Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, last night I found out Beowulf has mites. Today before treating him and his home I gave him a warm bath. After his warm bath I put him in a rubbermaid container I bought today for him. It's a 12 qt. He's not 2 feet yet. Maybe 1.5. I went and treated his tank and everything. Then went to go check on him. Well, I opened the top and he's looking at me like "leave me alone". Then he started to move, and he's shedding! Then I felt kinda bad, shedding and mites. Can't be any fun. Guess he's going to stay in his container longer than I planned. Anyhow...well, at this point I forgot the reason of this post...Maybe I'll remember in a minute. OK here are my questions since I forgot the whole reason as to posting: I was looking to buy provent-a-mite but having hard time finding a site that will take paypal. Any suggestions??? How often to they go they have bowel movements? I've had him since October 22nd and he hasn't went. I have seen urine, but that's it. I did change the substrate to newspaper, or paper towels (he has paper towels right now), so I have an easier time cleaning. Hmm, ok I'm ending this bc it's really buggin me I can't remember what I wanted to ask. haha I blame my short-term memory on kids!

Thanks

Jennifer

Well, he has completely shed, including caps. And he had a major bowel movement!

Jennifer

do you actually see the mites on your ball and walking through the enclosure?

Yeah, I noticed them moving on him. So I spent about 30 minutes with him trying to take them off of him. I felt so bad for him. I only got 4 off of him. I never seen any in the tank....and I didn't see any today. So I'm guessing they are mites? My poor baby has moved into his new hide (haha, my boyfriend made some temp hides with a powdered gatorade container). He won't come out so I guess his new temp hides are permanant hides now.

They were just a bit bigger than the period at the end of the sentence.

Jeni

I have to say, I am a bit shocked that you haven't gotten more answers and advice here.

I guess I don't really understand what it is that you are using to treat this problem, and it almost sounds like you are just using "elbow grease." I could give you an "A" for effort there, but it won't solve your problem.

What I keep hearing on this forum is how much everyone loves to use a product called "Provent-A-Mite." I think it is an aerosol. There is a thread about it in here now, called "POM" or something like that. I have never used this product, and only know of it by reputation. I hear it is safer for your reptile than most other methods.

I haven't had mites for years, and for as much as this dates me, when I last dealt with mites, the best treatment I knew of, and used, was "No Pest Strip" which is still available in home improvement stores - but you only need a tiny piece (1 or 2 square inches) of the strip, which you can cut off with scissors, then place in a well-ventilated deli cup with a lid - to ensure that your snake cannot come into contact with it. Place the deli cup in your infested enclosure, and go about your life. Once you no longer see any signs of mites anywhere - particularly in the water dish, leave the no-pest-strip in its deli cup in the cage for one more week, just to be sure, and you should be good. This treatment does pose a potential hazard to your animal if you should use an overly-large piece of the material, or if you should allow your animal to come into contact with it.

For goodness sake, whatever you do, DO NOT use Raid in your cage!!!!!

Take care, and I hope this helps.

~Rebecca
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1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa '04
1.1.1 Ball Pythons
[1.0.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1.0 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

I used a Nix solution to treat for the mites. But what is weird is that I didn't see any the day of treatment....just the night before. Now he just won't come out of his hide....except to stick his head out every once in a while like he's just checking to see where we are going. I'm glad he's enjoying his new hiding place, but I miss him moving about.

Jeni