Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Where do mites come from? And I noticed my gravid female has a few what can I do without harming her? Her cage is clean, water is fresh everyday. Any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Jeanine

I went to a seminar a few years a ago where Dave Barker of VPI gave a speach about mites. The most valuable information I got from that seminar was that mites go through a nymph stage where they can become air born. Dave explained to the group that husbandry had little bearing on wheather our snakes got mites. Mites can be intermediate hosts for more destructive internal parasites such as whip worms and hook worms. The danger comes when a mite attaches itself to our snakes and sucks its blood. There can be a transfer of worm eggs through the blood sucking process.

Dave told us that if we preventivley treated our snakes every two to three weeks with such products as Prevent A Mite we could break the mites breeding cycle and maintain control of out breaks.

I have used this method for many years and can honestly say that I have not seen a mite in my facility or on any of my snakes for many years.

I hope this information helps everyone to get a handle on this potentualy devestating issue.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

Brian

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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com

Thanks that answers my question. One more though, will it hurt the female or the babies to use this now? She is due relativly soon.

What I have found works is get some newspaper and spray bolth sides with prevent a mite. Let dry for at least an hour. Tear the newspaper in stripes and cover the cage completly.Your female will crawl on the newpaper and lay on the newspaper and within a week all the mites will be dead. This will not hurt your female what so ever. Just remember never spray prevent a mite in a cage where the snake is at. They cannot breath in the fumes,that would hurt your female.Hope this helps!.

Yes thank you so much it does help. I didn't want to have to remove her from cage she's like 80lbs. I've looked for the product online and can't seem to find it any idea where to get it from?
Thanks

check the cleaning classifieds, they usually have someone with some in there, just checked and they didnt have anybody right now but they usually do so check it later.... Jon
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1.1.1 breeding pair blue tongue skinks w/ juv. offspring
1.0.0 Juv. Albino Bullfrog
0.0.2 Giant Pixie Frog (one juv. and one adult)
1.1.0 Clawed frogs
1.1.0 Albino Clawed frogs
0.0.1 Superlight juv Sulcatta
0.0.2 Fly river turtles
0.0.2 Savannah Monitors (one pastel)
0.2.0 juv pastel Columbian boas
1.1.0 monster pink pastel columbian boas
1.2.0 Hypo Hog boas
1.0.0 Hypo boa
1.1.0 Hypo boa babies, Poss. DH sunglow
0.2.0 Hypo poss. DH sunglow
1.0.0 Coral albino boa (my baby)
and
1.2.0 Pomeranians (the wifes babies)

http://www.pro-products.com/miteandtemp.html

if you google provent a mite there are a million matches this was just the first one.

Merry Christmas

For less then $10 and two weeks time you can knock out any mite issue per location(20'X20') with one pest strip.
Its been proven time and again Effective !

M/