Reptile & Amphibian Forums

anyone know any good tricks to get rid of mites? i fight them every yr right before iguanas go outside for the summer. ive tried everything but they always come back. i read putting olive oil on skin and leaving it for 30 mins. anyone try this. i spry down cages and substrate even fully replaced substrate with pro exotics spray, any suggestions?

The best product out there is Pro-ventimite by Pro Products. I treat the outdoor hide boxes a week before they go outside and the indoor enclosures a week before they come back in. Make sure it is fully dry before you put any lizards back in. Once dry, it is safe but when still wet, the vapors can make your lizard sick or die. If you have live native lizards running around your outdoor enclosures like I do, they will pass them on to your captives, so retreating as a preventative measure is necessary.

I use mineral oil once a year after the breeding season is over and the females have recuperated fron egg laying. I use a large tub to place the iguanas in. I then pour mineral oil over them and stroke them making sure that every nook and cranny on the iguana gets the oil. All you need to be careful about is getting the oil in the eyes and nostrils (and getting bit)lol. I usually leave the mineral oil on them and release them back in their enclosure, but you can wipe some of it off with a paper towel or rag after about an hour. It is non toxic to them. I use it sometimes on iguanas as a laxative if they get blockages. The reason the oil works on the mites is because mites and ticks breathe through tiny pores on the sides of their bodies. The oil covers those pores and they suffocate. The oil of course will not kill the ones in the enclosure so if you have a big problem with mites you may have to clean out the enclosure and use what Mark suggested.

that sounds perfect. i herd almost the same thing but with olive olive ,but mineral oil sounds far better and less messy. thanks a lot great replays hopefully i can kick this problem not to bad yet but want to lock it now. thanks

i did the mineral oil last sun, man they did not like it to much i decided to do my female as well even though i did not se any mites on her. a little stressful but next day they were breeding so i guess it helped with that as well, when the male was bitting her neck his mouth kept slipping off and he didnt cut her at all. yet another use....

Lubrication my man, Lubrication...lol

How much mineral oil do you give an iguana you think has a blockage?

Depends on the size of the iguana. I do not have an exact formula. Start off with a little bit.