Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just recieved a rescue 5 month old Albino Burm thats horribly infested with mites.

I soaked him in warm water for about 30 minutes and then stood over the sink for 3 hours getting as many mites off of him and out of his eyes as i could. I counted 13 mites IN one eye, like literally not just in the skin but under the skin around the eye. I had to lightly pop them out like blackheads.

I must have got 600 or more mites off of him but i am no where near being done.

I put mineral oil around the nostrils,eyes and vent etc. and got those mites off.

hes currently in a 10 gallon tank with papertowels.

Anything I could other than that and other than the Reptile Relief and Provent A Mite stuff.

ANY IDEAS WELCOME!
Help me please!

First and foremost-- quarantine snake from all other animals
people take care of mites different ways but i use a piece of pest strip (about the size of a dime or nickel).
poke small holes in empty asprin bottle
put the piece of pest strip in asprin bottle so snake doesnt come in direct contact w/ strip
place in enclosure for a few days.
mites should start dying. if you leave pest strip in for too long liver damage can occur
seven dust is supposed to work as well.
Its worked for me numerous times.
pet stores have mite treatment solutions nowadays you might just try that.

As teh active ingredient is Dichlorvos (Vapona), an organophosphate which was accidentally discovered during the development of a nerve agent for chemical warfare. While effective in the eradication of mites, along with a variety of other "pests", has been found to harbor an acute adverse effect on the neurological system of reptiles. While some have used such with no noticeable ill effect, the risks simply are not worth it and some issues, such as injury to the Jacobson's organ, normally go unnoticed.
Don't just take my word for it, review the following links regarding the Chemical profile and OP poisoning in humans:

pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/insect-mite/ddt-famphur/dichlorvos/insect-prof-dichlorvos.html

www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic286.htm

Personally, I would flip for the Provent-a-Mite, as it will eradicate unseen eggs and is quite safe, so long as it is used as directed, as it is the only USFDA approved product targeted for the eradication of predatory mites in herpetofauna.
While it has been several years since I last incurred a mite infested specimen, I always quarantine new acquisitions for a minimum of 90 days, I like to use a 2% Ivermectin solution, I make this by mixing 2ml of Ivermectin with 98ml of water and using such as a spray. The 2% Ivermectin solution always worked well for me, especially when bringing in recent imports and I have found it to be quite safe to use with Drymarchon spp., which tend to be quite sensitive to other forms of treatment.
You would be well advised to run a search query of the forums, as this issue has been addressed MANY times...

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

It would be wise to avoid using any type of oil on the snake, as such can interfere with thermoregulation and act as an incubator for anaerobic bacteria.
To avoid the spread of mites, place the snake’s 10 gal enclosure into a sweater box with a couple of inches of water. If the tank is not water proof, suspend it upon a couple of bricks or other form of support. Of course, you may wish to switch the snake to a plastic tub enclosure, as mites find the crevices between the aquarium glass and retaining rim very attractive for oviposition, which makes eradicating the eggs and future out breaks more difficult, and the plastic tubs are lighter and much easier to treat on a daily basis.
Keeping the snake on un-printed, white paper towels and limiting enclosure furniture to a water container and non-porous hide will help in determining the progress of your mite eradication method…

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Yes i use the mite spray called mite off you can buy it at Petco or petsmart. USE AS DIRECTED. I also soak in luke warm water for 30 min before applying then let sit for 3 days you may spray the entire enclosure and the snake with the mite off it is safe and non toxic to the reptile(so it says) just stay clear of eyes and be careful, that's all.

Are you referring to human eyes when you stated "stay away from the eyes", or the snakes??, because it doesn't sound right to keep it away from the snake's eyes, as that is there all-time favorite place to "hang-out"!!??, know what I mean?

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

Yes i meant human eyes if you spray becareful not to spray on your hand and get in your eyes or near your eyes as it could irritate them.

n/p
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"