeat after a few days and you are done. This is also useful for treating incoming snakes for quarantine. It costs $3 a bottle and is about $17 a bottle cheaper than PAM.
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when life hands you lemons, make super lemons, bumblebees, etc...

Has anyone else used this equate bedding spray? I found it tonight at Wal-Mart; the active ingredient is the same 0.50% Permethrin. The inactive ingedients are the same except it contains Petroleum distillate. The Pevent a mite can does not mention this ingredient. Any insite would be great.

Thanks Dino
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Dino W.

I don't use any substrate other than paper until you get rid of the mites. Too many places for them to lay eggs.
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Dale....dgoins222@yahoo.com

Heres what works for me

If you have adult mites ......The ones you can see you have lots of eggs you cant! If one tub has mites treat everyone !
In a rack when I notice mites , Usually in the water dish first!
Every tub gets washed and dried and I use papertowels to wash . I use a new towel for eack tub and dispose of the used ones in a plastic bag. I use paper towels as substrate and every snake is treated with reptile relief.....That can be sprayed right on the snake. I usually soak a towel and let the snake slither through the towel. New towel for every snake. The papertowels as substrate are sprayed with prevent a mite .....I spray the towel in the tub put the lid on and let set for 1 hr. Then I remove the lid and let the tub air out for 1 hr. When all tubs are clean and treated with prevent a mite and each snake is treated with reptile relief .........I then spray the rack and spray a barrier up the wall and across the floor. Make sure there are no water dishes near when spraying the prevent a mite. I store my snakes in bags while this is being done and then when they are returned to their tubs the bags are put in a empty tub and fumageted with prevent a mite and then washed. Pillow cases work fine. Do this again in a week and then again again in another week........Pain in the butt but they will be gone. Make sure ther are no animals in the room if you spray the rack indoors including fish and frogs. I take my rack outside. Make sure you dispose all used paper towels outside and I usually spray some reptile relief in the trash can just for the hell of it .........I hate mites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone mentioned only using paper when you have mites rather then a substarte (aspen, cypress ext)..that is 100% --IMO... Use paper towels or newspaper. After cleaning the cage and water dishes spray either Prevent a mite or the lice bedding spray from Walmart they work the same. Let the container dry. Also i have noticed if you remove the water dish for a day or two you will get better results. When a snake has mites they like to soak, most of the time they flood their cages, for some reason i have seen better results when the snake can not soak and their cage is dryer...
Good Luck

mites are easily desiccated to death in dry environments. Also if your snake is soaking it will be washing off permethrin into its water, which it may later drink. So I totally agree that removing water for a few days after treatment is a good idea.
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when life hands you lemons, make super lemons, bumblebees, etc...