Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A number of snakes in my reptile room have mites. It doesn't look like a big infestation...at least I hope I caught it before it became a big problem.

But I do see a problem that WILL become big. I'm going to have to break down every damn cage and put every damn animal on paper aren't I? Lizards, geckos, etc.
Will I have to worry about amphibians or invertebrates (tarantulas)?

What about stuff like mice and birds?

I'd rather avoid the nasty chemical sprays and whatnot due to the birds in the general area.

God, I'm completely hosed aren't I?

With Provent-A-Mite you don't have to change your substrate!
Use as directed, move your amphibians and your taratulas
And birds into another room, cover the tops of the fish tanks and turn off pumps or filters for about 15 min.
Check your mice, but I'll bet they probably don't have them.
The product works good, but not cheap, about $20.00 for the 6 oz.
can.
Boneiface

Hey wait a sec...how did you know I had fish?

Have you ever in all your posts mentioned fish?

Some of us have memories like TIVO

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garter - Princess
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER"
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

I kind of doubt it...but I might have...

Hey you are not alone. I just checked out "Sky" my blue garter, he just shed. as I was admiring his shiny new skin, I noticed a whole bunch of the @#$% mites running all over him.

Since many of my tanks are close to each other, I figure I will be killing mites for a day now.

Too bad they did not have stuff like they have for my dog and cats, just a drop on the neck for prevention.

Any chemists out there? cash in on this one....

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garter - Princess
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER"
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Problem is I got ALOT of stuff, and I gotta clean everything to be 100% sure.
The more I look at it, the more I'm thinking I've got the entire room contaminated. I'm usually very careful with washing hands and whatnot while handling and yet I have several snakes infected.
And I think I've had them for a while now, because as I think back, two of them have been soaking themselves quite a bit...I thought it was due to low humidity

I'm ordering some provent-a-mite now. Hopefully its as good as everyone says. I hate the idea of harsh chemicals, but I really have to hit these little bastards hard.

Have you read the data about mites at pro-exotics?

I just spent a lot of time reading it over, good information.

If the treatment I applied today is not effective, I will be buying the BK2 that they advertise right here on KS dot com.

And while I am at it, I will have one of those temp guns they sell for $25. oh and a few books too.

Check it out,

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garter - Princess
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER"
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

My provent-a-mite won't be coming in until tomorrow. As much as I love my kids, $50 for overnight shipping is a little excessive. And an extra day should hurt them horribly as long as I start cleaning.

So I spent a number of hours last night and this morning giving snakes baths (even if they didn't appear to have any mites) and completely drenching tanks and enclosures with bleach solution and even just a good old fashioned hose down outside. Lots of washings...
I even sealed up some of the tanks and left them out in the sun to cook for a few hours, apparently the excess heat will kill lots of mites....yeah I'm using every damn trick in the book that I can find .

Sigh, problem is, my big snakes must have had them for a while now. Poor guys. I don't take them out much (both are kinda timid) and I change the water regularly, so I've never noticed any mites in the water dish. But DAMN, when I checked the water, there was a bunch of the little bastards in there. And after the bath, I had a bunch of dead ones on my hands.

So my guess at this point, the mites got tracked in by someone and infected my carpet python first. Her enclosure in on the floor (its pretty big) and she seemed to have the most mites. Then my boa got hit next as he had quite a few as well and I usually take him out just after the python to play with them a bit. So I must have transferred some then.
A couple of my smaller snakes were hit, but it doesn't look like all of them (at least I hope) three looked fine, so I might be lucky in that the mites might have just been contained in the tanks and havn't been migrating on foot but by my own hands...

...which is odd actually, because I'm usually REALLY careful about washing immediately after touching any of the animals.

How exactly does this stuff work?

So I'm reading:
1) Take reptile out.
2) Spray the tank down.
3) Let air out a bit.
4) Place reptile back in.

Now apparently ANY insect in the tank will die...even crickets and whatnot.
So how does this stuff work? It is still outgassing (just less than when you first applied)? Or is it like a chemical that is absorbed when the insects walk on it or something?

Because if its just a touch that kills, won't the mites on the snake still survive?
And if its still outgassing, am I going to have to keep all birds, amphibians and invertebrates out of the area for a month or so?

I believe it kills on contact and you redo all cages to catch eggs that hatch. The eggs are immune. Do yourself a favor and do ALL the cages and the baseboards along the herp room. If you think it is a bit$h now, try to get them after a reinfection. Do a thorough job now and quarentine any w.c. animal in a separate room.
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Todd Hughes

I never bring in wild caught...I'm very much against it.
I imagine I or someone else tracked in some mites at some point...

I used PAM when I came across some mites. I followed the directions just as they were stated. I was paranoid about it not airing out enough, so I allowed a lot more time then instructed. I took magazines and fanned the cages out several times. I waited well over 4 hours to reintroduce the animals after verifying everything was dry.

Unfortunitly my hognose did not react well. He ended up curled up on his back convulsing. I almost put him down, but decided to see if he woudld make it out. He is still alive, but is still not right. When you pick him up he starts rolling over and over. He spends a lot of time on his back now. He didn't eat for almost 6 months after this happened, but is doing well now. Some of my friends laugh at how he acts, but it is sad. I think his brain is just fried.

Just wanted to make you aware that it is powerful stuff and will hurt your snake. I went to a breeder's place once and saw a can of it. I told him the story and he didn't beleive me. He said he picks his snakes up, sprays the cage, and puts them right back in and never had a problem...

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3.2 Corn (Butter-Sunflower '07/Anery Stripe-Ripple '06/Amber-Jack Straw '06/Snow-Casey Jones '06/Amel Motley-Cosmo '03)
0.1 Baird's Ratsnake (Sugaree '04)
1.0 White Oaks Grey Rat (Tennesse Jed '04)
0.1 IJ Carpet Python (Cassidy '04)
1.0 Western Hognose (Samson '05)
1.1 Shepherd mix (Dylan 9yrs, Porter 4yrs)

From what I have read at pro-exotics, Hognose snakes are sensitive to anything with any chemicals in it.

When I was faced with mites on my blue garter, I went to the pet store and I read all the labels carefully.

I purchased the zoo med for the fact that it's active ingredient is mild enough that I could spray it into my own eyes without harm. (Sodium Laurel sulfate) same as shampoo and only 0.1 % at that.

The other products had some stuff in there that was straight up bug poison, and I am not comfortable spraying poison on my animals.

The zoo med spray works, the mites are gone

Good luck,
Wayne A. Harvey

our critters

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garter - Princess
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER"
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

I used Mineral Oil directly on the snakes (hognose & rosy boa) after bleaching, rinsing and airing out their tanks and all was peachy. I aso oiled down the corners and around the top w/ mineral oil. No mites since. Best of luck w/ that! Mites suck!

reako45