Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone - im new to this website. I am relatively new to snake ownership also and am in great need of some good advise. Ive had 2 royal pythons for over a year with relatively few problems, however I recently purchased a baby common boa - a boa that yesterday I learned, has mites (in the viv and on his body). Im taking him to the vets tommorrow but I need to know what measures I can take to stop the spread of mites to my royals? Its not feasible for me to keep them in sepearate rooms (Its a shared house) so this obviously makes the problem worse!! Also, what can I do to eliviate the mites from the poor baby boa - Ive bathed him and that got rid of some, but the next day they were still in his viv! I dont wish to sound needy - but this is all new to me and I could really use an experienced reptile keeper's advise and guidance. Thanks for reading.

Keep cleaning the viv! On a daily basis give it a good scrub with antibac. washing up liquid and bath your snake as often as possible without stressing it out too much and the vet will be able to provide you with the right mites lotion to apply to kill the last few that remain on the snake (front line kills them all). As long as you are keeping them all clean thats the best you can do for now just remember the mites can be transfered from one snake to another on your hands and clothes.

hope this helps

sam

Thanx Sam. I tried a product called bye bye mites (I shoulda known by the name - lol) but the little critters returned after about 5 days. I later consulted a vet who basically told me the same thing as what you just said, and im currently following this instruction out - im into the third day now. I'll let you and others know how I get on. I will say one last thing though - when you enter the nightmare that is mites you can kiss all your spare time goodbye!! Im personally strict when it comes to vivarium cleanliness, but the elimination of mites takes up any, if all your spare time! Do you (or anyone else) know how these little bloodsuckerz get to your snakes in the first place, so how I know how to avoid this nightmare again - presumably, after I get rid of this current infestation?

as an after-thought, I was researching mite control in snakes on the internet, and stumbled across an article that recommended using "preditory mites" as a means of eliminating the reptile mite. This so called preditory mite; hypoaspis sp; apparently feeds off the snake mite and its eggs but does not target the snake in any way. Id like to know if anyone has used this method and what was the results? And thanx again to Sam, Ive cleaned my boa out twice today - bathed him - and cannot detect any mites at all, in the tank or on him.

Hi. I am an experienced herp keeper that has encountered the same problem that you have. I've tried everything, some things without success, and have found a few remedies that are like magic. First of all, to kill the mites on the snake itself, nothing works like good old fashion vegetable oil. The oil is thick and it sufficates all the mites in minutes flat. This is a bit messy, do it in a bath tub or large sink. As for the cage, the method of getting rid of mites really depends on what materials the cage is made out of. If the cage is plastic, water and a disinfectant cleaner will most likely work. If it is wood, it probably won't do anything.

The ULTIMATE mite killer is Black Knight Roach spray, it is what they used years ago to disinfect people traveling to other countries so they wouldn't spread disease by lice, ticks, and other bugs. They discontinued it at the airports because of some longterm problems that where assumed to be caused by the spray. However, this was a rare case, for the most part, it is very safe. The only drawback is the availability and price if you are able to find any! I bought mine over the internet at Pro Exotics (US). It's about $20.00 a can! Nothing works like it though.

My mite problem that was lingering on for months (just when I thought I got rid of them they came back!) Was gone within the first day, and hasn't come back. It is over a year since I've had to use it. Just read the directions on the slip that comes with the spray (if you buy it from pro exotics that is.) and you shouldn't have any problems.

Black knight can be used to rid the snake, the cage, the furnishings, the surroundings, and the room of mites!

One more thing, if you use the Oil idea to rid the snake of mites, dont' get the oil all over the snakes head!!

Good luck!

Hi there,

I'm a US herper that just popped onto to the UK forums to say hello!

Black Knight is worth it's weight in gold. It seems expensive but one trip to the vet will cost you more. Another product that works rather well, although I haven't seen it advertised lately, is "Provent-A-Mite". It's the same idea as black knight. Check out "the war against mites" article on vpi.com's website. Very informative. Good luck!