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Mites... arg.. the little parasites that just wont go away...

Bammer Sep 06, 2003 11:10 AM

Ok, My snake room has become infested with mites. I finally figured out that it was because of some Amazon Tree Boas that I bought awhile ago. So, my 4 boa constrictors, 2 amazon tree boas, taiwan beauty snake, leopard gecko, and whites tree frog have to have all the stuff in thier cages sprayed with provent-a-mite... so ... im in a bad mood.

I have my snake room upstairs. I really dont want to take three 4 feet long cages downstairs and the rest of the snake cages to go and spray them with the prevent-a-mite. Can I take all the snakes, place them in rubbermaids, then put them into my bedroom, and then spray all the cages in the actual snake room? Fans and window would be used of course to air it out. And how long should I wait to stick the snakes back in their cages? The spray bottle says an hour.. but because of all the spray in the air, maybe a day or two?

well.. thanks in advance. Any help is greatly appreciated. This is my first time with mites.
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Starkey
Mystic Eye

Replies (4)

chrish Sep 06, 2003 01:13 PM

with Black Knight you simply give a small puff into every cage and a quick spray around the room, snakes and all. Close the door and leave it for 20 minutes, then open the door/window and ventilate. No more mites.
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Chris Harrison

Lunar-reptiles Sep 06, 2003 11:08 PM

Ok, I know you just learned the hard way but here is some advice for the future. I learned about mites the hard way too. I worked in a pet store and we got infested ONCE. lol, now I am mite paranoid.

I personally Provent-a-mite EVERY snake that comes into my collection. The snakes stay in quarentine downstairs away from the collection for a few months until I am sure they are healthy and bug free. If you are unable to quarentine in a separate room, then you really need to provent-a-mite the cages of every new snake. It saves you the hassle of what you are going through now.

Now to your problem..First, you can't spray the leopard gecko's cage or the tree frog's cage. The provent-a-mite will kill the crix/mealies that you use for food. They can't catch snake mites anyway BUT to make you feel better, use a 10 percent bleach solution and clean their tanks and stuff in it.

Second, You only have to spray the tank and wait for about 15 minutes before you put the snakes back in the cage. The biggest thing is to make sure that the spray has settled (doesn't take long). With the snakes that are bottom dwellers, make sure that the bedding is sprayed mre than the sides. I also would replace the bedding with newspaper for at least next month. Makes it easier to see dead mites and easier to clean. Remember to take the water bowl out of the cage before you spray.

I know the can says it lasts a month but I usually retreat after one week, then again after a month. Just to make sure that they are all dead.

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
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2.9.9 Leopard Geckos
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fishkiller Sep 07, 2003 01:54 PM

np

Matt_015 Sep 07, 2003 10:19 PM

np

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