Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We noticed two days ago that our baby red tail had black bugs on him. Once we seen them we soaked him in water completely, we bleached his equarium and we boiled and baked everything that was in his enclosure. We also changed his substrate from Shredded newspaper to flat newspaper. We noticed yester day that there were still bugs so we did all of the above again. Well we just noticed that he still has theses bugs on him after hours of cleaning him aswell as the enclosure. What else can we possibly do to get rid of these bugs?. We noticed our baby has lost alot of his energy and will not eat.

Please help.

Use a commercial mite killer as directed, it is really the best way to eliminate mites. Also, you can rub small amounts of unscented mineral oil on the snake which will suffocate the mites that remain on him.
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Thanks,
Amy

My Boids

When you soak him put dish soap in the water(Dawn,Ivory).This keeps the mites from latching on to air bubbles under water and surviving. Also get something like Nix or Generic Lice spray from your basic store( Meijer,Walmart,Pharmacy). Only spray this in enclosure and bedding allow to dry completely 30-45 mins at least. Its possible you may have to repeat soakings every 3-7 for two weeks to be certain to get all mites. Chances are one soak in soapy water and the spray will take care of problem. I wouldn't recommend the oil rub, not something I would do.
. . . . . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz

You say you noticed the bugs 2 days ago, and have noticed the boa being less energetic already?

Within that time frame, I would highly recommend visiting a Vet ASAP!

Good luck!
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www.bryansboas.com

Mineral oil acts in the same way dish soap does. However, dish soap is too harsh to be rubbed directly on the snakes body, so you mix it in water to break the surface tension allowing the mites to suffocate quicker. There are no toxins involved with the use of mineral oil, and it is widely used, and safely used by many people. If you use dish soap, you want to use the cheapest stuff possible, as more expensive soap has additives that may negatively affect your snake.

To use the oil method: lightly cover your snake with oil avoiding the nostrils, eyes, and pits if applicable. Let the oil sit for about 15 minutes as you clean out the enclosure, etc. Wipe clean your snake, and you should see the mites falling off dead. Some people do not remove the oil at all, but I always do, as the bedding sticks to them too much
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Thanks,
Amy

My Boids

Do a web search. It's very easy to find, and lots of people sell it at the reptile shows. It works like a charm.... I received a boa a few years back that had a couple "hitch hikers" on them. USe as directed and you'll be trouble free.

Hopefully...you quarantined the animal and didn't put him/her in gen-pop or you may have spread them to the rest of your collection. If you did house him/her by any other snakes.... treat them as well to prevent the spread.

hope this helped (it will...don't worry)
Ryan DeCaro

I use Nix lice shampoo. A 2 oz bottle diluted into a gallon of water. you can spray it on the snake, except the head and every time you clean the cage spray the paper down. I have used this for years and never had a problem.